Powerball

Much of the region is currently under severe to extreme drought conditions, with no relief in sight:

14 minutes ago, Stevo6899 said:

A friend that lives in Troy told me hes got about 5 to 6" so I assume that's the totals across at m59 east. Guessing dtw and Josh got less based on the radar returns i saw?

2 7" at DTW and spotter reports of 4.2" and 4.7" in Roseville and New Baltimore (as of 7am).

5 minutes ago, michsnowfreak said:

Interesting. So with your extremely warm December our flowers blooming? Seems like every year when we get a 45 or 50ﾟ day people are like "I saw a crocus" or something like that.

I haven't noticed any premature blooming here, but a poster in the Central/Western subforum (who lives in a suburb of Austin) noted that their trees were leafing out again and their tomato plants were still growing. 

20 minutes ago, michsnowfreak said:

Do the trees even lose their leaves lol?

The vast majority of trees are bare by the time Christmas arrives, but some of them never lose their leaves & remain green all year. Even back during the February freeze last year, they kept their leaves. 

In-N-Out even managed to get away with planting Palm Trees outside their restaurants here (an ode of course to their Southern California roots) until they were all killed last winter. They've since been replaced though. 

So needless to say, 2021 was the warmest December on record for DFW.

But just to show how unprecedented it was:

*1st December ever to end with a monthly average greater than 60°F (61.3°F to be exact).

*Previous record for warmest December was shattered by a whopping +7.3 degrees.

*1st December ever to end with a positive double-digit departure from average (+13.2 degrees to be exact).

*1st December ever to end with an average high greater than 70°F (72.6°F to be exact).

*The previous record for highest December average high was shattered by a whopping +6.7 degrees.

*1st December ever to end with an average low of at least 50°F (50°F to beexact).

*Previous record for highest December average low was shattered by a whopping +6.6 degrees.

*Grand total of only 1 freeze (with a low of only 32°F to be exact)

*Grand total of only 1 day with a sub-50°F high (48°F to be exact).

*Total of 23 days (yes, you read that correctly) with a high of 70°F+

*Total of 8 days with a high of 80°F+

*Warmest Christmas day on record, with a high of 82°F (breaking the previous record of 80°F from 2016).

*Ended with a 9-day consecutive streak of 70°F+ highs.

This was all driven by a number of combined factors, including widespread moderate/severe drought conditions across the Southern Plains, an unusually deep -PNA (deepest in at least 16 years), and the MJO which only slowly progressed through two phases (6 & 7) that were favorable for warmer than normal tempertures in Texas.

So needless to say, 2021 was the warmest December on record for DFW.

But just to show how unprecedented it was:

*1st December ever to end with a monthly average greater than 60°F (61.3°F to be exact).

*Previous record for warmest December was shattered by a whopping +7.3 degrees.

*1st December ever to end with a positive double-digit departure from average (+13.2 degrees to be exact).

*1st December ever to end with an average high greater than 70°F (72.6°F to be exact).

*The previous record for highest December average high was shattered by a whopping +6.7 degrees.

*1st December ever to end with an average low of at least 50°F (50°F to be exact).

*Previous record for highest December average low was shattered by a whopping +6.6 degrees.

*Grandrand total of only 1 freeze (with a low of only 32°F to be exact)

*Grand total of only 1 day with a sub-50°F high (48°F to be exact).

*Total of 23 days (yes, you read that correctly) with a high of 70°F+

*Total of 8 days with a high of 80°F+

*Warmest Christmas day on record, with a high of 82°F (breaking the previous record of 80°F from 2016).

*Ended with a 9-day consecutive streak of 70°F+ highs.

This was all driven by a number of combined factors, including widespread moderate/severe drought conditions across the Southern Plains, an unusually deep -PNA (deepest in at least 16 years), and the MJO which only slowly progressed through two phases (6 & 7) that were favorable for warmer than normal tempertures in Texas.

