...1863... The greatest snowstorm of record for Cincinnati OH commenced, and a day later twenty inches of snow covered the ground. That total has remained far above the modern day record for Cincinnati of eleven inches of snow in one storm.
...1882... Southern California's greatest snow occurred on this date. Fifteen inches blanketed San Bernardino, and even San Diego reported a trace of snow.
...1888... A cold wave hit California, with temperatures of 20 degrees at Eureka and 29 degrees at San Francisco.
...1910... 7.6 inches of snow fell at Newport, Rhode Island breaking the record of 3.6 inches set in 1906.
...1954... The low temperature dipped to 3 degrees below zero at Newport, Rhode Island, breaking the record 1 degree below zero set back in 1912.
...1974... After 2 weeks of very cold temperatures, unseasonably warm warm temperatures accompanied by Chinook winds and heavy rains, as much as 10 inches in a 4 day period, resulted in disastrous flooding over northern and central Idaho. The severe flooding was called the worst natural disaster in the history of the state. Mudslides blocked and washed out sections of US 95, Idaho's main north-south highway. Total damage was about $50 million.
...1978... 2.71 inches of rain fell at Newport, Rhode Island establishing a record high for January.
...1979... Chicago IL was in the midst of their second heaviest snow of record as, in thirty hours, the city was buried under 20.7 inches of snow. The twenty-nine inch snow cover following the storm was an all-time record for Chicago.
...1987... Arctic cold invaded the north central U.S. By evening blustery northwest winds and temperatures near zero at Grand Forks ND were producing wind chill readings of 50 degrees below zero.
...1988... A powerful Pacific storm produced rain and high winds in the western U.S. In Nevada, a wind gust to 90 mph at Reno was an all-time record for that location, and wind gusts reached 106 mph southwest of Reno. A wind gust to 94 mph was recorded at nearby Windy Hill. Rainfall totals in Oregon ranged up to six inches at Wilson River.
...1989... A winter storm spread snow and sleet and freezing rain from the Middle Mississippi Valley to the northeastern U.S. Freezing rain in West Virginia caused fifteen traffic accidents in just a few minutes west of Charleston. Tennessee was deluged with up to 7.5 inches of rain. Two inches of rain near Clarksville TN left water in the streets as high as car doors.
...1990... A winter storm in the southwestern U.S. blanketed the mountains of southwest Utah with 18 to 24 inches of snow, while sunshine and strong southerly winds helped temperatures warm into the 60s in the Central Plains Region. Five cities reported record high temperatures for the date, including North Platte NE with a reading of 63 degrees.
...1992... A low pressure area deepened 18 millibars in only 12 hours (a land bomb) and bottomed out at 969 millibars (28.62 inches) as it tracked from the Tennessee Valley to northern New York state. It produced quite a range of nasty weather. Heavy snow with blizzard conditions prevailed in Ohio and eastern Michigan. Detroit, Michigan reported thunder and lightning with heavy snow and received a total of 11 inches -- its biggest single storm snowfall in nearly 10 years. An unusual severe weather outbreak for the time of the year so far north occurred in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and and southeastern New York. Tornadoes touched down at Moosic and Lumberville, Pennsylvania. Dime size hail fell at Orange, New Jersey and thunderstorm winds gusted to 87 mph at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Small hail fell at Weather Service Office in Newark, New Jersey -- the first time hail had ever fallen at this location in January.