Winter has arrived! This year, it’s not just in terms of meteorological season, but also in terms of weather!
The entire state of Wisconsin ended the month of November with a few inches of snow on the ground (more than a few inches in some places) and chilly temperatures. This has left many wondering if we’re in for a doozy of a winter season, or perhaps just a doozy of a December.
Temperatures
The Outlook: Trending Chilly
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting a chance of colder-than-average temperatures in Wisconsin during December. In fact, the entire Great Lakes region could see chillier than typical conditions to kick off the winter season.
Note that the colors of the above map indicate the probability of above or below average temperatures, not the intensity of the expected warmth or cold. In this case, Wisconsin has a 40 to 50 percent chance of below-average temperatures in December. Check out this blog for more information on deciphering climate probabilities.
The Averages:
Though November can have its share of winter chill, December is when the cold air typically settles in. With a statewide average of 21.4 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s the first month with an average temperature below freezing. Average low temperatures for the month are usually in the teens.
Wisconsin’s coldest December on record was in 1983, when the statewide average temperature was a brutal 6.9 degrees!
The middle part of the month featured a blast of frigid air, dropping temperatures to 20 below in northern Wisconsin. The coldest temperature reported was minus 32 degrees in the village of Weyerhaeuser in Rusk County. Interestingly, just a few days later, cities in the southern part of the state saw temperatures climb above 40 degrees!
The warmest December in Wisconsin is likely still fresh in your mind, as it was just a few years ago in 2023.
The statewide average temperature was a warm 32.2 degrees, and many cities saw 50-degree temperatures throughout much of the month.
Fifties on Christmas Day made for the warmest December 25 on record in La Crosse, Eau Claire, Wausau, and Green Bay.
Precipitation
The Outlook: Possibly Wet for Some
The Climate Prediction Center does not see any strong signals for above, below, or near average December precipitation across the majority of Wisconsin. However, the far northern section of the state is highlighted for the potential to lean wetter than normal. Counties north of Wausau and Green Bay have a 33 to 40 percent chance of receiving above-average precipitation.
The Averages:
The majority of Wisconsin’s December precipitation falls as snow, resulting in a deceivingly low average precipitation total of 1.52 inches across the state. The statewide average snowfall for the month is 12.6 inches, with the highest totals usually falling in northern Wisconsin.
The wettest December on record was in 2015, when the statewide average precipitation total was 4.28 inches. Shockingly, a lot of the precipitation didn’t fall as snow, as temperatures that month were very mild.
One big snowstorm on December 28 accounted for most of the state’s only snow of the month; it dropped over a half-foot of snow through central and eastern Wisconsin.
Wisconsin’s driest December was in 1913, when an average of 0.22 inches of precipitation fell across the state. Even locations in northern Wisconsin saw less than two inches of snow.