December 2015 Record Warm Weather

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
430 PM EST SAT JAN 2 2016

...DECEMBER 2015 EXPERIENCED RECORD WARMTH ACROSS THE REGION...

TWO PERIODS OF UNSEASONABLE WARMTH HAVE MADE 2015 THE WARMEST
DECEMBER ON RECORD. THE FIRST WAS MID MONTH FROM THE 11TH THROUGH
THE 17TH...WITH AN EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE STRETCH OCCURRING FROM THE
23RD THROUGH THE 29TH. THE CONSISTENCY OF THE WARMTH HAS BEEN
GREATEST NEAR THE COAST FROM ELIZABETH CITY TO NORFOLK AND
SALISBURY...WITH SOMEWHAT COOLER AIRMASSES AFFECTING RICHMOND FROM
TIME TO TIME. KEEP IN MIND THAT THE PERIOD OF RECORD VARIES...IS
LONGEST AND MOST RELIABLE AT NORFOLK AND RICHMOND (BACK INTO THE
LATE 1800S)...SOMEWHAT LESS RELIABLE AT SALISBURY...AND LEAST
RELIABLE AT ELIZABETH CITY (ONLY TO 1934). HIGHLIGHTS ARE LISTED
BELOW:

* DECEMBER 2015 RANKS AS THE WARMEST DECEMBER ON RECORD AT
  RICHMOND...NORFOLK...SALISBURY...AND ELIZABETH CITY.

* AT RICHMOND...THE AVG TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH HAS BEEN 52.1 F.
  THIS IS 11.1 F ABOVE THE 1981-2010 AVERAGE (41.0 F) AND BREAKS THE
  PREVIOUS WARMEST DECEMBER OF 51.1 F SET BACK IN 1889.

* AT NORFOLK...THE AVG TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH HAS BEEN 57.5 F.
  THIS IS 13.4 F ABOVE THE 1981-2010 AVERAGE (44.1 F) AND BREAKS THE
  PREVIOUS WARMEST DECEMBER SET IN 1971 (52.3 F) BY MORE THAN 5
  DEGREES! IT WOULD EVEN RANK AS THE 4TH WARMEST NOVEMBER OR MARCH
  ON RECORD!

* AT SALISBURY...THE AVG TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH HAS BEEN 51.8 F.
  THIS IS 12.8 F ABOVE THE 1981-2010 AVERAGE (39.0 F) AND BREAKS THE
  PREVIOUS WARMEST DECEMBER SET IN 2012 (46.9 F) BY NEARLY 5
  DEGREES!

* AT ELIZABETH CITY NC...THE AVG TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH HAS BEEN
  58.0 F. THIS IS 13.6 F ABOVE THE 1981-2010 AVERAGE (44.4 F) AND
  BREAKS THE PREVIOUS WARMEST DECEMBER IN 1971 (53.4 F) BY NEARLY 5
  DEGREES!

_______________NOTABLE RECORDS SET AT EACH SITE__________________

__________________________RICHMOND______________________

* LOW OF 65 F ON 12/24 SETS A NEW ALL TIME RECORD HIGH MINIMUM
  TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER...BREAKING THE OLD RECORD OF
  63 F (12/8/1951).

* 8 DAYS HAD A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 70 F OR HIGHER...BREAKING THE
  PREVIOUS OF 7 SUCH DAYS IN 1998 IN 1956.

* ONLY 6 DATES RECORDED A MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 32 F OR COLDER.
  THIS TIES THE RECORD FOR THIS STATISTIC...ALSO OCCURRING IN 1972.

* ALSO RANKS AS THE 8TH WETTEST DECEMBER ON RECORD WITH 5.94" OF
  TOTAL PRECIPITATION (ALL RAIN).

__________________________NORFOLK______________________

* RECORD HIGH OF 82 F ON 12/24 SETS A NEW ALL TIME RECORD HIGH FOR
  THE MONTH OF DECEMBER...BREAKING THE OLD RECORD OF 81 F
  (12/22/2013). LOW OF 68 F ON 12/24 TIES THE ALL TIME RECORD HIGH
  MINIMUM TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER...(12/1/2006).

* 12 DAYS HAD A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 70 F OR HIGHER...BREAKING THE
  PREVIOUS RECORD OF 7 SUCH DAYS IN 1999, 1998, 1982, 1971, 1931.

* ONLY ONE DATE RECORDED A MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 32 F OR COLDER.
  THE PREVIOUS RECORD FOR THIS STATISTIC HAD BEEN 2 SUCH
  DATES...OCCURRING IN 1971, 1940, 1931.


__________________________SALISBURY MD______________________

* LOW OF 66 F ON 12/25 SETS A NEW ALL TIME RECORD HIGH MINIMUM
  TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER. PRIOR TO THIS YEAR...THE
  PREVIOUS RECORD HIGH MINIMUM HAD BEEN  63 F (12/22/2013).

* 7 DAYS HAD A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 70 F OR HIGHER...BREAKING THE
  PREVIOUS OF 4 SUCH DAYS IN 1998, 1982, 1971.


__________________________ELIZABETH CITY NC______________________

* LOW OF 68 F ON 12/25 SETS A NEW ALL TIME RECORD HIGH MINIMUM
  TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER. PRIOR TO THIS YEAR...THE
  PREVIOUS RECORD HIGH MINIMUM HAD BEEN 66 F (12/9/1978).

$$

BROWN