December weather in review
Wow! What a month as an arctic blast keeps a grip on the area for over two weeks. Portland reported six days where the temperature never got above freezing, and on December 23, the airport reported a whopping 10" of snow on the ground. The chart below says there was no snow on the ground on Christmas, but I'll bet that's an error. I'll check it out and provide an update here later.
In any event, it ended up being the snowiest December on record at Portland Airport, and the second-snowiest month of any month behind January 1950.
In the meantime, here is each day's stats for PDX, and the recap provided by the National Weather Service.
In any event, it ended up being the snowiest December on record at Portland Airport, and the second-snowiest month of any month behind January 1950.
In the meantime, here is each day's stats for PDX, and the recap provided by the National Weather Service.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
500 PM PST THU DEC 25 2008
...CHRISTMAS 2008 IS BY FAR THE SNOWIEST IN PORTLAND HISTORY...
...DECEMBER 2008 IS THE SNOWIEST DECEMBER ON RECORD NEAR PORTLAND
AIRPORT...
RESIDENTS OF THE PORTLAND METRO AREA HAVE HAD AN ABUNDANCE OF SNOW
OVER NEARLY THE PAST TWO WEEKS NOW...WITH FALLING SNOW REPORTED AT
PORTLAND AIRPORT TODAY FOR THE 11TH CONSECUTIVE CALENDAR DAY.
HISTORICALLY...THE 18.9 INCHES OF SNOW THAT HAVE FALLEN SO FAR THIS
MONTH AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN NORTHEAST PORTLAND
RANKS THIS AS THE SNOWIEST DECEMBER SINCE RECORDS BEGAN AT THE
NEARBY AIRPORT IN 1940. ADDITIONALLY...THIS MONTH NOW RANKS AS THE
SECOND SNOWIEST MONTH ON RECORD...ONLY BEATEN BY THE REMARKABLE 41.0
INCHES THAT FELL IN JANUARY 1950.
NOTE THAT WHILE DECEMBER 2008 GOES DOWN IN THE RECORD BOOKS AS OF
THE SNOWIEST IN HISTORY SINCE 1940...THERE WERE MANY MONTHS PRIOR TO
1940 WHERE THE OFFICIAL DOWNTOWN PORTLAND CLIMATE SITE RECORDED
SNOWFALL IN EXCESS OF 30 INCHES. THIS WELL EXCEEDS THE AMOUNT OF
SNOW REPORTED FROM ANYWHERE IN DOWNTOWN PORTLAND FOR DECEMBER 2008.
SNOWFALL REPORTS THIS MONTH HAVE VARIED WIDELY ACROSS LOWER
ELEVATIONS THE PORTLAND METRO AREA... RANGING FROM AS LOW AS 12-15
INCHES DOWNTOWN TO AS MUCH AS 25 INCHES IN OUTLYING AREAS...
PARTICULARLY ON THE SOUTH AND WEST SIDE OF TOWN. HIGHER ELEVATIONS
SUCH AS THE WEST HILLS AND THE LOWER FOOTHILLS OF THE COAST RANGE
AND CASCADES HAVE LOCALLY RECEIVED EVEN MORE.
THE SNOW THAT FELL EARLIER HAS STAYED ON THE GROUND ACROSS ALL OF
THE PORTLAND AND VANCOUVER METRO AREA...WITH A WHITE CHRISTMAS FOR
ALL METRO AREA RESIDENTS. IN FACT...THE AMOUNT OF SNOW ON THE GROUND
THIS CHRISTMAS BY FAR EXCEEDED THE PREVIOUS SNOW DEPTH RECORDS FOR
CHRISTMAS DAY...WHICH WERE 1.3 INCHES DOWNTOWN...1.0 INCH AT
VANCOUVER...AND A TRACE AT PORTLAND AIRPORT. THE SNOW DEPTH THIS
AFTERNOON AT THE NWS OFFICE IN NORTHEAST PORTLAND WAS 10 INCHES...
INCLUDING A FRESH 0.8 INCH THAT FELL THIS AFTERNOON.
=====================================================================
...PORTLAND AIRPORT AND NEARBY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE...
SNOW DATA PERIOD OF RECORD: PORTLAND AIRPORT: 1940-1996...
