December continued the ongoing trend of warmer than average temperatures, and lack of winter-like weather conditions. The average temperature in the Twin Cities during the month was 27.8 degrees – finishing 8.1 degrees above normal. According to the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, this was the 13th warmest December in Twin Cities modern history. High temperatures were well above normal during the second half of the month, and saw temperatures soar into the 50s the day after Christmas. Many lakes are suffering from thin ice, prompting warnings from the Minnesota DNR.
Looking at other locations around Minnesota, the St. Cloud temperature pattern was nearly identical to the Twin Cities and finished 9.3 degrees above average for the month at 25.2 degrees.
The trend was much the same across the state with above average everywhere. A good portion of Minnesota was running anywhere from five to ten degrees above normal.
Our mild temperatures brought a couple episodes of rain to the area in December. Since the ground remained unfrozen, this moisture was able to seep into the moisture-derived soil. 0.99 inch of liquid precipitation fell officially at MSP airport, which was close to normal with a 0.17 inch deficit. For the year, Minneapolis-St. Paul finished with 26.91 inches of precipitation, which was 3.7 inches below normal.
With the late month snowfall and rain across southeastern Minnesota, those areas ended up near normal for December in terms of precipitation. A large portion of Minnesota saw 25 to 50 percent of normal December precipitation, which did not improve on the drought situation.
Stay tuned for more updates on January’s weather!
RS
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