January 2005 began and ended in vastly different ways. The month started out very warm, especially in the beginning of the month. For just the first 11 days of the month, January 2005 was by far the warmest January of record for the area, even though January 6th was much colder than normal. After the 11th, the passage of several cold fronts brought the averages down around 4 to 7 degrees lower.  The last several days of the month turned out wet and cold.  Even though the cooler weather came, January 2005 was still warmer than normal across parts of Central and South Central Texas, ending around 2.9 to 5.6 degrees above normal for the month.  The first 26 days of the month were very dry, even for January standards. This changed in late January as a much wetter pattern showed up, sending the monthly rainfall to above normal. The month ended cooler also, although a few strong cold fronts made there way through the area earlier in the month. The stronger Cold Fronts came the evening of the 5th, the 13th, the 22nd, and in several surges from the 29th to the 31st. After very warm conditions the 1st to the 5th, shallow arctic air on the 6th made for much cooler conditions in the day; however a warming trend quickly followed. On the 27th cold rain fell in wake of a cold front, and the cold rainy pattern returned late the 29th and on the 30th, continuing on the 31st. Even though it was January, the coldest of the winter 2004/2005 still goes to December 2004, when the average temperature was cooler than in January 2005. Rainfall for the month ended up above normal, and more cloudy days than sunny ones showed up. This helped to limit temperature extremes some from what they could have been. On several occasions it could have been warmer without the high clouds on the 11th and 26th and colder at night without the clouds during some of the cold outbreaks.

After the cold outbreak just before and over Christmas weekend of 2004, the warming trend of the last few days of December 2004, extended and increased in the early part of January 2005. Although daytime highs were not extreme or made any records, very mild overnight lows in humid conditions established a few record high daily minimums. The early January warm spell came to an end on the night of the 5th, as a shallow arctic cold front came across the area from the north and northeast, making for much colder conditions the 6th. Light rain and drizzle accompanied the cold late in the day of the 6th to the early morning of the 7th. Skies slowly cleared from the northwest during the afternoon of the 7th, as milder conditions showed up over the west part of the area and spread east on the following days. The weekend of the 8th and 9th continued to warm-up some, then the warming trend increased markedly the night of the 9th and extended to the 12th. The 11th saw some of the warmest days of early January, as highs warmed to the upper 70s to lower 80s.

By the 12th clouds increased in the day ahead of a Pacific Cold Front. In the late afternoon and evening, a Pacific Cold Front came across the area, accompanied by showers and thunderstorms, as its upper air disturbance moved from the Texas Panhandle to Oklahoma. The line of showers and thunderstorms was brief, bringing frequent lightning, gusty winds, and brief rains. Much drier conditions followed on the 13th, as breezy north and northwest winds gusted to between 30 and 40 mph. Cooler air came in from the north in the day and night of the 13th to morning of the 14th. Colder conditions followed on the 15th and 16th, as a surge of modified Arctic air came over Central and South Central Texas from the north and northeast, keeping daytime highs in the 40s to mid 50s over the hill country to around 50 to the 50s over South Central Texas. On the morning of the 17th, the coldest lows for the month were observed for most places. It was the coldest since the December cold outbreaks, yet not quite as cold as the December lows. Lows on January 17th fell to the 20s over Central Texas and over a large part of South Central Texas, with near 30 to 32 from Del Rio to south of San Antonio. A low of 19 was observed 10 miles west of Hunt. In December 10 miles west of Hunt got down to 16.

Although the week of the 17th to 22nd began cold, it warmed up by the middle of the week, with highs in the 70s during the day. The warming trend ended late in the week, when a fast moving cold front came Saturday afternoon and evening of the 22nd. The coldest daytime highs since the 6th came on Sunday the 23rd. Increasing high cloudiness kept lows the night of the 23rd and morning of the 24th higher than what they could have been, and a warming trend followed in the early to mid week of the 24th to the 29th. The warmest days since the 11th came the 25th and 26th, with Austin Mabry and Del Rio both having the warmest day of January 2005 with a high of 80 on the 25th.

Late January 2005 came in with wet conditions, under cloudy skies, with below normal daytime temperatures. Daytime highs steadily got colder right on through the 31st, as cold air filtered over the area under mostly cloudy skies, with periods of cold rain. By the 27th rain fell during the day in wake of a cold front. More rain fell the 27th than for the 1st to the 26th, as rainfall amounts near 1 to near 2 inches fell. Nixon in Dewitt County has 2.38 inches, while Cedar Creek below Bastrop has 2.14 inches. Record daily rainfalls were set at Austin Bergstrom International Airport, Austin Mabry and San Antonio. After a brief warm-up the 28th, colder conditions came the weekend of the 29th and 30th, along with rain and cloudy days. Daytime highs dropped steadily over the last weekend of the month, and continued their slide on Monday the 31st. Highs the 31st were mostly in the 40s, with lower 50s over the west part of the area, where the depth of cold air was shallower. Stronger north and northeast winds the 31st, added to the chill, along with periods of rain. Some of the rain activity in the day became convective at times, with periods of showers and occasional thunder at some spots.

January 2005 ended up wetter and warmer than normal for the area. A few cold spells came; however, colder weather came in December. The month began very warm, with the average temperature 8 to 12.5 degrees above normal from the 1st to the 11th.  This changed some on the 6th temporarily, and then more consistently after the cold front of January 12th. For all 31 days, January 2005 was around 2.9 to 5.6 degrees above normal. The month ended with some cold days, as daytime highs the last 2 days of the month were in the 40s, with 50s over the west part of the area. Like temperature, precipitation changed greatly in January 2005, beginning dry, and ending wet.  Rainfall from the 27th to the 31st pushed the monthly totals to above normal.

February 2nd will mark the mid point of winter, also known as one of the Cross-Quarter days, the mid point of a season. Other Cross-Quarter days of the year include May 1st; August 1st; and October 31st. February also brings a month that climatologically has shown the greatest temperature extremes for Central and South Central Texas, from warm to cold and the reverse direction from cold to warm. Rainfall wise, October has climatologically shown the greatest extremes from very dry to very wet. In 2004 though, November was the month for 2004 with rainfall extremes. Winter 2004/2005 ends March 20, 2005 at 633 AM CST, when Spring 2005 officially begins.

The average January temperature was 55.9 degrees, 5.6 degrees above normal. The average high was 65.0, and the average low was 46.8. Heating degree days 312 and cooling degree days 37. The highest temperature reached 79 on the 11th and 26th, and the lowest was 29 on the 17th. Highest wind gust was 36 mph from the northwest with a Cold Front on the 13th. Rainfall was 2.18 inches, 0.52 inches above normal. Rainfall from January 1st to January 31st, 2005... 2.18 inches or 0.52 inches above normal.