Cold December, 2000

Cold December, 2000

Twin Cities Estimated December, 2000 Average Temperature and Historical Ranking (1891-2000)

Based on the conditions through the 21st, and taking into account the forecasted temperatures to the end of the month, the Twin Cities will record a mean December temperature of just under 8 degrees F. This is roughly 10 degrees F colder than normal for December and ranks in the top five coldest Decembers in the Twin Cities official National Weather Service records (1891-2000). It is also the coldest December since 1985. Below are the coldest five Decembers in the Twin Cities.

Year      Mean December     Departure from normal
1983          3.7 F              -14.2 F
1985          7.7 F              -10.2 F
2000*         7.9 F              -10.0 F
1927          8.8 F               -9.1 F
1924          9.3 F               -8.6 F

*estimated based on forecasted temperatures.

Pioneer settlement records show colder yet Decembers when the landscape was not yet urbanized in the city of St Paul. Some of the coldest average December temperatures in this record are.....

1.6 F in 1822
2.5 F in 1831
5.0 F in 1859
5.3 F in 1872
7.4 F in 1848
7.7 F in 1849

Mark Seeley
Professor and Extension Climatologist
Department of Soil, Water, and Climate University of Minnesota
St Paul, MN 55108

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mcwg@soils.umn.edu
URL: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/cold0012.htm
Last modified: December 22, 2000