In the immediate days following the end of the month most of us are likely to remember the bitter cold that closed it out. However an unseasonably mild start to December 2012 made the month not only finish warmer than average but also drier than normal.
December started out very mild with the first eight days seeing overall average temperatures 12.7 degrees above normal. Colder air moved in after that for a few days before above normal temperatures returned again and continued through the 18th.
Another three day cold spell arrived but mild temperatures returned on the 21st. Christmas Eve ushered in a big chill that lingered through the end of the month.
Overall December’s average temperature in Denver as measured at Denver International Airport was 31.2 degrees. This was 1.2 degrees above the 1981 to 2000 average of 31.0 degrees. Here in Thornton we were closer to average with a monthly average temperature of 30.5 degrees.
Denver temperatures ranged from a high of 69 degrees on the 5th down to a bitter cold low of -2 on the 26th. Eight days failed to reach high temperatures above the freezing mark in the Mile High City and it recorded two days with low temperatures at or below zero.
Thornton saw its warmest temperature on the 1st of the month with a high of 67.6 degrees and its coldest temperature of 00.4 degrees on the 26th. Like Denver, Thornton recorded eight days with high temperatures failing to reach 32 degrees.
Precipitation as recorded at DIA was slightly below normal during December. 0.27 inch was recorded as compared to the average of 0.35 inch. Thornton was unfortunately drier as we only recorded 0.19 inch of precipitation.
Snowfall fell short of average as well during the month. Denver recorded 5.2 inches and Thornton 3.7 inches. On average the Mile High City records 8.4 inches during the month.
With the end of the month, Denver’s 2012 – 2013 seasonal snowfall total falls further behind average. To date it is 8.8 inches below normal. While the snowpack has rebounded considerably thanks to the storms in the latter half of the month, it is currently at 72% of normal.
Click here to view Thornton’s December 2012 Climate Summary.
From the National Weather Service:
...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2012...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2012
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 79 12/05/1939
LOW -25 12/22/1990
12/24/1876
HIGHEST 69 12/05 65 -4 58 12/18
LOWEST -2 12/26 -10 8 -5 12/06
AVG. MAXIMUM 44.2 42.8 1.4 38.5
AVG. MINIMUM 18.3 17.1 1.2 14.8
MEAN 31.2 30.0 1.2 26.6
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX = .01 5 4.1 0.9 6
DAYS >= .10 1 1.1 -0.1 3
DAYS >= .50 0 0.1 -0.1 0
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.0 0.0 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.20 12/24 TO 12/25
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 57.4 1913
TOTALS 5.2 8.4
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 1038 1086 -48 1182
SINCE 7/1 2233 2468 -235 2434
COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0
SINCE 1/1 1236 769 467 964
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/08/1962
LATEST 06/08/2007
EARLIEST 10/07
LATEST 05/05
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WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.9
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 3/215
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 38/270 DATE 12/03
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 48/290 DATE 12/03
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 1
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 22
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 8
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 49
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 0
LIGHT RAIN 0 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 2
LIGHT SNOW 8 SLEET 0
FOG 10 FOG W/VIS