December Warmth

NOAA's Temperature Outlook for mid-December

As expected, this month has gotten off to a warmer than average start.  That’s largely because the position of the jet stream has been much farther north than is typical for this time of year.  Therefore, warmer than average temperatures have enveloped much of the eastern United States.  In fact, all but two days so far this month have been warmer than average.

That’s going to continue for the next several days as temperatures are poised to be in the 60s today and around 70 degrees tomorrow and Sunday.  By contrast, average temperatures are only in the mid-40s in the Nation’s Capital in mid-December.  In fact, some record highs are in jeopardy this weekend.  According to National Weather Service data, there have been only four instances during the last fifteen years where there have been three or more consecutive days with high temperatures in the 60s in December.

The weather pattern so far this month has been quite typical for a winter dominated by a strong El Nino event.  That’s not good news for snow lovers.  Buffalo, New York, which typically sees more than 90” of snow in a given year hasn’t seen any measureable snow yet this winter.  That’s a record for latest in the season without snowfall.  Meanwhile, the Pacific Northwest has seen record flooding and mountain snowfall.  As many know, the entire West Coast has been mired in a multi-year drought so going from extreme drought conditions to getting record precipitation has created a plethora of problems including flooding and landslides.

In the Mid-Atlantic Region, NOAA’s temperature outlook for the next ten days calls for the warmer than average temperatures to continue.  Although Washington, D.C. has had measureable snowfall in ten of the last fifteen Decembers, that doesn’t appear likely this month.  Warmer than average conditions are expected to continue by and large into 2016.  

 

Record Highs In Jeopardy (Degrees Fahrenheit)

December 12:

Washington, D.C. (National Airport): 71 (1873)
Dulles Airport, Sterling, Virginia: 72 (1979)
Baltimore, MD (BWI Airport): 71 (1979)

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December 13:

Washington, D.C. (National Airport): 71 (1889)
Dulles Airport, Sterling, Virginia: 71 (1984)
Baltimore, MD (BWI Airport) 69 (1889)