January's National Forecast Overview

Large stretches of the U.S. will feel the chill as 2024 settles in this January.
 
The first week of the New Year will be highlighted by a quick-moving weather pattern. A series of cold fronts will dive into the East, bringing a switch to notably cooler temperatures. The weak disturbances moving alongside these fronts won’t pack too much of a punch, but lake-effect and mountain snow is likely from New England to upstate New York and the Appalachians.
 
The rest of the U.S. will, for the most part, see a relatively quiet start to 2024. Low pressure will dive southeastward from the Pacific into California by Wednesday and Thursday, injecting some rain and mountain snow to the Golden State. However, the rest of the country will remain under the influence of high pressure, keeping temperatures somewhat near normal with plenty of sunshine.
 
The first weekend of 2024 and the beginning of the second week will see low pressure strengthening across the Mid-South before becoming a coastal storm near the Mid-Atlantic and Carolinas. Its exact track will be the determining factor as to rain vs snow, scooting offshore by Monday. Meanwhile, another area of low pressure will quickly track across the U.S., with snow expected from the Dakotas to the Rockies, spreading into the Upper Mississippi Valley by mid-week. Areas from the Mid-Mississippi Valley southward, and then along much of the Eastern Seaboard, will see rain by Tuesday and Wednesday.
 
The unsettled weather pattern is likely to continue through the middle of the month, as a deep cold front draws cold air into the West and the Plains. Temperatures will likely run 10 to 20 degrees below average even as far south as Texas, while a pasting of snow will likely accompany the front as it tracks across the U.S. Midsection.
 
Less clear is what happens with this system as it reaches the Eastern Seaboard. Warm air will remain stubborn ahead of the front, creating an immovable object into the weekend as the front barrels eastward. January-like cold is likely to finally reach the East Coast around Martin Luther King Day, but may be short-lived by the time it arrives.
 
For those in the East looking for cold weather, the second half of January appears to be ready to provide. A series of cold fronts will bring progressively colder air into the East, making 2024’s first month likely colder than average. Whether moisture is able to intertwine with the cold air is the $64,000 question between a chilly month and a snow-filled paradise.
 
In the West, the second half of January looks to be somewhat milder. Low pressure systems trolling the coastal Pacific will allow for warmer air to seep onshore, producing readings 5 to 10 degrees above average. While these storms will produce rain along the immediate coast, much of the Rockies and Plains will sit under high pressure and see more sun than storms.
 
Climatologically, January is the coldest month of the year across the U.S. Temperatures tend to bottom out by the middle of the month, with a thaw producing some moderation as the month winds toward February.