Boxing Day Storm Punches Out East Coast Rainfall Records

Images (click to enlarge): New daily precipitation records, December 26-27, 2012, CapitalClimate chart from NWS data; 24-hour precipitation ending 7 am EST, December 27, 2012, from NWS

The strong storm which moved up the East Coast on December 26-27 brought record rainfall amounts from North Carolina to Connecticut. National Climatic Data Center reports show 196 daily precipitation records broken and 7 tied for a total of 203 across the U.S. on the day after Christmas. Among major National Weather Service (NWS) reporting locations, the following list shows the new daily record precipitation amounts and the previous records. (Except for Bridgeport and Islip, all of the records were set on December 26.) The oldest record broken was from 1873 at Wilmington NC. The previous records were set just 3 years ago at Cape Hatteras and Atlantic City. On average, the new records exceeded the old ones by 21%.

Location                        Amount    Old Record
Charlotte NC         CLT         1.72    1.70    1938
Wilmington NC        ILM         1.83    1.43    1873
Cape Hatteras NC     HSE         1.79    1.62    2009
Norfolk VA           ORF         2.53    1.93    1890
Wallops Island VA    WAL         2.33    1.28    1969
Blacksburg VA        RNK         1.01    0.75    1973
Salisbury MD         SBY         1.75    1.70    1969
Washington DC        DCA         1.42    1.31    1943
Washington-Dulles VA IAD         1.41    1.00    1969
Atlantic City NJ     ACY         2.60    2.44    2009
Bridgeport CT        BDR         0.55    0.51    1949 (12-27)
Islip NY             ISP         0.53    0.40    1984 (12-27) 

Snowiest Christmas on Record at Little Rock, Second Highest All-Time December Amount

Image (click to enlarge) from National Weather Service: "Heavy snow falling at the National Weather Service here in North Little Rock. This image was taken just before 10 pm...looking north towards the rain gauges and upper air shelter (where weather balloons are released) in the background."

December 26, 10 AM Update: The final storm total is 10.3" at both Little Rock and North Little Rock. This is a new all-time December single storm and monthly snowfall record (see list below).

Original post:
The National Weather Service reports 9" of snow on Christmas at Little Rock as of midnight:

Official snowfall measurements:8.9 at Adams Field, 8.5 at North Little Rock. #arwx

— NWS Little Rock (@NWSLittleRock) December 26, 2012

(These amounts were later updated by 0.1" each from amounts recorded before 6 pm.)

The 9.0" at Adams Field is more than double the old record of 4.2" for December 25. It is also the second highest for any day in December since Little Rock snowfall records began in 1875.

Through December 24, the month to date average temperature at Little Rock is 53.0°, which is 9.4° above normal. At this rate, this would be the second warmest December on record.

The Little Rock record monthly and daily snowfall amounts for December from the National Weather Service:

TOP 10 SNOWIEST DEC
BY MONTHLY SNOWFALL
1. 1963 - 9.8”
2. 1880 – 7.8”
3. 1932 – 7.1”
4. 1917 - 6.6”
5. 1960 - 6.0”
6. 1914 - 6.0”
7. 1876 – 6.0”
8. 1958 - 5.0”
9. 1926 – 4.2”
10.1898 - 4.0”
NORMAL – 0.2”

TOP 10 SNOWIEST DAYS IN DEC
BY DAILY SNOWFALL
1. 22 DEC 1963 - 9.8" 6. 25 DEC 1926 – 4.2"
2. 31 DEC 1960 – 6.0" 7. 04 DEC 1898 – 4.0"
3. 12 DEC 1914 – 6.0" 8. 28 DEC 1876 – 4.0"
4. 19 DEC 1880 – 5.8" 9. 08 DEC 1917 – 3.5"
5. 16 DEC 1932 - 5.5" 10. 22 DEC 2004 – 3.3" 

Oklahoma City Christmas Snowfall 2nd Highest on Record

The 0.6" of snow which fell at Oklahoma City on December 25 was the second highest amount ever recorded there on Christmas. It was, however, only 10% of the 6.5" nearly a century ago in 1914. The monthly average temperature for December to date at Oklahoma City is 46.7°, which is 5.6° above normal.

