One of the Warmer First 2 Weeks of December on Record

Temperatures have been quite warm to start the first half of December. Many locations have seen this 2-week period among the top 5 warmest on record for hte first half of the month, with Peoria seeing its warmest such period. Only a couple days early in the month have seen highs below normal, and the period from the 8-14th saw low temperatures frequently warmer than the normal highs! A period of cooler conditions is on tap for late this week, but temperatures will trend upward again. The outlook for December 22-28 indicates a 90% chance of above normal temperatures, which would not bode well for White Christmas prospects.

Location	Average Temperature	Dec. 1-14 Rank	Record
Charleston	45.2	3rd warmest	45.9 in 2012
Decatur	43.6	Tied 3rd warmest	47.3 in 2001
Effingham	42.3	8th warmest	45.9 in 1918
Galesburg	39.8	3rd warmest	43.0 in 1998
Lincoln	41.4	7th warmest	44.1 in 1998
Normal	41.0	9th warmest	43.4 in 1998
Olney	45.1	Tied 5th warmest	47.0 in 1918
Paris	43.0	4th warmest	47.0 in 1998
Peoria	44.8	1st warmest	44.4 in 1889
Springfield	45.4	3rd warmest	45.9 in 1889 and 2012
Urbana	41.8	8th warmest	44.8 in 1998

Graphs of observed temperatures for Peoria & Springfield through Dec. 14