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000
CXUS51 KBUF 030209
CLMROC

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
909 PM EST WED JAN 2 2013

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

...THE ROCHESTER NY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2012...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1871 TO 2012

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH              72   12/03/1982
 LOW              -16   12/20/1942
HIGHEST            70   12/04                         60  12/04
LOWEST             16   12/29                         10  12/29
AVG. MAXIMUM     41.7              36.5     5.2     42.2
AVG. MINIMUM     30.6              23.5     7.1     28.3
MEAN             36.2              30.0     6.2     35.2
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32      8              10.4    -2.4        3
DAYS MIN <= 32     22              24.9    -2.9       22
DAYS MIN <= 0       0               0.4    -0.4        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM         6.17   1878
 MINIMUM         0.62   1958
TOTALS           3.57              2.63    0.94     2.48
DAYS >= .01        17                                 16
DAYS >= .10        11                                  8
DAYS >= .50         1                                  0
DAYS >= 1.00        0                                  0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.92   12/26 TO 12/27           12/05 TO 12/06
                                                          12/06 TO 12/06
                                                          12/06 TO 12/06

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL           46.5   2010
TOTALS           22.6              21.8     0.8      4.9
SINCE 7/1        23.4              29.2    -5.8      5.2
SNOWDEPTH AVG.      2                 3      -1        0
DAYS >= 1.0         6               6.3    -0.3        2
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH        11   12/30                          1  12/30
                                                          12/29
 24 HR TOTAL      8.5   12/26 TO 12/26           12/06 TO 12/06
                                                          12/06 TO 12/06
                                                          12/06 TO 12/06

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL     887              1085    -198      914
 SINCE 7/1       2176              2453    -277     1985
COOLING TOTAL       0                 0       0        0
 SINCE 1/1        802               539     263      695
.......................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              8.8
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    32/300
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    43/300    DATE  12/22

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            0
NUMBER OF DAYS PC              4
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY         27

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     77

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               1
HEAVY RAIN                1     RAIN                       4
LIGHT RAIN               12     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          2     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                3     SNOW                       7
LIGHT SNOW               14     SLEET                      1
FOG                      23     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      3
HAZE                      1

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

&&

...SNOW RETURNS TO ROCHESTER...

THE MAJORITY OF DECEMBER LEFT MUCH OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEW
YORK BARON OF WHAT GIVES THIS AREA ITS REPUTATION...ITS SNOW! FOR A
GOOD PORTION OF THE FIRST HALF OF THE MONTH IT REMAINED RATHER
UNEVENTFUL AND UNSEASONABLY WARM. TEMPERATURES ONCE AGAIN RAN WELL
ABOVE NORMAL. JUST TO DRIVE HOME THE POINT...THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE
FOR DECEMBER IN ROCHESTER WAS 36.2F WHICH MAY LOOK COLD BUT WAS 6.2F
ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 30.0F. THIS RANKS AS THE EIGHTH WARMEST DECEMBER
ON RECORD. ON A SIDE NOTE...ROCHESTER ALSO BROKE A DAILY RECORD ON
DEC 4TH WHERE A HIGH OF 70F WAS REACHED. THIS BROKE THE OLD RECORD
OF 66F SET BACK IN 1982. ANOTHER RECORD WAS BROKEN ON DEC 17TH...A
RECORD WARM MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 44F WAS SET. FURTHERMORE...ON A
MUCH LARGER SCALE THERE WERE ONLY TWO MONTHS WHERE THE AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE WAS BELOW NORMAL THIS YEAR...APRIL AND NOVEMBER. THIS
YEAR ALONE WILL GO DOWN IN THE RECORD BOOKS AS HAVING TIED THE
WARMEST AVERAGE ANNUAL TEMPERATURE OF 52.1F.

NOW IF YOU LIKE SNOW...ITS BEEN PRETTY DISAPPOINTING FOR A GOOD
PORTION OF THE MONTH. IN FACT NOT JUST IN ROCHESTER BUT ALL ACROSS
WESTERN NY. FOR ROCHESTER...YOU HAVE TO GO WAY BACK 242 DAYS TO
APRIL 23 2012 TO FIND EVEN AN INCH OF SNOW ON THE GROUND IN THIS
AREA. HOWEVER...JUST WHEN WE THOUGHT IT LOOKED LIKE WE WOULDNT SEE
SNOW IN ROCHESTER THE REST OF THIS YEAR...MOTHER NATURE STARTED TO
DELIVER...ALTHOUGH NOT IN USUAL FASHION WITH LAKE EFFECT SNOW THAT
WE ARE SO ACCUSTOMED TOO. ON DECEMBER 21 2012...THE FIRST SNOW STORM
WOULD HIT THE AREA WITH A FEW INCHES ACROSS ROCHESTER. THE RESULT OF
COLDER AIR AND MOISTURE WRAPPING IN AROUND THE BACK SIDE OF A STRONG
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM. ALTHOUGH THIS WOULD EFFECTIVELY END OUR VERY
LONG STREAK...IT STILL DIDN`T ERASE DECEMBER DEFICIT VERY MUCH. IT
WOULDN`T BE UNTIL SEVERAL DAYS LATER THAT A SECOND MAJOR WINTER
STORM WOULD HIT THE AREA AND CARVE A DENT INTO OUR SNOWFALL DEFICIT.
THIS STORM WOULD BLANKET ALL OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NY WITH UP
TO A FOOT OR MORE IN LOCATIONS BEFORE COMING TO AN END. AFTER THIS
STORM...IT LEFT ROCHESTER IN MUCH BETTER SHAPE AND BY MONTHS END
SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL. FOR THE NUMBERS...A TOTAL OF 22.6 INCHES OF
SNOW FELL FOR THE MONTH...WHICH IS 0.8 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL.
PRECIPITATION WISE...A TOTAL OF 3.57 INCHES FELL WHICH IS 0.94
INCHES ABOVE NORMAL...NOT BAD FOR BEING BEHIND MOST OF THE MONTH.

WIND WISE...THE AVERAGE WIND SPEED OVER THE MONTH WAS 8.8 MPH...2.5
MPH BELOW THE AVERAGE OF 11.3 MPH. HOWEVER...ROCHESTER STILL MANAGED
A PEAK WIND GUST OF 43 MPH ON THE 22ND.  BEYOND THAT...THE BIG STORY
WAS THE RETURN OF COLD TEMPERATURES AND FINALLY SOME SNOW.

&&

REYNOLDS

$$