Contrary to popular belief, small market media does not have people rolling in dough. We all need side jobs. Anchorman Mark Mallory used to mow lawns. My former weekend anchor Dominic Vitiello served popcorn at the Hermantown theater. Many reporters work as baristas in their time off from TV. Former sports anchor Ted Rowlands who is now with Court TV used to be a Enger golf clubhouse janitor. I teach meteorology at the Lake Superior College Center for Advanced Aviation.
As Ely math teachers Miss Borga, Mr. Anderson and Mr. Lunceford could tell you, mathematics were not my strong suit in pursuit of my degree. But, I did well in statistics so here are some numbers for 2025. We had three months that were colder than normal, four months that were normal and five months that were warmer than normal. December was 5.8 degrees cooler than normal for coldest month in 2025. October was warmest at 4.3 degrees above average. My calculations show the year was 0.11 degree cooler than normal which is in the range of normal climate variability. The official number will come from NWS Duluth next month.
January may come up cloudy this year but the clouds will be fairly dry. Long range forecasters feel we may remain five inches below average. Temperatures will range from bitter cold to warmer than normal but average out four degrees warmer than normal. The first week of January will be cold and mostly dry. The second week should be warm with flurries. The third week should be sunny and cool. The fourth week will warm back up again and may trigger a snow storm. That’s where the bulk of the month’s precip should come in.
