December 2012 Revisited

December 2012 was:

Above average: Rain, snow, temperature
Average or near: Solar radiation
Below Average: Wind

My station's average  temperature of 38.2° was warmer than the long term December average of 35.7°, and also warmer than the more recent (2001-2011) average  of 35.2°.  The official average temperature in Hood River, recorded at HOXO, was 37.5°.

The maximum temperature (at my station) was 53°, and the low temp was 25°. Official Hood River highs and lows (at HOXO) were 54° and 26°.  The high heat index (at my station) for the month was 53°, and the low wind chill was 22°.

Following in the warm footsteps of November, this wasn't just sort of a warm December; it was the warmest since 2004.  Regarding my peppers and tomatoes, I finally gave up on them around the middle of the month, even though they were still sort of alive.  I can't remember ever having tomato and pepper plants last that late into the year.

Solar radiation averaged 74 Ly/day, compared to an average December of 73 Ly/day.  About as average as one can get.

In precipitation news, my station had 6.75" for the month, and HOXO officially recorded 6.16".  An average December gets 5.84", so we ended up above average.  The max daily precipitation was December 16th, when HOXO recorded 1.27".  That was the result of snow melt from the previous day, and rain on the 16th.

For a month that was pretty darn warm, historically speaking, we ended up with an above average amount of snow, all of it in the second half of the month.   We had our first measurable snowfall for the season, 3.5", on the 15th.  That was followed by another snowstorm (6") on the 19th.  On Christmas Day, yet another 6" of snow, for a gorgeous White Christmas.  And to end the month, 0.5" of snow on Dec 31st.  Total for the month:  16".  Average December snowfall, as officially measured by MCAREC, is 8.6".

The 24 hour average wind  speed at my weather station was 1.3 mph, compared to an average December wind speed of 1.8  mph.  The peak wind gust was 35 mph on the 17th.  Wind speeds at other less sheltered locations, such as the Columbia River, were, of course, higher.  

Barometric pressure peaked at 30.58", and the low barometric was 29.18".

There were (possibly) two local weather records set this month.  On the 19th, I measured 6" of snow, against the old record of 5" (1964).   And then, on the 25th, another 6" of snow, with the old record being 5" (1983).   MCAREC has yet to update their snow amounts for December, so we might have to wait, perhaps for a very, very long time, to see if those records were actually broken.  And don't get me started on how long it takes the good folks at MCAREC to update their data online...

These monthly summaries use data from my weather station located near May and Rand Streets in Hood River. To view my weather station's data for December 2012, click here.  For official Hood River data, and historical averages/records, the data comes from both the manually read NOAA station at MCAREC, and HOXO, the automated station located right next to MCAREC.

A White Christmas... we actually had one this year!  Just like the ones we used to know!!   For this month's video presentation, there are so many versions of White Christmas that to pick one is extremely difficult.  So extremely difficult, in fact, that I gave up and picked this cute animated one.   With The Drifters providing the musical background, and real cartoon reindeer and a real cartoon Santa providing the on-screen action, this one truly rocks.