CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Temperatures getting into the 60s on New Year’s Eve in parts of the state was a bit unusual.
The rain carrying on into the final day of 2018 and into 2019 in parts of the state was not unusual, yet par for the course for the final couple weeks of the year.
“This is the wettest year on record,” Andy Chilian, WSAZ Meteorologist, said. “It was well over 60 inches of rain this entire year. Now, over the last couple of weeks, we have been seeing even more rain and that is adding to what has been a ridiculously wet year.”
2018 surpassed 2003 for the rain record as Yeager Airport in Charleston measured 66.56 inches of rain, more than five inches above the previous record.
The 65 degrees felt in Charleston on Monday felt unseasonably warm but felt short of a staggering 79-degree record high for New Year’s Eve in Charleston on 1951.
Chilian said the month has still been one to remember.
“We are overall about three degrees above normal,” he said. “So it has been a warmer than normal month. Precipitation this month in Charleston has been about five inches this month, which is about a couple inches above where we should be.
“While this month will probably not go down as the wettest month on the record like a couple other ones in 2018, it is still on the wet side.”
With lows into the 30s and 40s since Christmas and forecasted into the new year, the temperatures are a far different ballgame from this time one year ago.
December 27, 2017, into January 2018 saw a two week stretch of low temperatures in the teens or single digits.
“It certainly hasn’t felt like winter recently because of these mild temperatures,” Chilian said. “And we really haven’t had an extended cold blast. It was close to this time last year when we were dealing with a few weeks in a row of below freezing temperatures.”
So what can be expected as the state waits on wintery like weather?
“What we will be watching for is seeing if we can get colder air,” Chilian said. “If you get these storms that are moving through with rain, if you can get that colder air it will be a sign for a big snow storm. Be aware of this because we have been in a stormy pattern recently.”