December 2025 Climate Summary

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Overview and Graphics
Monthly Summary
Records

Overview and Graphics

December 2025 Climate Review:

Temperatures averaged below normal by 1 to 2 degrees. The first half of the month was abnormally cold, with Paducah registering their 5th coldest Dec 1-15 period on record. The coldest temperatures occurred on the 14th and 15th when lows fell into the upper single digits and low teens. Several record cold highs were also set on the 14th when readings only reached the mid teens to low 20s. A pattern change happened on the 17th, with above normal temperatures in place until a strong cold front plowed through on the night of the 28th. The warmest stretch was right around the Christmas holiday, with highs reaching well into the 60s and even 70s from the 23rd through 28th. Numerous record highs and warm lows were set during this period including 60 degree low temperatures on Christmas Day at Paducah and Carbondale. Paducah had its warmest December 17th-28th, and tied record long winter streaks of 65+ degree highs (6 days) and >50 degree lows (5 days). Much colder air arrived to end the month with highs struggling to reach freezing again on the 29th.

Precipitation was drier than normal for with monthly deficits ranging from 1.5 to 3”. Much of southeast Missouri and southwestern Illinois didn’t even register an inch of precipitation for the month. The highest amounts were across the Pennyrile of west KY and southwest IN, but even here totals were only around 1.5 to 2”. The highest observed amount was 1.93in at a CoCoRaHS site 2 miles south of Philpot in Daviess County, KY.