The list of Christmas snowfalls and amounts on the ground at Oklahoma City, from the National Weather Service:

Years with Snowfall   Snow on Ground
on Christmas Day      on Christmas Morning    
1913 Trace            1913  Trace
1914 6.5 inches       1914  6 inches
1937 Trace            1918  5 inches
1938 Trace            1939  Trace
1939 0.3 inches       1943  1 inch
1948 Trace            1962  Trace
1952 Trace            1975  1 inch
1962 Trace            1983  Trace
1975 0.5 inches       1987  Trace
1987 Trace            1990  Trace
2000 Trace            2002  2 inches
                 2009  14 inches 

Washington on Track for Second Consecutive Top-10 Warmest December

January 2 Update: Temperatures continued to exceed forecasts through the end of the month. The final average was 45.3°, which was 5.6° above normal. The 31st, at 1° cooler than average, was only the 3rd day all month with temperatures below average.

December 29 Update: Warmer-than-forecast temperatures have pushed the projected December average to 45.2°, displacing 2011 as the 6th warmest on record (chart updated).

Original post:
As of today, the month-to-date average temperature for Washington DC is a toasty (for December) 47.0°. Even with forecast temperatures averaging near seasonal normals for the remaining 6 days of the month, the projected monthly average of 45.0° should be enough to tie with last year for the 6th warmest December since records began in 1870. As noted earlier, the warm December will close out a record warm year by what is virtually guaranteed to be a huge margin.

Chicago Ends Record Snowless Streak; Other Streaks Continue

Image (click to enlarge): Chicago regional snowfall on December 20, 2012, from National Weather Service

The 0.2" of snow on Thursday (December 20) at Chicago ended the record longest streak without measurable snow. It was also the latest occurrence of a first measurable snow. Other streaks are continuing, including:

- 300th day without a high temperature below freezing (tied for 2nd longest)
- Latest first day of the season with high temperature below freezing (tied for 5th)
- 301st day without an inch or more of snow (8th longest)
- 299th day without an inch of snow on the ground (3rd longest)
- 344th day of the year without a high at or above freezing (tied for 8th)

The average temperature for 2012 to date is also well on the way to being the warmest on record at Chicago.

Here is the complete report from the National Weather Service:

THURSDAY`S STORM IN CHICAGO MANAGED TO MUSTER UP A COUPLE TENTHS
OF AN INCH OF ACCUMULATION WHICH OFFICIALLY ENDED CHICAGO`S SNOW
DROUGHT AND ESTABLISHED NEW RECORDS FOR LATEST FIRST MEASURABLE
SNOWFALL AND LONGEST STRETCH OF NO MEASURABLE SNOWFALL EVER IN
CHICAGO. HOWEVER...THURSDAY STORM HAS LEFT INTACT SOME OTHER
NOTABLE STREAKS FOR CHICAGO.

TEMPERATURES AT MIDNIGHT WERE STILL ABOVE FREEZING...SO THE STREAK
OF DAYS WITHOUT A SUB-FREEZING HIGH TEMPERATURE CONTINUES IN
CHICAGO. TODAY`S HIGH TEMPERATURE ABOVE FREEZING MAKES IT THE 300TH
CONSECUTIVE DAY WITHOUT A HIGH TEMPERATURE BELOW FREEZING...TYING
2004 FOR THE 2ND LONGEST STREAK. THE FORECAST SUGGESTS THIS STREAK
WILL CONTINUE THIS WEEKEND WHICH WOULD MAKE THIS YEAR THE LONGEST
STREAK WITHOUT A SUB-FREEZING HIGH TEMPERATURE SINCE 1878 WHEN
CHICAGO`S OFFICIAL OBSERVATION STATION WAS AT THE CHICAGO OPERA
HOUSE ON THE CORNER OF CLARK AND WASHINGTON IN THE LOOP. HERE ARE
THE TOP 5 LONGEST STREAKS OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITHOUT A HIGH
TEMPERATURE ABOVE FREEZING...

