December Weather Wrap

By Bill Kappel

December turned out to be about normal after all the numbers were added up, but of course the path to get there was anything but normal. We had some wild swings of weather and some late-month record cold. Fortunately, we also received a good amount of moisture, with the month ending with above normal precipitation.

Unfortunately, the year overall was much drier than normal, with only 15.26 inches of total precipitation recorded for the year. This was about 30% less than normal. Temperatures for the year were slightly below normal with a yearly average of 40.0F with our last freeze of spring occurring on June 1 and the first freeze of the season on Oct. 8. We also managed to hit 90 on a couple occasions, with one day in September, five days in July, and two days in June touching 90 or above.

Of course, as always around the Palmer Divide, we witnessed quite a variety of conditions, sometimes all in one day. April was a record dry month that could have led to some extreme fire conditions had we not been helped by Mother Nature in May with a heavy wet snowfall. Summer and fall were both fairly close to normal for both precipitation and temperature. But December did provide some excitement.

December started off quiet and dry, with no measurable precipitation from the 1st through the 11th. We did manage to squeeze out some flurries just before noon on the 6th, but that was it for that period. Temperatures were consistently 5-10 degrees warmer than normal as well to start the month.

But the pattern started to change with a cold front moving through late on the 12th. Snow and blowing snow filled in behind this system, with periods of snow and blowing snow continuing into the next afternoon. Most of us picked up 2-6 inches of snow during this initial storm. A second surge of cold air and light snow moved in during the afternoon of the 15th, bringing another round of snow through that evening with another 2-4 inches accumulating. Temperatures dipped well below normal for the period from the 13th through the 17th. Temperatures stayed below freezing during this entire period, which is certainly unusual for us as we generally can break out of the cold for at least a day or two between storms. It was also chilly each morning with lows right around zero each day.

Quiet conditions then returned for a few days as we set the stage for a major Arctic air outbreak that affected most of the country. The first signs of this surge of cold air started on Dec. 18 in the Pacific Northwest, where snow accumulated down to sea level and temperatures dipped to the single digits around Seattle and Portland. Cold air quickly moved into the northern Rockies and upper Midwest, with temperatures tumbling well below zero. The cold air continued to race toward Colorado, with temperatures falling 30-40 degrees in less than an hour as the front moved through parts of Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The cold front reached the Colorado border during the morning of the 21st and pushed over the Palmer Divide early that evening. Temperatures took a sharp drop behind the front with Denver recording a 37-degree drop in 10 minutes. Temperatures were below zero by that evening and stayed below zero through the evening of the 23rd. During this time, temperatures reached -20F to -25F for most locations and high temperatures on the 22nd failed to get above zero. Snow fell with the front, with 2-4 inches of wind-blown snow accumulating.

Another interesting aspect of this cold air outbreak was the relatively shallow depth of the cold air, as most locations above 9,000 feet stayed above the cold with temperatures that were 30-40 degrees warmer than the surrounding lower regions. As the cold air continued to push off to the east over the next few days, we warmed up nicely. This was evidenced on the Palmer Divide when temperatures rose during the evening of the 23rd from just below zero to the freezing mark by midnight, the exact opposite of what would normally happen.

Mild air stuck around through Christmas before a final storm system moved through the end the year. This storm was of Pacific origins and therefore continued relatively mild temperatures. However, the warmer airmass was also able to hold more moisture, and this produced a snowfall event that was much more similar to a spring storm than a winter storm. This storm produced a quick 8-12 inches of snow from the late afternoon of the 28th through the morning of the 29th. Beautiful Colorado blue skies and cool temperatures stuck around for the last few days of the month, allowing us to enjoy the fresh snowfall.

A look ahead

January can see the coldest temperatures of the year, but there is often a proverbial “January thaw” where mild temperatures make brief appearances. Of course, that’s been the case all winter so far, so hopefully this January will see a shift in the overall pattern to cold and snowy conditions. Unfortunately, precipitation is usually on the low side, with amounts generally less than an inch. The month produces numerous sunny and windy days with quick shots of snow in between.

December 2022 Weather Statistics

Average High 41.0° (+2.7 °) 100-year return frequency value max 50.5° min 32.6°

Average Low 13.0° (-0.3°) 100-year return frequency value max 22.4° min 5.4°

Monthly Precipitation 1.09” (+0.08”, 8% above normal) 100-year return frequency value max 2.82” min 0.00”

Monthly Snowfall 19.4” (+1.7”, 8% above normal)

Highest Temperature 58° on the 27th

Lowest Temperature 20° on the 22nd

Season to Date Snow 32.6” (-6.9”) (the snow season is from Oct 1 to Sept 30)

Season to Date Precip. 15.26” (-7.03”) (the precipitation season, Jan 1 to Dec 31) 22.29

Heating Degree Days 1227 (-58)

Cooling Degree Days 0 (0)

Bill Kappel is a meteorologist and Tri-Lakes resident. He can be reached at billkappel@ocn.me.

A look ahead

Other Weather articles

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply