December brought one of the largest snows in recent history. Now with January has come a cold spell that reaches the top 10 of all time for Mount Airy.

As of Thursday morning, Mount Airy had five consecutive days of maximum temperatures of 32 degrees or below. According to meteorologist Phillip Badgett with the National Weather Service, this was the eighth longest cold spell of all time in Mount Airy since records have been kept in 1893, right ahead of a cold spell in February 1996.

The most recent freezing or below cold spell ahead of 2010 was in 1977. With one more cold day, 2010 would have tied for the fourth longest streak of freezing or below-freezing temperatures.

Badgett said, “We were thinking it would be close to that January 1977 record, and that’s pretty much the way it’s turned out.”

Mount Airy has already reached the ninth all-time for coldest spells with consecutive days of temperatures of 31 degrees or below. This streak, ending on Wednesday, was equal with the cold spell of December 1989.

“Hardly ever do you get long duration cold when it stays freezing or below,” Badgett remarked.

He said it is possible that this week’s weather will break the longest cold streak of temperatures 40 or below in Mount Airy.

For the first six days of January, the average temperature was 26.8 degrees, with the average high being 33.5 degrees and the average low 20 degrees.

Badgett said that more cold air is on the way, with highs from Friday to Sunday expected to be in the 20s or near 30. The National Weather Service was calling for flurries or very light snow on Thursday afternoon with a dusting possible.

A major concern through the weekend will be the wind chill, which will drop as low as 0 to 5 below zero Friday and Friday night and 0 to 5 above zero on Saturday.

Badgett said it was good that the area did not get much snow this week, because even a few inches could have proven treacherous for motorists.

“That’s the one fortunate part,” said Badgett.

Dry weather should last from Friday through Tuesday, with the next chance of wintry precipitation near the middle to end of next week. The warmest temperature in the near future should be next Tuesday, when the high should reach 40.

Contact Meghann Evans at mevans@mtairynews.com or 719-1952.