NWS Springfield, MO - December 2006 Climate Summary

...Climatological Summary for December 2006...

December proved to be a wild month across the Missouri Ozarks and southeast Kansas. Overall, fifteen records were broken at the 4 ASOS locations (Springfield, Joplin, West Plains and Vichy). As a whole, December 2006 will go down as one of the warmer Decembers on record as all 4 stations were in the top 20 warmest.

The month began with a bang as the seasons first winter storm took aim on the area. Most of the freezing precipitation occurred on the last day of November, however most of the snowfall occurred in the early morning of December 1st. In fact, a record snowfall in Springfield was recorded on the 1st with 5.3 inches of snowfall.

Record lows were set after the snowfall for the next few days in Joplin, Vichy, and West Plains.

Much of the remainder of the month after the 8th of December recorded above normal or near normal temperatures which lead to December 2006 being one of the warmest.

Here are some more detailed statistics from the month of December 2006...

Station	Temperature	Precipitation
Springfield	40.1	1.73 inches
Springfield	16th Warmest	44th Driest (tied)
Joplin	41.5	2.80 inches
Joplin	12th Warmest	23rd wettest
West Plains	41.4	2.07 inches
West Plains	5th warmest (tie)	19th driest
Vichy	39.1	0.87 inches
Vichy	5th warmest	10th driest

List of December 2006 Records for (Springfield, Joplin, West Plains and Vichy)
Date	Station	Record
12/1/06	Springfield	5.3 inches of snow
12/1/06	Joplin	11 degrees for low temperature
12/2/06	Vichy	11 degrees for low temperature
12/2/06	Joplin	6 degrees for low temperature
12/3/06	Joplin	10 degrees for low temperature
12/4/06	Joplin	11 degrees for low temperature
	West Plains	12 degrees for low temperature
	Vichy	7 degrees for low temperature
12/8/06	Joplin	7 degrees for low temperature (tied)
12/14/06	West Plains	66 for high temperature (tied)
12/16/06	Joplin	72 for high temperature
12/16/06	Vichy	66 for high temperature
12/17/06	Springfield	68 for high temperature
12/30/06	Springfield	1.00 inches for rainfall
12/30/06	Joplin	1.20 inches for rainfall

Here is some additional information for the Springfield, Missouri location...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1971 TO 2000
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1888 TO 2006

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL DEPART
                 VALUE   DATE(S) VALUE   FROM
                                          NORMAL
................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH              77   12/08/1991
                        12/13/1948
LOW              -16   12/23/1989
HIGHEST            70   12/16        45      25
LOWEST              5   12/08        25     -20
AVG. MAXIMUM     49.8              45.5     4.3
AVG. MINIMUM     30.5              25.9     4.6
MEAN             40.1              35.7     4.4
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.0     0.0
DAYS MAX <= 32      2               5.0    -3.0
DAYS MIN <= 32     14              22.0    -8.0
DAYS MIN <= 0       0               1.0    -1.0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM        11.02   1895
MINIMUM         0.13   1950
TOTALS           1.73              3.17   -1.44
DAILY AVG.       0.06              0.10   -0.04
DAYS >= .01         7               8.0    -1.0
DAYS >= .10         3               4.0    -1.0
DAYS >= .50         1               2.0    -1.0
DAYS >= 1.00        1               1.0     0.0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL    2.63   11/30 TO 12/01

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
TOTALS            5.3
SINCE 7/1        12.3
DAYS >= TRACE       1

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL     765               899    -134
SINCE 7/1       1629              1789    -160
COOLING TOTAL       0                 0       0
SINCE 1/1       1697              1366     331
.................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              10.4
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    32/130    DATE 12/30
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    40/130    DATE 12/30

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   55

NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR           19
NUMBER OF DAYS PC              5
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          7

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     67

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                2     RAIN                       4
LIGHT RAIN                8     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                1     SNOW                       1
LIGHT SNOW                1     SLEET                      0
FOG                      12     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      2
HAZE                      8

- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.

National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office