January Climatology

January ushers in the start of the primary recharge season over most of the Southeast U.S. The first image today shows the average rainfall that occurs in January. More significant rain typically falls within an axis from Louisiana and Alabama, across Georgia, and then into parts of the western Carolinas. 5 to 8 inches of rain falls within this region during a typical January. Rainfall tapers off over the central and eastern sections of the Carolinas with 4 to 5 inches. It is the dry season over central and south Florida with only 2 or 3 inches of rainfall.

Here are four graphs showing yearly rainfall distribution. For most of the Southeast U.S. January brings significant rainfall, followed by a decrease in February and then a significant pickup again in March. A significant exception is the Florida Penninsula (bottom right) which experiences seasonally low amounts of rainfall.