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CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1129 AM CST TUE JAN 1 2013

...................................

...THE DES MOINES CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2012...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1878 TO 2012

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH              69   12/03/2012
                        12/28/1984
                        12/08/1946
 LOW              -22   12/23/1989
HIGHEST            69R  12/03        55      14       60  12/31
LOWEST              2   12/26        -5       7        4  12/10
                        12/25
AVG. MAXIMUM     39.1              34.0     5.1     41.7
AVG. MINIMUM     22.5              18.0     4.5     24.1
MEAN             30.8              26.0     4.8     32.9
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32      9              12.5    -3.5        5
DAYS MIN <= 32     24              28.0    -4.0       25
DAYS MIN <= 0       0               3.2    -3.2        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM         3.72   1931
 MINIMUM            T   2002
TOTALS           1.93              1.42    0.51     2.53
DAILY AVG.       0.06              0.05    0.01     0.08
DAYS >= .01         6               8.4    -2.4        9
DAYS >= .10         4               3.6     0.4        4
DAYS >= .50         1               0.8     0.2        2
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.2    -0.2        1

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL           28.2   2009
TOTALS           15.5               9.0     6.5      2.0
SINCE 7/1        15.5              11.9     3.6      5.7
SNOWDEPTH AVG.      3                 4      -1        0
DAYS >= 1.0         3               2.8     0.2        1
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH        11   12/20                          1  12/10
                                                          12/09
 24 HR TOTAL     12.4   12/19 TO 12/20

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL    1054              1209    -155      986
 SINCE 7/1       2151              2467    -316     2062
COOLING TOTAL       0                 0       0        0
 SINCE 1/1       1613              1066     547     1353
.................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              9.6
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    39/320    DATE  12/20
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    54/310    DATE  12/20

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.70
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            5
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             12
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY         14

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     71

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               1
HEAVY RAIN                0     RAIN                       2
LIGHT RAIN                7     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                2     SNOW                       3
LIGHT SNOW                9     SLEET                      1
FOG                      17     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      5
HAZE                     17

-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.

&&

DECEMBER STARTED OUT VERY WARM WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE 50S AND
60S FOR THE FIRST FOUR DAYS OF THE MONTH. A RECORD DAILY HIGH
TEMPERATURE OF 69 OCCURRED ON DECEMBER 3RD...WHICH ALSO TIES FOUR
OTHER YEARS FOR THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED IN THE MONTH
OF DECEMBER. TEMPERATURES REMAINED ABOVE NORMAL AND THE WEATHER WAS
QUIET THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH. THIS CAME TO A SUDDEN END ON
DECEMBER 19TH AND 20TH WHEN A POWERFUL BLIZZARD PUMMELED MUCH OF THE
STATE. JUST OVER A FOOT OF SNOW FELL IN DES MOINES DURING THIS STORM
WITH WINDS TOPPING OUT AT OVER 50 MPH. THE MONTH ENDED ON A COLD
NOTE WITH TEMPERATURES RUNNING AT OR BELOW NORMAL. THE LOWEST
READING AT DES MOINES WAS 2 DEGREES ON THE 25TH AND 26TH...MEANING
THAT THE DES MOINES TEMPERATURE NEVER FELL TO 0 DEGREES OR BELOW
DURING 2012. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME DES MOINES HAS NOT REACHED ZERO
DEGREES IN A CALENDAR YEAR.

$$