NWS Rapid City, SD - Climate Summaries > December, 2008 Climatic Summary

December 2008 Climatic Summary

December was a cold month with temperatures averaging 6 to 7 degrees below normal. All reporting locations had below normal temperatures in December. Gillette 4SE in northeast Wyoming was the warm spot averaging 3.4 degrees below normal. The cold spot was Wright 12W in northeast Wyoming where temperatures averaged 7.8 degrees below normal.

Precipitation in December was 20 to 40 percent above normal. The wettest areas were across northwest and central South Dakota where precipitation averaged 200 to 300 percent of normal. The driest areas were across the plains of northeast Wyoming and over southwestern South Dakota where precipitation was 50 to80 percent of normal. The wet spot was in Hoover where precipitation was 316 percent of normal, while Upton in northeast Wyoming was the dry spot with only 15 percent of normal precipitation. The precipitation surplus for the month averaged 0.17 inches.
Snowfall in December was 40 to 60 percent above normal. Snowfall averaged 1 1/2 to 3 feet across the northern Black Hills and Bear Lodge mountains. On the northeast Wyoming plains snow averaged 6 to 12 inches. In western South Dakota snow fall was 10 to 20 inches across northwest South Dakota and 5 to 10 inches elsewhere on the plains of western South Dakota, and in the southern and central Black Hills.

December storm summary...

On December 2 and 3, a weak upper level disturbance brought 1 to 3 inches of snow to the plains of western South Dakota and northeast Wyoming, with 3 to 6 inches in the Black Hills.

On December 8 and 9, an upper level disturbance brought upslope snows to the northern Black Hills where 5 to 8 inches of snow fell.

On December 11 through 14, a stronger upper level system brought 8 to 12 inches of snow to the northern Black Hills and 2 to 4 inches of snow elsewhere.

On December 14 through 16, bitter cold arctic air cover the region with highs near or below zero and may locations reporting 20 to 25 degrees below zero at night.

On December 22 and 23, a weak storm system brought a widespread 2 to 4 inches of snow to the region.

On December 26 and 27, another weak storm system brought an additional 2 to 4 inches of snow to northwest South Dakota.

LOCAL EXTREMES

Temperature Data	Rapid City		Lead		Gillette
	Temperature	Date	Temperature	Date	Temperature	Date
Maximum Temperature	56 degrees	7th	49 degrees	7th	56 degrees	7th
Minimum Temperature	-19 degrees	15th	-22 degrees	15th	-20 degrees	15th
Precipitation Data	Rapid City		Lead		Gillette
Monthly Data	Amount	Data	Amount	Date	Amount	Date
Precipitation	0.37 inches		1.99 inches		0.79 inches
Snowfall	7.9 inches		33.8 inches		9.3 inches

Daily Data
Maximum Precipitation	0.12 inches	11th	0.44 inches	11th	0.30 inches	23rd
Maximum Snowfall	2.0 inches	2nd, 13th	5.8 inches	8th	2.0 inches	8th, 26th, 30th

REGIONAL EXTREMES

Temperature Data		Western South Dakota			Northeastern Wyoming
	Temperature	Site	Date	Temperature	Site	Date
Maximum Temperature	60 degrees	Porcupine 11N	8th	56 degrees	Gillette 4SE	7th
Minimum Temperature	-29 degrees	Oral	15th	-27 degrees	Devils Tower Upton 14ENE	15th 15th, 16th
Precipitation Data		Western South Dakota			Northeastern Wyoming
Monthly Data	Amount	Site	Date	Amount	Site	Date
Maximum Precipitation	2.23 inches	Deadwood 2NE		0.88 inches	Rockypoint 7NE
Minimum Precipitation	0.13 inches	Edgemont		0.30 inches	Newcastle
Maximum Snowfall	33.8 inches	Lead		14.1 inches	Upton 14ENE
Minimum Snowfall	3.7 inches	Edgemont		3.0 inches	Newcastle

Daily Data
Maximum Precipitation	0.59 inches	Deadwood 2NE	11th	0.30 inches	Gillette 4SE Rockypoint 7NE	23rd 12th
Maximum Snowfall	10.0 inches	Shadehill Resv.	23rd	5.0 inches	Colony	25th

MONTHLY RECORDS

LOCATION	DATE	NEW RECORD		OLD RECORD		DATE
		NO RECORDS SET

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National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

December 2008 Climatic Summary

December storm summary...

LOCAL EXTREMES

REGIONAL EXTREMES

MONTHLY RECORDS