December: lots of rain but too warm for snow
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January 3, 2024
Nancy Crowell
NEW YEAR'S FORECAST IS UNCLEAR – The weather at midnight Sunday was foggy, if not frightful. The new year was rung in locally with fireworks provided by Swinomish tribal members. Some came out to Gilkey Square, above, to take in the eerie, if damp, beauty of the night. Others danced away in Maple Hall to the music of the Chris Eger band in support of the summer Sunday concert series at the Square.
Finally, rain, lots of it. December's rains were near record high, 4.6 inches, and 2023's first month of precipitation exceeding the century's average.
Rain fell 10 of the first 11 days, totaling 3.1 inches; another 0.9 inches was in the last week. It rained 23 times, with only a two days break at most.
Half an inch came down Dec. 1 and another 0.8 inch Dec 9, the month's highest one-day total.
The 12 days of over 0.2 inches totaled 4.2 inches of precipitation.
Total rainfall in 2023 was 22.4 inches. The deficit for the year is 8.9 inches. The 24 year average is 31.2 inches, 28.4% more.
Annual rainfall in 2022 was 28.6 inches, 3.3 inches, 10.2% below the century average.
Seven record high temperatures were set for their days: the 4th, 60.1 degrees;. 5th, 60.3 degrees; and Christmas week: 25th, 58.6 degrees; 27th, 56.9 degrees; 28th, 55.8 degrees; 29th, 58.5 degrees; and 30th, 55.6 degrees.
Nancy Crowell
A small crowd gathered to view Swinomish fireworks on New Year's in Gilkey Square. The soupy thick fog served to disperse the light from the fireworks and change the color of the sky.
No day averaged less than 35.8 degrees (Dec. 16) and no snow was seen or recorded.
This was whiplash from 2022, when record cold mornings dropped to 5.9 degrees and the month's average minimum was 3.7 degrees below the century average. A volunteer recorded an eight inch snowfall.
December's weather was much warmer than the century's average. No snow was scene. There were only three frost days; it never went below 28.6 degrees. The monthly minimum averaged 34.3 degrees, 1.2 degrees above average for the century. December's average maximum was 45 degrees, an astonishing 5.8 degrees higher for the last 24 years and the month's average daily temperature was 4.3 degrees above the century average at 40 degrees.
There are 22 years of data, with no records for 2002 or 2005.
Measurements and data are at Washington State University's Mount Vernon weather station on Memorial Highway.
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