The month of December featured several periods of unseasonably mild temperatures, along with brief cold spells. The final days of December were more winterlike, with temperatures colder than normal and several inches of snow that fell at Denver International Airport on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

January is, on average, the second-coldest month of the year. Only December has a colder monthly average temperature. Historically, no part of the month is colder than another. Both the average high and low temperatures are fairly steady throughout the month, with an average high in the mid-40s and an average low in the upper teens.

This month has a monthly average snowfall that is the fourth-highest of the year. Typically, any snowstorms that occur are not nearly as potent as those that occur during the snowier months. Cold fronts from Canada or the Arctic are the primary trigger for the snow. These fronts lack the moisture that is found in the strong Pacific storms during snowier months.

It will remain to be seen how January will shape up. The Climate Prediction Center's January forecast is for near-normal temperatures and precipitation in northeastern Colorado.