Cold start to December 2006
This entry was posted on 12/11/2006 4:33 PM and is filed under Weather and Climate.
Cold start to December 2006
This month got off to a rather cold start after a mild November. It was quite a slap in the face the first 7 days of the month considering seven of the last ten days of the month of November we experienced temperatures of 50 or greater. The big change began in the early morning hours of November 29 when a cold front would push through the Twin Cites. In the wake of the cold front the next nine days would be below normal.
After a high of 56 on November 28 the Twin Cities would experience a 58 degree drop in temperature and its first subzero low of this winter season by the morning of Thursday, Dec. 7 when the mercury dipped to -1.
The first 7 days of December averaged 14.2 degrees. That’s 9 degrees below normal.
How does that compare to past December's for the first seven days of the month since 1891, 116 years of data?
The coldest opening week (Dec. 1-7) goes to 1972 when the average temperature was 2.2. On Dec 6, 1972 the high would not top zero, the high was -2 and the low -19. On Dec. 7, 1972 the mercury fell to -20.
2006's 14.2 average ranks 20th.
As recently as last year, 2005, the opening week averaged 9.3. For the month temperatures would rebound to finish 1 degree above normal.
So cold start doesn't necessarily mean a cold month is in store, as witnessed by this past weekend.
List of average temperatures for Dec. 1-7. Coldest on top.
Year Temp
1 1972 2.2
2 1893 6.9
3 1927 7.4
4 1976 8.1
5 1977 9.1
6 1978 9.1
7 2005 9.3
8 1985 9.3
9 1991 10.6
10 1983 11.2
11 1897 11.3
12 1940 12.1
13 1942 12.5
14 1898 12.8
15 1964 12.9
16 1895 13.4
17 1936 14.0
18 1984 14.0
19 1908 14.1
20 2006 14.2
Frank Watson
WeathermanWatson.com
watsonwx@aol.com
