January ended with a gentle whimper but the mild finish was not quite a temperature record.
The high yesterday was 7.5 degrees and the current record is 10.0 set back in 1988.
The average temperature was -5.9 degrees and the long-term average temperature is -7.7 degrees.
"So that was the mildest January since 2013 which had an average temp of -4.9 degrees," said Geoff Coulson, Meteorologist with Environment Canada.
Barrie reported 29.6 mm of rain (long-term average rainfall is 19.7 mm) and 86.5 cm of snow (long-term average snowfall is 69.1 cm).
Total precipitation (rain and melted snow) was 116 mm and the long-term average total precipitation is 88.8 mm.
"It was the snowiest January since 2011 when 100.5 cm was reported," Coulson said.
The forecast high of 10 degrees on Wednesday would be close to the record for that day in history of 11 degrees in 1991.
But it's back to reality with temperatures expected to be near or above normal into late next week and some colder than normal temperatures between about the 11th and 15th.
"Temperatures will continue to bounce around for the second half of the month but it is again expected to end up a little milder than normal when all is said and done," Coulson explained.
Coulson adds we might be in for more lake-effect snow in the coming weeks since there is still plenty of open water on the Great Lakes.
