December 2011 bucked the normal temperature trend!

December 2011 was a most interesting month from the standpoint of weather. As the graphed illustrates, it was not only significantly warmer than the year before but the trend was also a warming one. Most unusual for a month that normally sees a cool down to a more winter like regime.

I was (and am) particularly interested in this trend as January has just begun and I see a repetitive pattern emerging whereby we have a very zonal flow that results in first a cool down as a cold front passes over, and then a warm up on the backside as the area of high pressure moves off to the east.  While such a pattern is not unusual, what has seemed strange is the degree to which the nights have maintained a warmer than normal profile. Note that this pattern was also seen, abet much more slightly, last year also. This same deal is now repeating itself for the first week or so of January with little in the way of precipitation seen on the horizon. It will be most interesting to follow this as we make our way through the month.