Happy new Millenium, officially, finally. And Happy New Year. We're now entering the heart of the cold season, with January being the coldest month in most winters. Average highs this month are around 37, with average lows around 23 - but of course, count on a great deal of variation from the averages on any given day.

As for snowfall, the January average is around six and a half inches, but that too is just a middle ground. Consider that in the last 100 years, there have been twenty-five Januarys with more than ten inches of snow, but also fifteen Januarys with less than one.

And here's some welcome news for those of you who are already tired of winter - in January we begin the long climb out of these days of lengthy darkness. From the beginning to the end of the month, we actually gain about 40 minutes of daylight, and that trend will continue right through June.