Kevin Myatt is The Roanoke Times' weather columnist.

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The coldest January in five years was extremely normal, historically.

Roanoke's average temperature of 35.9 degrees for the month was a miniscule one-tenth of a degree above normal for January, while Blacksburg's average of 30.9 degrees was exactly normal. Climatic normals are based on 30-year-averages from 1971-2000.

While the Jan. 15-17 Arctic snap that sent temperatures down to 3 at Roanoke and minus 4 at Blacksburg was the standout weather event of the month, there were enough milder days early in the month, and one or two interspersed amid the late-month cold, to offset the severe chill.

Not since 2004 has there been a January that averaged below normal in temperature. Between 2005 and 2008, Roanoke ranged from 1.7 to 7.7 degrees above normal in January.

Precipitation for the month was also close to normal, with Roanoke's 2.72 inches about a half-inch below normal, and Blacksburg's 3.6 inches about a quarter-inch above normal. Every January except one since 1999 has had below-normal precipitation in Roanoke.

So January, on average, was a very normal weather month -- except for that one white, flaky, category I'm not talking about right now.