Weather Extremes

For the week of Dec. 2-9, 251 weather records were tied or broken. Most extremes were highs, with 85 high temperature records and 52 high minimum records. Only 23 record lows were recorded, with three low maximum temperature readings.

Rain and snowfall extremes were more impressive, with 59 precipitation records and 29 snowfall records tied or broken. Since Jan. 1, nearly 9,800 daily records have been observed.

Most record-high temperatures occurred in the South and Northwest. On Dec. 2, San Antonio, Texas, soared to 86 degrees. It was 92 degrees at McAllen, Texas. Numerous 80-degree temperatures were observed in Louisiana on Dec. 2. The record heat continued across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and other Southern states Dec. 8 as highs climbed into the 80s. In parts of Arizona, highs climbed into the 60s. On Dec. 4, Coeur d’Alene observed a near-record 53 degrees – after receiving record snows just days earlier.

By contrast, it was frigid in northern parts of the Midwest. On Dec. 6, Merrill, Wis., plunged to minus 22. On Dec. 7, Grand Forks, N.D., reported a record minus 26 degrees. Two days earlier, Grand Forks observed a record minus 19 degrees.

On Dec. 3, Plain, Wash., had 17 inches of snow. Grand Forks observed 6.2 inches of snow Dec. 4. Lander, Wyo., reported 9 inches Dec. 7.

On Dec. 6, Sacramento, Calif., reported a record 1.42 inches of rain. Much of Utah observed record precipitation totals on Dec. 7 and Dec. 8. On Dec. 7, Kennewick saw .70 inches of moisture. On Dec. 2, Olympia reported 2.12 inches of rain. Floods hit Western Washington on Dec. 3 as 3.77 inches fell at Sea-Tac International Airport with 4.15 inches at the Seattle Weather Service Office.