WMass may see thaw in January

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - The new year initially started off cold with lows in the single digits and highs only in the 20s.  Now, as we head into the second week of 2013, it looks like we may see a January thaw.

Simply stated, a January thaw is a period of mild weather that tends to recur in January.

Right now, every inch of western Massachusetts is covered in several inches of snow.  The skiers, snowboarders, and snowmobilers should take advantage of the snow while it's still on the ground this weekend. 

Between the sunshine and highs in the mid to upper-30s, the snow will gradually melt.

We certainly anticipate a lot of melting by the middle of next week.  With very mild air surging in from the south, we'll be trading highs in the 30s for highs in the 40s.  We are still tracking the possibility of a rain storm next week, so that will likely take care of the rest of the snow on the ground.

We missed out on a thaw in 2011, but 2012 featured a lot of mild days. 10 days above 40-degrees, 4 above 50-degrees, and 1 day at 60-degrees.