December was an 'abnormally warm' month, per the NWS. But did it break any records?
The National Weather Service's monthly regional climate summary reported that December was an abnormally warm month for Greater Cincinnati.
According to the report, average temperatures across the region were approximately 5 to 7 degrees above normal. There was also no severe weather or widespread winter impacts, and less than an inch of snow was observed.
Did December 2023 break any climatology records?
Not really, but Cincinnati did observe one of its top 15 warmest Decembers in history. While roughly three or four days showed below-normal temperatures, the colder periods were nothing compared to the extreme cold of 2022.
The Christmas holiday, however, was in the top 10 of the warmest on record, with temperatures in the lower 60s and upper 50s.
The month of December also had about 11 to 14 days of precipitation, but monthly total amounts were still below average for the area. Portions of Northern Kentucky observed the least amount of rain.
Snowfall amounts were also low, with less than an inch observed at all sites.
Greater Cincinnati Winter Weather Forecast 2024
El Niño, a climate pattern brewing by the equator every six years, is expected to continue through the rest of the winter months, per the NWS. The latest outlook from the Climate Prediction Center calls for more above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation from January through March.
When does Cincinnati usually get snow?
The first measurable snow in Ohio typically occurs in November. The National Weather Service considers measurable snow to be at least 0.1 inches or greater, with trace amounts not counted toward the records.
For the Queen City, the earliest date of measurable snowfall was Oct. 19, 1989, when it snowed a whopping 5 inches. That date also holds Cincinnati's record for the earliest date of 1 inch or more of snowfall.
We haven't experienced significant snowfall yet this winter season, but we have some time before breaking any records.
The latest first measurable snowfall occurred on Jan. 12, 1983. Snow, or a rain and snow mix, may fall this weekend, Jan. 6-7, just a few days shy of the 41-year record.
Confidence in the exact amounts remains low, but some minor snow accumulation will be possible.
The latest date of measurable snow in a winter season was May 6, 1989, and the earliest final snowfall in a winter season was Feb. 11, 1919.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Was December warmer than usual? Climate summary, January predictions
