January Weather In NY Could Be Most Extreme In Over A Decade

Forecasters say we could see our most drastic month of January weather since 2011.

After a mild winter last year, and what felt like warmer-than-average weather most of 2024, winter in Upstate New York is actually off to a cold start.

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December Average Temperatures In The Capital Region

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the average temperature for December in Albany was 29.1 degrees. This was 1.3 degrees below the typical average for the month. The average temperature in Glens Falls was 25.9 degrees, 0.7 degrees below a typical December.

Now, forecasters say the cold start to the season will continue and could bring some of the most extreme January New York weather in over a decade.

Accuwweather Calls For Coldest January Since 2011

Get ready for a COLD and potentially STORMY January.

According to Accuweather, an arctic blast is moving across the United States this week, and "...the bitterly cold pattern could be the coldest January in more than a decade and maybe strewn with winter storms for the Midwest, South, and East."

Accuweather forecasters think the first couple weeks of January could bring "substantial snow and ice."

In New York, we have felt some of these colder temperatures setting in this week, and there is active lake-effect snow in the western part of the state. Accuweather says the full arctic blast will settle in during the first full week of January, and the "...pattern is conducive to supporting storms that bring snow or a wintry mix instead of plain rain to many areas."

Even though December was cold with a fair amount of snow, we did have a mild stretch that brought mostly rain to the area. This month, the temperatures look like they will line- up to be cold enough to make all that precipitation accumulating snow.

Maybe we will finally get that huge snowfall we have missed out on the last couple of winters in the Albany area!

What is the coldest temperature ever recorded in the Empire State?

The 12 Coldest Days On Record In Albany [RANKED]

Albany has the potential to be brutally cold in the winter. But most of the time, it is bearable and we deal with it - just wear extra layers right? But some days, even wearing all the thermal underwear in the world just is not enough to keep you warm. These are those types of days: the most brutal of the brutal, the 12 coldest days on record in Albany history since 1874 according to weather.gov.

Gallery Credit: Matty Jeff

See The 10 Biggest April Snowfalls In Albany History [RANKED]

In Upstate New York, you can never feel fully secure that snow is completely done until late spring. While we usually do not see a ton of snow in April, it is not unheard of. And if history tells us anything, a big April snowstorm is always possible. We have had a few April doozies over the years, and here are the top 10 April snowfalls on record in Albany according to the National Weather Service.

Gallery Credit: Matty Jeff

Albany's 10 Least Snowy Winters Of All Time

Some winters in Upstate New York can be absolutely brutal as far as massive amounts of snow. Then there are times like this winter when it feels like the snow is pretty much non-existent. It wouldn't be the first time! Here are the 10 least snowy winters of all time according to the National Weather Service of Albany

Gallery Credit: Matty Jeff

Filed Under: Albany Weather 2025