January 2023 has been very cloudy compared to recent years in central Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The winter months in central Indiana tend to be some of our cloudiest of the year.

This has held true, especially for January 2023, where we have recorded 24 days of average cloud cover 80% or higher through Monday, Jan. 30.

In the previous five years, we have eclipsed the 20-day mark only one other time in January. While January is our second-cloudiest month in central Indiana, December is our cloudiest month of the year with a 15-year (2006-2020) average of 17.8 days of cloud cover over 80%. January 2023 is the cloudiest December or January month dating back to at least 2006.

The reason winter has the cloudiest months has a lot to do with temperatures. Surface temperatures tend to be cooler than the air just a few thousand feet up. This easily can lock in low-level cloud cover across our area during these months.