The whole discussion about the moisture source for this system is like obsessing over which processor KFC used for the chicken you're being served.

Regardless of whether it came from Tyson or Perdue, the meal will still be pretty mediocre.

On 12/29/2021 at 7:16 PM, nwohweather said:

On track to finish December with 19 of 31 days with highs in the 70’s here. Even with a few chilly days looks like our average high is going to be 69°, that’s 9° above average for December. Glad to see you’re getting a little winter weather in the region, gives me hope for some “Fall” weather

I'll share the final numbers for DFW tomorrow, because we're going to be nailbiting the truly extreme numbers for the month today, but regardless they're definitely an entireshow.

Inferno would be an understatememt.

4 hours ago, sbnwx85 said:

Since I'm awake...12z HRRR put the snow axis a bit south of 6z. Drier in northern IL outside of lake-effect/enhancement.

6z

12z

It would be very on-brand for Detroit to see its amounts increase as this trends to yet another strung out POS.

Ho-hum...

2 hours ago, SchaumburgStormer said:

That’s been a trend for [s]four seasons[/s] a decade now. 

fyp.

The low this morning at DFW was 52*F, which (if it holds) will be *JUST* good enough for exactly a 50*F average low for the month of December.

Currently, after yesterday's cool morning of 48*F, the average is officially at 49.9*F

1 hour ago, michsnowfreak said:

Under pressure...April 15, 2014. Detroit cruised into 2nd place for snowiest all time winters in late February or early March. Truly an epic Winter in the Southern lakes. However they were just a touch short of the 1880-81 record.  That night, 1 to 3" of snow was forecast and 1.9" needed to break the record. And it was very publicized in the media. What a nightmare for the observer. You get a 2" snowfall what's going to happen, if the record is broken you'll have people accusing you of purposely breaking it, if the record is just missed you'll have people accusing you of purposely just missing it. Luckily like most of our things that Winter the snowfall over performed at 3.2" so it was an easy record clincher. 

I remember you being the local celebrity at the time, lol.

As of today, DFW has an average low of 50*F for the month of December.

Unfortunately, this morning's low dipped down to 49*F. So the average will also dip back down ever so slightly. NYE's low will ultimately determine whether the average low ends up at/above 50*F or below.

The final monthly Decembers numbers for DFW are going to be some real clown shit, with nothing remotely comparable. Not even Satan himself could have conjured up this one

Looks like ORD's futility streak has finally come to an end.

12 hours ago, Jebman said:

I am down here in Buda TX. I am LOVIN low temps being twenty degrees above normal! I wish the ridge over the GOM would become semipermanent into April. I love 80/66 conditions. Trees are sprouting spring leaves down here! My tomato plant is STILL producing tomatoes!

That is definitely crazy.

Haven't noticed any trees sprouting leaves here, yet.

3 minutes ago, A-L-E-K said:

Strung out seems like the call on this one

Decade-long trends die hard...

Even Portland might see measurable snow before Chicago (they already got a Winter Storm Warning first):

It's going to be a New Years to remember if the 12z GEM is right.

Severe weather outbreak in MO/OK and Blizzard in MN/WI.

20 hours ago, Chicago Storm said:

Dallas might actually see a 60*F average departure for December, which has never happened. Same goes for an average high above 70*F and a double digit departure.

It's already 5*F above the previous record warmest.

13 hours ago, RogueWaves said:

I think we get January. Jan '12 was actually normal to slightly above normal snowfall in SMI. Deja-vu

And then 2 months later...

14 hours ago, Cary67 said:

Are those wind speeds?

It's all fantasy, so why not...

1 hour ago, A-L-E-K said:

 

2022 here we come

Looks about right...

Just now, dmc76 said:

I can find him for you. 

Last I saw him (it had be nearly 10 years ago), I think he moved out to Los Angeles to take up modeling. 

Crazy to think that DFW is looking at both an historially warm December and a historically warm February in the same year.

Got both winter extreme covered, haha!