Overall 2022 got off to a decent start with a very benign and quiet month - high pressure was dominant for a large swathe, especially from the 10th, which after a mixed start to the month, brought a prolonged settled and dry spell.

  There was a slight contrast in that day-time maximums finished well above average (+1.96°c) and indeed the mean maximum for the month is the highest January total yet at this site, yet with the settled and calm conditions the number of frosts finished on average (with ground frosts well above average) and subsequently the mean minimum temperature had a far less marked deviation from the norm' at just +0.26°c.

  Snow was very much absent during the month, the 6-7th having brief spells but which really were nothing worthy of note and no day recoded 'lying snow'.

  The vast majority of the month's rain had fallen by the 9th and by the month's end the ground had noticeably firmed up.

  MSLP of 1022.6 Mb was +10.5 MB above the local average for the month and overall a mean minimum of 0.93°c and a mean maximum of 7.69°c saw the temperature 1.11°c above the thirteen year average for this site.

  It was the warmest January since 2020 and since 2009 when the record began, three have been warmer and ten have been colder - the highest maximum temperature recorded during the month being 12.6°c (1st), the lowest minimum -4.9°c (6th).

  Rainfall of 62.2 mm (Maulds Meaburn North 61.6 mm -- Castlehowe Scar 81.7 mm) was 44.5% of average for 2008-21, making it the driest January since 2019. In a record that commenced in 2008, three have been drier and eleven have been wetter.

  During the month the following was recorded: snow fell on three days (but there were no days of lying snow) - the wind speed averaged 7.06 mph, with a maximum gust of 50 mph (31st).

  At the Met' Office site at Shap a mean minimum of 0.2°c and a mean maximum of 7.3°c saw the monthly mean temperature 0.73°c above the average and made it the warmest January since 2020. In a complete record back to 2005, six have been warmer and eleven have been colder.

  Rainfall of 99.4 mm represents 42.6% of its average. It was the driest January since 2019 and in a record that commenced in 1989, seven have been drier and twenty six have been wetter.

  At Appleby in Westmorland rainfall of 44.3 mm represents 47.5% of its average (1857-2021) and made it the driest since 2019 - in a record that commenced in 1857, 25 have been drier and 140 have been wetter.

  Across the county rainfall was widely below half of the long-term average in January with just a few locations exceeding 50% of the long-term average and then only just. Seathwaite having the greatest percentage fall with 57.4%, but with percentages more broadly hovering either side of 40%, falling to 32% at Abbeytown.

  Whilst there was no real geographical pattern as to the wettest/driest parts of the county, the east to north-east corner faired reasonably well and this say Haresceugh Castle finish as the driest location in the county both in terms of total fall (22.57 mm) and percentage fall which was just 24.7% of its average.

  Figures from the Environment Agency’s rainfall sites were, (figure in brackets being the monthly average for 1961-90)   ‘Data kindly provided by the Hydrometry and Telemetry team of the Environment Agency (Penrith)’:

  Kirkby Thore 25.8 mm (77.7 mm)

  Haresceugh Castle (Kirkoswald) 22.57 mm (91.4 mm)

  Brothers Water 128.4 mm (333.4 mm)

  Orton (Shallowford) 92.8 mm (186.1 mm [average for 1967-2021]) - making it the driest since 2019 and since the record commenced in 1967, ?? have been drier and ?? have been wetter.

  216.4 mm at Seathwaite Farm (Borrowdale - 377.2 mm [average for 1845-2020]) - making it the driest since 2019 and since the record commenced in 1845, ?? have been drier and ?? have been wetter.

  General Synoptic Report for the Month

   The month opened exceptionally mild with a strong SW'ly flow as a very large area of Low pressure (LP) sat out in the Atlantic and which quite amazingly saw the month's highest temperatures, both day and night, recorded on the 1st.

  Whilst the maximum of 12.6°c on the 1st wasn't a January record, the overnight minimum of 10.2°c certainly was and this is the first time a double-digit minimum temperature as been recorded at this site in January.

  However, whilst the 1st to the 3rd were very mild, they were also wet, although not excessively (8.1 mm 1st -- 11.4 mm 2nd -- 11.9 mm 3rd) as the LP dominated for the first few days. Late on the 3rd the wind swung NW'ly with a cold front sweeping down from the north, the rain turning to snow, albeit only just covering the ground.

  The 4-5th were a vast improvement, albeit much colder. High pressure (HP) slowly and never convincingly, built over the UK and the 4-5th were glorious sunny days with crisp, clear nights following. Night-time frosts were sharp, but not severe, peaking at -4.9°c on the 6th. A maximum of 2.5°c on the 4th was courtesy of that brisk NW'ly Arctic flow.

  The ridge of HP collapsed overnight into the 6th, the cloud building and after an overcast start fronts associated to LP SW of Iceland moved across the UK. At first, as they met with the cold air over the UK, snow fell for a few hours during the morning, turning to sleet then light rain in the afternoon. In a brisk W'ly flow the 7th saw some snow shower which petered out in the afternoon and then for anything wintry, that was it for the rest of the month.

  The rainfall totals for the 6-7th were not great (7.5 mm + 7.7 mm)(although the 7th was a wet day within the LDNP, Honister having 68.4 mm), the 8th was then a poor day, grey with rain and/or showers throughout, but only amounting to 4.3 mm. The 9-10th were then overcast with the odd shower, then from the 12th HP would build and would now become the dominant feature of the month.

  From now on not much happened - only the final few days of the month would encounter something more interesting with two named storms, although any impacts on Cumbria were very limited.

  The essence though was pressure remained high throughout, providing for settled and dry conditions. Indeed rainfall was virtually non-existent with (light) rain only recorded on the 18th and 26th.

  The position of the HP was important though, too far over Europe and a more moist W'ly airflow affected the UK resulting in some drab and grey days (14th, 22nd to 26th), but when more central to the UK the days tended to be clearer with some very decent sunny spells, although with night-time frosts (12-13th, 17th, 19th to 21st).

  On a few occasions a weak front would move across the UK with the HP retreating into Europe only for a new area of HP to become established from the Atlantic. During this period temperatures slipped back slightly, day-time maximums been cooler but still trending above average and it was only those frosts that kept some check on the overall mean temperature for the month.

  As the weather became more transient and mobile at the end of the month, the principal feature would be the wind - all of the final four days had brisk SW-W'ly winds, but there wasn't a wind gust of 50 Mph or more until the 31st. Rain (5.3 mm) was still insignificant with just the afternoon of the 30th seeing any