December 31st Almanac

Records for December 31st

Purdue Airport - LAF
High temperature: 64º in 2004
Low temperature: -14º in 1976
Precipitation: 0.94" in 1978
Snowfall: 1.9" in 1969

West Lafayette 6 NW COOP
High temperature: 64º in 1965
Low temperature: -14º in 1983
Precipitation: 1.32" in 1936
Snowfall: 6.0" in 1969

Warmth Continues

Today and tomorrow will be have high temperatures getting close to or exceeding 50º. While this is certainly above normal, it's not unusual...despite what you hear from talking heads in the media. Take last year at this time for example. After a very snowy and cold month, the last two days of December and first day of January were way above normal. Also consider we had a snow pack of 10"+ to erode before that torch.

12/30/2010: 52º
12/31/2010: 60º
1/1/2011: 57º

December 29th Almanac

Records for December 29th

Purdue Airport - LAF
High temperature: 64º in 1984
Low temperature: -12º in 1983
Precipitation: 0.62" in 2003
Snowfall: 0.6" in 1961

West Lafayette 6 NW COOP
High temperature: 68º in 1984
Low temperature: -6º in 1983
Precipitation: 0.97" in 1990
Snowfall: 3.0" in 1902

December 28th Almanac

Records for December 28th

Purdue Airport - LAF
High temperature: 68º in 1984
Low temperature: -2º in 2000
Precipitation: 1.43" in 1948
Snowfall: 4.0" in 1983

West Lafayette 6 NW COOP
High temperature: 67º in 2008
Low temperature: -20º in 1924
Precipitation: 1.28" in 2008
Snowfall: 5.0" in 1915

Snow Totals

Looks like a range from 1.5 to 3.0" of snow fell this morning in the area.

1.7" at WLFI
2.6" on the south side of Lafayette
3.0" in Frankfort

As it stands right now, I have 5.7" of total snow for the season. Sort of amazing considering how bad of a pattern we've been in since November.

Snow Tomorrow?

Looks like there's a good chance of snow developing overnight, lasting through late tomorrow morning. One of the computer models spits out 2-4" of snow for Lafayette (image below).

December 17th Almanac

Records for December 17th

Purdue Airport - LAF
High temperature: 59º in 2006
Low temperature: -5º in 1945
Precipitation: 0.74" in 1957
Snowfall: 3.0" in 1951

West Lafayette 6 NW COOP
High temperature: 64º in 1984
Low temperature: -9º in 1989
Precipitation: 1.77" in 1929
Snowfall: 4.0" in 2000

Spring In December

The temperature and dewpoint are at springlike levels this morning, both in the upper 50's. Alas, the temperature should begin to fall as we move through the afternoon.

Still no changes in the extended range for this warm and essentially snowless December.

Warm December Continues

This December, so far, has been the complete opposite from the past four editions. Cold and snow have been lacking and that looks to continue for the next week to 10 days...if not longer. As for a white Christmas, statistically the odds are typically not in our favor...outside of a fluke, this one looks to be a green Christmas for us.

For today, unseasonably warm air will rule with temperatures reaching the middle 50's. A good chance of rain and even some thunderstorms exist today through tomorrow morning. The extended forecast is for more warmth and rainfall for early next week.

December 12th Almanac

Records for December 12th

Purdue Airport - LAF
High temperature: 62º in 1991
Low temperature: 5º in 2000
Precipitation: 1.14" in 1972
Snowfall: 0.6" in 1988

West Lafayette 6 NW COOP
High temperature: 61º in 1946
Low temperature: -8º in 1977
Precipitation: 1.05" in 1996
Snowfall: 2.0" in 1963

Cold Temps This Morning

The low temperature, as of 7:00AM, has dropped to 14º at LAF. This is the coldest min temperature since February 10th when we got down to -10º.

High temperatures today will struggle to reach 30º. The cold looks short-lived though, as we should warm back up next week with 50's possible by Thursday. So far, this December is a far cry from the cold and snowy conditions that were present last December.

Snow Tonight/Overnight

Looks like our first measurable snow of this December could happen tonight/overnight. It doesn't look like a big deal, as the range of snowfall from the weather models is from a couple tenths to an inch at best. Taking an average of all the guidance leads me to a call of 0.1 to 0.5" for Lafayette....enough to make it look like winter anyway, but barely.

EDIT: the latest model guidance just came in and gives us nothing. So I may too bullish in my amounts. If there is such a thing with tenths of an inch amounts...

December 7th Almanac

Records for December 7th

Purdue Airport - LAF
High temperature: 64º in 1966
Low temperature: -7º in 1977
Precipitation: 1.91" in 1966
Snowfall: 1.0" in 1983

West Lafayette 6 NW COOP
High temperature: 70º in 1998
Low temperature: -6º in 1977
Precipitation: 1.30" in 1927
Snowfall: 2.5" in 1909

Wet Year At The West Lafayette COOP

Through the end of this November, 47.59" of precipitation has been recorded at the West Lafayette 6 NW COOP. Using the longterm averages, where data goes back to 1901, that is 12.31" above average.

Here are the top 10 wettest years on record at the WL COOP:

1) 55.60" - 1927
2) 54.61" - 1909
3) 50.45" - 1957
4) 50.42" - 1929
5) 49.32" - 1990
6) 47.59" - 2011 (through November 30)
7) 47.27" - 1926
8) 47.04" - 1993
9) 45.70" - 1902
10) 45.43" - 1907

December 5th Almanac

Records for December 5th

Purdue Airport - LAF
High temperature: 69º in 2001
Low temperature: 3º in 2005
Precipitation: 0.74" in 1967
Snowfall: 9.0" in 1977

West Lafayette 6 NW COOP
High temperature: 66º in 1998
Low temperature: 0º in 2005
Precipitation: 1.95" in 1916
Snowfall: 4.0" in 1977

November 2011 Stats At LAF

Average mean temperature: 47.9º (+5.1º)
Average high temperature: 56.3º (+5.0º) 
Average min temperature: 39.5º (+5.2º)
Highest max temperature: 72º on the 14th
Lowest max temperature: 39º on the 29th
Highest min temperature: 56º on the 13th
Lowest min temperature: 27º on the 11, 17, 18, and 30th

Total precipitation: 5.61" (+2.64")
Greatest 24 hour precipitation: 1.95" on the 28-29th
Days with a trace or more precipitation: 16
Days with 0.10" or more precipitation: 15
Days with 0.50" or more precipitation: 4

December 2nd Almanac

Records for December 2nd

Purdue Airport - LAF
High temperature: 73º in 1982
Low temperature: 3º in 1966
Precipitation: 2.29" in 1967
Snowfall: 2.6" in 1964

West Lafayette 6 NW COOP
High temperature: 68º in 1970
Low temperature: 2º in 1942
Precipitation: 0.76" in 1967
Snowfall: 1.5" in 1955

November Precipitation Totals Across Indiana

Here are the November precipitation totals and departures for several of the official sites across Indiana.

Lafayette: 5.61" +2.64"

Bloomington: 3.58" -0.36"
Evansville: 8.32" +3.99"
Fort Wayne: 6.09" +3.00"
Goshen: 4.22" +1.10"
Indianapolis: 4.87" +1.17"
Indianapolis Eagle Creek: 4.09" +0.39"
Muncie: 6.42" +2.97"
North Webster - NWS office: 6.19" +2.69"
Shelbyville: 5.96" +2.23"
South Bend: 3.46" +0.19"
Terre Haute: 6.12" +2.28"