A Look Back to the December Climate Report

news image
Special Stories
22 Jan 2020 6:00 AM
The stats are in for 2019, but let's also take a look back to last month. Here's the December 2019 Climate Highlights from NOAA NCEI:

TEMPERATURE

  • December was a relatively warm month across most of the Lower 48. Much-above-average temperatures were observed from the South to the central Plains and into the Great Lakes as well as across much of the Tennessee Valley and Florida. Nine states throughout the South and Southeast ranked in the top ten percent of the 125-year record. No state had a December average temperature which ranked below-average.
  • For December, the average contiguous U.S. temperature was 36.5°F, 3.8°F above the 20th century average. This ranked as the sixth warmest December in the 125-year period of record and was the warmest such month since the record warm December of 2015.  Warm records in December outpaced cold records by a six-to-one margin. There were 4,098 warm daily high (1,890) and low (2,208) temperature records tied or broken during December. There were approximately 643 daily cold high (399) and low (244) temperature records set during the month.

PRECIPITATION

  • The December precipitation total for the contiguous U.S. was 2.53 inches, 0.18 inch above average, and ranked in the middle third of the 125-year period of record.
  • Above-average precipitation occurred across parts of the West, central and northern Plains, Great Lakes and from the Southeast into parts of New England. Minnesota ranked fourth wettest for December. Below-average precipitation fell across portions of the Northwest, South and Mississippi Valley. Louisiana ranked eighth driest for the month.
  • According to the December 31 U.S. Drought Monitor report, approximately 11 percent of the contiguous U.S. was in drought, which is similar to the extent of drought noted at the beginning of December. By the end of 2019, drought was entrenched across the Southwest, Texas, the Pacific Northwest and across portions of the Alaskan Panhandle, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
 
All Weather News
More
Heavy Rain Returns to Texas This Weekend

Heavy Rain Returns to Texas This Weekend

It's been a week since the devastating floods

12 Jul 2025 3:10 AM
Medium Range Tropics Forecast Favors Gulf, CSU Updates Seasonal Forecast

Medium Range Tropics Forecast Favors Gulf, CSU Updates Seasonal Forecast

While the Atlantic appears quiet, conditions

12 Jul 2025 3:05 AM
Elevated Tornado Risk Targets the Midwest Friday

Elevated Tornado Risk Targets the Midwest Friday

Friday was another busy day with severe weath

12 Jul 2025 3:00 AM
Storms Return From the Front Range to Texas

Storms Return From the Front Range to Texas

Moisture is moving back into the Central and

12 Jul 2025 2:50 AM
Timeline: How Catastrophic Flooding Unfolded in Texas Hill Country

Timeline: How Catastrophic Flooding Unfolded in Texas Hill Country

TEXAS - Catastrophic flooding devastated port

11 Jul 2025 10:00 AM
Severe Thunderstorms Expected Across the East Coast

Severe Thunderstorms Expected Across the East Coast

The severe weather and flood threat continues

11 Jul 2025 2:35 AM
Ruidoso Flash Flooding - Record Crest for the Rio Ruidoso River

Ruidoso Flash Flooding - Record Crest for the Rio Ruidoso River

A slow-moving monsoonal thunderstorm develope

10 Jul 2025 1:55 AM