December was frosty and frozen

Just like December 2021, last month was a witch’s brew of bad weather the last 11 days of the year. First we froze, with record cold mornings of 7.6, 5.9 and 22.5 degrees Dec. 21-23 (and Dec. 2: 23.5 degrees). Between six and seven inches of snow were measured by volunteer weather recorders in La Conner Dec. 20. But, the opposite of last year, there were record high temperatures of 58.1, 59.1 and 56.6 degrees Dec. 25-27.

The month was thoroughly cold, with the average daily minimum of 34.3 degrees 3.7 degrees below the century average. December’s average high of 44.7 degrees was 2.9 degrees below the 23 year average and the daily average temperature of 39.8 degrees was 3.5 degrees under the century average.

Twenty mornings were below 32 degrees, but only two went below 20.4 degrees: Dec. 21-22.

For whiplash, six mornings the last week the low was 41.2 degrees or higher, with highs ranging between 51.4 and 59.1 degrees.

The 2.9 inches of precipitation was 0.4 inches, 12.3%, below the century average of 3.4 inches of moisture. This was one of seven years with less than three inches of rain and matched 2021’s rainfall. The other five low rain years were 2013 and prior. Fourteen years there have been over three inches of rain. The seven inches in 2015 was the most rainfall this century.

There are 21 years of data, with no records for 2002 or 2005.

The 28.6 inches of rain in 2022 is 3.3 inches, 10.2%, below the century’s average of 31.9 inches. Seven months were below the average rainfall, with June and November’s abundant moisture pulling the average up. It rained once in July and September, each, and only Aug. 5-7.

Measurements and data are at Washington State University’s Mount Vernon weather station on Memorial Highway.