  # DAYS     END DATE
1)  308     12/15/1878
2)  300+    12/21/2012+
    300     12/12/2004
4)  290     12/09/2011
5)  289     12/24/1918

NOW THAT TODAYS HIGH TEMPERATURE IN CHICAGO WILL OFFICIALLY BE AT
LEAST 33F (THE READING AT MIDNIGHT)...THIS YEAR IN CHICAGO IS NOW
GUARANTEED TO MOVE INTO AT LEAST A TIE FOR 5TH PLACE FOR LATEST
FIRST DAY OF THE SEASON WITH A HIGH TEMPERATURE BELOW FREEZING.
HERE ARE THE TOP 5 LATEST DATES FOR FIRST DAY WITH HIGHS BELOW
FREEZING...

1) JAN 1 1924
2) DEC 28 1971
3) DEC 25 1918
4) DEC 24 2011
5) DEC 22 1998
   ??? ?? 2012

THE LAST TIME CHICAGO HAS HAD A CALENDAR DAY SNOWFALL OF ONE INCH
WAS BACK ON FEBRUARY 24TH...SO TODAY WILL BE THE 301ST CONSECUTIVE
DAY WITHOUT A 1 INCH SNOWFALL MAKING IT THE 8TH LONGEST STREAK
EVER IN CHICAGO. WITH SEVERAL MORE DAYS OF NO SNOW EXPECTED...THIS
YEAR IS BOUND TO MOVE UP IN THE RANKINGS. HERE ARE THE TOP TEN
LONGEST STREAKS WITHOUT A 1 INCH CALENDAR SNOWFALL...

  # DAYS     END DATE
1)  319     01/06/1940
2)  315     12/07/1958
3)  307     12/03/1921
4)  305     01/15/2002
5)  303     01/07/1944
6)  302     12/09/1988
    302     11/16/1927
8)  301+    12/21/2012+
9)  299     12/29/1990
10) 298     12/23/1918

CALENDAR SNOWFALL MAY BE SOMEWHAT DECEPTIVE SINCE THERE WERE LIKELY
EVENTS IN SOME OF THOSE YEARS WHERE A SNOWFALL MAY HAVE CROSSED
CALENDAR DAYS WITH A STORM TOTAL GREATER THAN 1 INCH...BUT EACH
CALENDAR DAY LESS THAN AN INCH RESPECTIVELY. TO REALLY PUT OUR SNOW
DROUGHT IN PERSPECTIVE...IT HAS BEEN 299 DAYS NOW SINCE CHICAGO HAS
OFFICIALLY HAD AN INCH OF SNOW ON THE GROUND. THIS IS THE 3RD
LONGEST STREAK OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITHOUT AN INCH OF SNOW ON THE
GROUND. HERE ARE THE TOP 5 LONGEST STREAKS...

  # DAYS     END DATE
1)  313     01/06/1940
2)  302     01/07/1944
3)  299+    12/21/2012+
4)  296     12/12/1988
    296     12/14/1946

ANOTHER INTERESTING STATISTIC IS THAT CHICAGO HAS HAD 344 DAYS WITH
HIGHS AT OR ABOVE FREEZING SO FAR THIS YEAR...WHICH ALREADY PLACES
US TIED FOR THE 8TH MOST NUMBER OF DAYS WITH HIGHS AT OR ABOVE
FREEZING IN A YEAR. WITH 10 MORE DAYS TO GO THIS YEAR AND MANY OF
THEM LIKELY ABOVE FREEZING 2012 IS LIKELY TO MOVE UP IN THE RANKING
HERE AS WELL. HERE ARE THE TOP 10 MOST NUMBER OF DAYS ABOVE FREEZING
IN A YEAR...

