RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – Looking back on what January’s weather brought central North Carolina, the average temperature came in just under 50 degrees. That makes it 7.6 degrees warmer than average, good for the seventh warmest January on record.

In terms of rain, it was variable across the region, but the Triangle picked up just more than 3 inches for the month (3.11″) which was slightly drier than average.

February is already starting out chilly, so what can be expected for the rest of the month?

The monthly outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center favor slightly wetter than average conditions, and warmer than average temperatures.

Remember, even though the month is favored to be warmer doesn’t mean there won’t be cool or cold days, it just means when the end of the month comes, the average temperature is expected to be warmer than usual.

Let’s go back to Feb. 1996. That month ended up cooler than average with a one-day snowfall of 5.6 inches on Feb. 16. But just ten days later, the area hit 80 degrees.

Or even Feb. 2020. The month was more than 3 degrees warmer than average, but central North Carolina still had 2.5 inches of snow on Feb. 20. Because remember, climate is long-term, weather is short-term.

So when we tell you that the month will lean warmer than average, expect a warm trend, but also know the area may still have to turn the heat on for a few days.