Climatological Report (Monthly)
Issued by NWS
Issued by NWS
928 CXAK57 PAJK 042029 CLMASI NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK 1121 AM AKST THU JAN 04 2024 ................................... ...THE SITKA CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2023... CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD: 1991 TO 2020 CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1944 TO 2024 WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE NORMAL .............................................................. TEMPERATURE (F) RECORD HIGH 65 12/12/1944 LOW 16 12/25/2021 HIGHEST 53 12/29 50 3 LOWEST 31 12/18 19 12 12/19 12/27 AVG. MAXIMUM 45.8 41.5 4.3 AVG. MINIMUM 37.7 33.4 4.3 MEAN 41.7 37.5 4.2 DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 DAYS MAX <= 32 0 1.8 -1.8 DAYS MIN <= 32 4 12.4 -8.4 DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0 PRECIPITATION (INCHES) RECORD MAXIMUM 16.55 1956 MINIMUM 2.25 1983 TOTALS 15.28 8.43 6.85 DAILY AVG. 0.49 0.27 0.22 DAYS >= .01 26 21.6 4.4 DAYS >= .10 24 16.1 7.9 DAYS >= .50 10 5.7 4.3 DAYS >= 1.00 4 1.9 2.1 GREATEST 24 HR. TOTAL 3.03 12/12 TO 12/12 DEGREE DAYS HEATING TOTAL 712 854 -142 SINCE 7/1 2392 3038 -646 COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 SINCE 1/1 4 1 3 FREEZE DATES EARLIEST 10/08 LATEST 03/14 .............................................................. WIND (MPH) AVERAGE WIND SPEED 11.7 HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 43/160 DATE 12/12 HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 63/180 DATE 12/12 WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 2 HEAVY RAIN 1 RAIN 18 LIGHT RAIN 29 FREEZING RAIN 0 LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0 HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 1 LIGHT SNOW 8 SLEET 4 FOG 17 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 0 HAZE 8 - INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS. R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED. MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING. T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT. $$ ...ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AT THE START OF AN EL NINO WINTER... Multiple record high temperatures during the month were completely congruent with a strong El Nino. In fact, Juneau finished the month nearly 6 degrees above normal for daily average temperatures and a full 6 inches below normal for snowfall. The remaining climate sites in Southeast Alaska also recorded 4 to 5 degrees above normal for their daily average temps. Unfortunately, there is no longer snowfall information for those locations, but it sure would be nice to know how they measured when compared to their climate normal values. While there was a dearth of snow for most of Southeast Alaska, Skagway and Haines and the associated highways got quite a bit of it. 4 separate winter storm warnings were issued for these locations with all of them verifying. One event even included an avalanche near Klukwan that was captured in a photograph. A quick glance at the daily data for all 4 climate sites indicates that the above normal monthly temps was more a result of daytime highs rather than overnight lows. This departs from the typical trend we have observed for many months where overnight lows were more responsible for the warmer than normal temperatures. In keeping with the trend from this Autumn, all 4 sites finished the month with significantly above normal precipitation and Sitka nearly achieving record precipitation for December. There is an established and well studied connection between above normal normal temperatures and the strong El Nino. Recent studies are hinting at a similar relationship regarding precipitation too. The month also saw a series of strong Autumn storms which, in addition to producing heavy rain, resulted in high winds across much of the Panhandle and northeast gulf coast. At various times during the month, high wind warnings were issued for Yakutat, Skagway, Juneau, Sitka, Prince of Wales Island, Ketchikan, and Metlakatla. Fritsch $$