  # DAYS    YEAR
1)  355     1931
2)  353     2006
3)  348     1990
4)  346     1987
5)  345     1878
    345     1992
    345     1998
8)  344     1954
9)  343+    2012 (THROUGH AND INCLUDING 12/21/2012)
10) 342     1882
    342     1911
    342     1921

FINALLY...THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN CHICAGO SO FAR THIS YEAR HAS
BEEN 55.4 DEGREES WHICH PLACES 2012 WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE OF
BREAKING THE RECORD FOR THE WARMEST YEAR EVER IN CHICAGO. THE
PREVIOUS RECORD WARMEST YEAR WAS 1921 WHEN THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE
WAS 54.5F. IN ORDER TO HAVE THIS YEAR AVERAGE 54.6F AND BREAK THE
RECORD THE LAST 11 DAYS OF THE YEAR NEED TO HAVE AN AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE OF APPROXIMATELY 28.8F. IN ORDER FOR 2012 TO BE TIED FOR
THE WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD IN CHICAGO THE REMAINING 11 DAYS OF THE
YEAR WOULD NEED TO HAVE AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF APPROXIMATELY
25.5F. 

New South Carolina All-Time State High Temperature Record Confirmed

Images (click to enlarge): South Carolina high temperatures, June 29, 2012, from National Weather Service; Location of South Carolina all-time record high temperature, from South Carolina State Climatologist

The South Carolina State Climatologist announced today that the temperature of 113°F observed at Columbia on June 29, 2012 has been officially confirmed as a new all-time record high temperature for the state.

The temperature observation of 113 F recorded that day at the Columbia University of South Carolina National Weather Service (NWS) Cooperative site has been approved as the new state of South Carolina record maximum temperature. This value breaks the long-standing record of 111 F first set on September 4, 1925, at Blackville, at Calhoun Falls on September 8, 1925, and tied at Camden on June 27, 1954. South Carolina’s first state temperature record was recognized in 1887, 125 years ago.

Here are some other South Carolina high temperature reports for June 29, from the National Weather Service:

...ASOS STATIONS...

AUGUSTA BUSH APT  GA              106
AUGUSTA DANIEL APT GA             107
ORANGEBURG AIRPORT SC             101
COLUMBIA METRO APT SC             109
COLUMBIA OWENS APT SC             110

...COOP STATIONS...

BAMBERG SC                        106
BARNWELL SC                       105
BATESBURG SC                      106
BISHOPVILLE SC                    106
CEDAR CREEK SC                    107
CHERAW WATER PLANT SC             104
CHESTERFIELD SC                   107
JOHNSTON SC                       113
LITTLE MOUNTAIN SC                107 
LONGTOWN SC                       102
LUGOFF SC                         105 
MANNING SC                        100
MCCORMICK SC                      108
NEWBERRY SC                       104
PELION SC                         104
SALUDA FILTRATION PLANT SC        109
SANDHILL EXP STATION SC           109
USC, COLUMBIA SC                  113  
WIER TOWER, FORT JACKSON SC       108             

...OTHER STATIONS...

CAROLINA SANDHILL SC              106
USFS NEAR JACKSON NUMBER 1 SC     105
JACKSON SC                        105 

Global Temperature Update: 5th Warmest November, 2nd Warmest Fall, 8th Warmest Year to Date

The National Climatic Data Center preliminary analysis for November 2012 shows that it was the 5th warmest November globally since records began in 1880. For meteorological autumn (September-November), it was the 2nd warmest, and for 2012 to date, it was the 8th warmest. Monthly global temperatures have been among their respective top 5 months for each of the 8 months since April. All of the 10 warmest Novembers have occurred in the last 12 years.

From the NCDC:

The average combined global land and ocean surface temperature for November 2012 was 0.67°C (1.21°F) above the 20th century average of 12.9°C (60.4°F). This is the fifth warmest November since records began in 1880. Including this November, the 10 warmest Novembers have occurred in the past 12 years.

The average combined global land and ocean surface temperature for September–November 2012 was 0.67°C (1.21°F) above the 20th century average of 14.0°C (57.1°F), marking the second warmest September–November on record, behind 2005.

The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for January–November 2012 was the eighth warmest such period on record, at 0.59°C (1.06°F) above the 20th century average.

Images (click to enlarge): Global surface temperature anomalies (°C) for November 2012 and global surface temperature anomalies for November from 1880 through 2012, from NCDC