A Warm Day in January

More data here.

...The jet stream remained unusually far to the north during January 2006, trapping cold air in Canada and Alaska, while allowing relatively warm Pacific air to influence the temperatures across the contiguous U.S. This led to the nationally warm conditions. The jet stream is currently giving way to a more typical winter pattern, according to the NOAA Climate Prediction Center. The February outlook calls for below normal temperatures in the mid-Atlantic, the Southeast, and the inter-mountain West, and above-normal temperatures in the Southwest, the northern Plains and Alaska.

Throughout January 2006, none of the contiguous U.S. experienced below-average temperatures—each state was warmer than the long-term mean. Fifteen states in the northern Plains, Great Lakes and Midwest had record high temperatures for the month, with an additional 26 states having temperatures much above average. More than 74 percent of the country was classified as "much above normal" when compared to the 1961-1990 climate normal. Only twice since 1895 has more than 74 percent of the nation had a much above-normal temperature—March 1910 and November 1999. None of the contiguous U.S. fell into the 'much below normal' category last month. The second warmest January on record was in 1953, which was 2.3 degrees F cooler than January 2006...

What we need is balance. The facts are clearly partisan. Or is it the other way around: the Party is not reality-based?