The eastern United States might be colder than average in December, but relatively mild temperatures are expected in the West and Plains, according to an outlook released Wednesday by The Weather Company, an IBM Business.
The farthest below average temperatures during winter's first month are forecast to be in northern New England and northern New York. The rest of the East is predicted to have near average or slightly colder than usual temperatures next month.
Many cities in the East have experienced one of the 10 coldest Novembers on record as of Monday, and while December may not be as cold relative to average, the overall focus of the coldest air is expected to be in the East.
On the other side of the nation, warmer than average temperatures are likely in the West and Rockies, and the Central and Southern Plains. Much above average warmth for December is predicted from parts of Northern and Central California into southwestern Oregon and parts of Nevada and Utah.
Near average or slightly warmer temperatures are forecast next month from the Northern Plains to the upper Midwest and southward into the Mississippi Valley, mid-South and northern Gulf Coast.
The weather pattern in December might change after the first 10 days of the month, with temperatures trending relatively warmer during the month's final three weeks. That makes it difficult to show a temperature forecast that represents the month as a whole.
"Confidence is a little lower than normal for December, but we are still leaning toward the warm-west, cold-east pattern, with a warmer skew during the back half of the month," said Dr. Todd Crawford, chief meteorologist at The Weather Company.
While the winter solstice isn't until Dec. 21 at 11:19 p.m. EST, meteorologists divide the seasons into three equal months for ease of seasonal recordkeeping. Based on this definition, December is considered the first month of meteorological – or climatological – winter.
Average Highs in December
A typical December afternoon has temperatures in the 30s across much of the northern tier, with teens and 20s closer to the Canadian border in the northern Rockies, Northern Plains and far upper Midwest.
Highs in the 40s are average for December from the coastal Pacific Northwest to the central and southern Rockies, Central Plains, mid-Mississippi Valley and mid-Atlantic.
Average highs are in the 50s in December from Northern and Central California to the Southern Plains and parts of the Southeast.
The southern tier of the country typically reaches the 60s in December, while 70s are average in Deep South Texas and Central and South Florida.
Average Lows in December
Lows in the teens are average for December across the northern tier and parts of the Plains and Rockies. Areas along the Canadian border, including portions of the Northern Plains, upper Midwest and northern Maine, have average December lows in the single-digits.
A broad area of the country, from parts of the interior West to the Southwest, Central Plains, Midwest and mid-Atlantic, typically dips into the 20s on December nights.
Residents of the southern tier and Pacific Northwest coast commonly wake up to early morning temperatures in the 30s.
Low temperatures in the 40s are average for December in Southern California and along the Gulf Coast.
Central and South Florida typically have the warmest December nights, with average lows in the 50s and 60s in those areas.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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