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Northeast Regional Climate Center |
Temperatures across the region averaged 5.3 degrees below normal for December making it the 10th coldest in 106 years and 8.9 degrees colder than December 1999. This was only the second December in the past 11 years to average below normal. This was the coldest December since 1989, which was the coldest December ever recorded in each of the twelve states. Pennsylvania, Mayland and West Virginia had the largest departures with 7.0, 7.1, and 7.9 degrees below the average, respectively. It was Maryland's 6th coldest December and both Pennsylvania's and West Virginia's 5th coldest December. Elsewhere, temperatures averaged between three and six degrees below normal, with Maine being the exception at 1.8 degrees below normal.
Precipitation across the region averaged out to be almost exactly normal. At 0.03 inches above normal, December was the first December since 1996 with above normal precipitation. New York and each of the New England states received above normal precipitation, ranging from 105% of normal in New York to 150% of the normal amount in Vermont. The southern five states of the region received less, with 70% of normal in West Virginia to 96% of normal in New Jersey.
Monthly Summary of State Temperature and Precipitation Averages.