NWS OFFICE: 1996-PRESENT)
SNOWIEST DECEMBERS
--------------------
****** 1. 2008 DECEMBER 18.9 INCHES ******
2. 1968 DECEMBER 15.7 INCHES
3. 1964 DECEMBER 11.0 INCHES
4. 1972 DECEMBER 6.1 INCHES
SNOWIEST MONTHS (ANY MONTH)
-----------------------------
1. 1950 JANUARY 41.0 INCHES
****** 2. 2008 DECEMBER 18.9 INCHES ******
3. 1969 JANUARY 18.3 INCHES
4. 1968 DECEMBER 15.7 INCHES
5. 1951 MARCH 12.9 INCHES
6. 1980 JANUARY 12.4 INCHES
7. 1964 DECEMBER 11.0 INCHES
PRELIMINARY LOCAL CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA (WS FORM: F-6)
STATION: PORTLAND OR
MONTH: DECEMBER
YEAR: 2008
LATITUDE: 45 35 N
LONGITUDE: 122 36 W
TEMPERATURE IN F: :PCPN: SNOW: WIND :SUNSHINE: SKY :PK WND
================================================================================
1 2 3 4 5 6A 6B 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
12Z AVG MX 2MIN
DY MAX MIN AVG DEP HDD CDD WTR SNW DPTH SPD SPD DIR MIN PSBL S-S WX SPD DR
================================================================================
1 57 43 50 8 15 0 0.16 M 0 7.5 17 190 M M 8 12 21 190
2 56 45 51 9 14 0 0.12 M 0 4.5 16 190 M M 8 1 20 180
3 52 39 46 4 19 0 0.00 0.0 0 2.3 7 300 M M 9 12 9 300
4 51 35 43 1 22 0 0.00 M 0 9.0 25 80 M M 4 1 31 80
5 50 30 40 -2 25 0 0.00 M 0 2.3 10 110 M M 4 13 110
6 52 29 41 0 24 0 0.00 M 0 2.3 8 150 M M 3 1 10 150
7 48 40 44 3 21 0 0.25 M 0 3.5 12 200 M M 9 1 25 160
8 49 38 44 3 21 0 0.01 M 0 2.4 9 110 M M 9 1 38 100
9 47 35 41 0 24 0 0.00 0.0 0 2.2 12 100 M M 9 12 14 100
10 49 40 45 4 20 0 0.00 0.0 0 3.0 8 290 M M 9 10 270
11 51 34 43 2 22 0 0.00 0.0 0 3.2 10 310 M M 7 1 15 330
12 47 31 39 -1 26 0 0.27 M 0 10.0 25 190 M M 8 12 35 180
13 41 36 39 -1 26 0 0.02 M 0 16.3 26 200 M M 9 35 200
14 37 23 30 -10 35 0 0.02 M 0 21.4 36 90 M M 9 18 44 80
15 28 22 25 -15 40 0 T M 0 26.8 35 100 M M 5 46 80
16 32 20 26 -14 39 0 0.00 0.0 0 7.9 31 80 M M 1 37 70
17 38 23 31 -9 34 0 0.08 M 0 13.7 28 200 M M 10 1 35 190
18 39 32 36 -4 29 0 0.08 M 0 7.5 17 280 M M 9 1 35 150
19 35 30 33 -7 32 0 0.02 M 0 3.7 9 220 M M 9 1 16 210
20 31 20 26 -14 39 0 0.01 M 0 17.7 79 50 M M 10 169 85 10
21 24 20 22 -18 43 0 0.07 M 5 16.6 M 80 M M 10 1689 M 30
22 26 22 24 -15 41 0 0.04 M 6 9.1 16 110 M M 10 1 18 110
23 30 25 28 -11 37 0 T M 10 6.7 14 110 M M 9 1 16 120
24 39 27 33 -6 32 0 0.07 M 8 13.9 24 110 M M 9 16 26 120
25 37 33 35 -4 30 0 0.15 M 0 6.0 14 180 M M 10 1 18 240
26 41 33 37 -2 28 0 0.13 M 4 7.8 23 190 M M 10 1 30 200
27 50 40 45 6 20 0 0.21 M 3 12.6 23 200 M M 9 1 29 200
28 54 39 47 8 18 0 0.10 M 0 7.9 26 220 M M 10 1 43 90
29 46 38 42 3 23 0 0.68 M 0 10.3 29 280 M M 9 1 37 270
30 43 37 40 1 25 0 0.14 M 0 6.8 22 100 M M 10 1 28 110
31 46 37 42 3 23 0 0.07 M 0 9.8 20 180 M M 10 25 180
================================================================================
SM 1326 996 847 0 2.70 0.0 274.7 M 255
================================================================================
AV 42.8 32.1 8.9 FASTST M M 8 MAX(MPH)
MISC ----> # 79 50 # 85 10
================================================================================
NOTES:
# LAST OF SEVERAL OCCURRENCES
COLUMN 17 PEAK WIND IN M.P.H.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA (WS FORM: F-6) , PAGE 2
STATION: PORTLAND OR
MONTH: DECEMBER
YEAR: 2008
LATITUDE: 45 35 N
LONGITUDE: 122 36 W
[TEMPERATURE DATA] [PRECIPITATION DATA] SYMBOLS USED IN COLUMN 16
AVERAGE MONTHLY: 37.5 TOTAL FOR MONTH: 2.70 1 = FOG OR MIST
DPTR FM NORMAL: -2.7 DPTR FM NORMAL: -3.01 2 = FOG REDUCING VISIBILITY
HIGHEST: 57 ON 1 GRTST 24HR 0.68 ON 29-29 TO 1/4 MILE OR LESS
LOWEST: 20 ON 21,20 3 = THUNDER
SNOW, ICE PELLETS, HAIL 4 = ICE PELLETS
TOTAL MONTH: 0.0 INCH 5 = HAIL
GRTST 24HR 0.0 6 = FREEZING RAIN OR DRIZZLE
GRTST DEPTH: 10 ON 23 7 = DUSTSTORM OR SANDSTORM:
VSBY 1/2 MILE OR LESS
8 = SMOKE OR HAZE
[NO. OF DAYS WITH] [WEATHER - DAYS WITH] 9 = BLOWING SNOW
X = TORNADO
MAX 32 OR BELOW: 6 0.01 INCH OR MORE: 21
MAX 90 OR ABOVE: 0 0.10 INCH OR MORE: 10
MIN 32 OR BELOW: 14 0.50 INCH OR MORE: 1
MIN 0 OR BELOW: 0 1.00 INCH OR MORE: 0
[HDD (BASE 65) ]
TOTAL THIS MO. 847 CLEAR (SCALE 0-3) 2
DPTR FM NORMAL 91 PTCLDY (SCALE 4-7) 7
TOTAL FM JUL 1 1741 CLOUDY (SCALE 8-10) 22
DPTR FM NORMAL -14
[CDD (BASE 65) ]
TOTAL THIS MO. 0
DPTR FM NORMAL 0 [PRESSURE DATA]
TOTAL FM JAN 1 474 HIGHEST SLP 30.56 ON 10
DPTR FM NORMAL 84 LOWEST SLP 29.37 ON 24