December Weather Report

Weather in December

This was quite the mildest December since before 2005. My
records are not complete enough before that year to say for sure, but it
looks as if December 2003’s temperature was higher than 2011. My lowest
figure in December 2011 was -2.9C on the 18th, which also gave the
lowest day maximum of the month at 7.5. In December 2003 the lowest
reading was -1.9C. Last month, the average maximum temperature was
slightly over 11C; the minimum just under 3C, giving a mean of 7C.
Overall, this December was 6C milder than last!  New Year’s Eve gave
both the highest maximum and minimum readings at 13.9 and 9.4C. I
recorded 7 Air Frosts on my minimum thermometer, which I am sure reads
‘low’. 23 in 2010!

Measurable rain fell on 24 days but most amounts were
not significant, with the exception of the stormy night of the 12th,
which brought 26.5mm. This was the night that brought a small tree down
in our lane and this had the police out closing the road off overnight.
Thanks go to Chris Solway for coming out with his chainsaw early the
next morning to clear it. The overall total of 86.9mm however, I would
reckon to be slightly below average, and things became generally drier
for the week around Christmas Day. December was the wettest month of
2011 however, by just 0.1mm over January’s figure.

2011 – the Year’s Report:


2011 will be most remembered for its dryness. I made the
total rainfall for the year just 700.5mm falling on 168 days. 2010 was
slightly wetter at 766mm. In 2007, the 2011 total rainfall had fallen by
the middle of July, and both 2008 & 2009 topped 1000mm easily. 2011 saw
three notably wet days. In ascending order, December 12th, June
12th–the day following a lovely evening at the Umborne Hall & the Ug,
and October 26th. when 32mm fell.

It may seem surprising to people to have read in the
national press that 2011 was second only to 2006 for warmth. Our
memories of last year’s winter are focussed on cold, but this was really
only in December 2010. January however  was  slightly colder than
average, with the year’s coldest night coming on the 31st with a reading
of -7.9C. February was the mildest for nine years, and the Spring
remarkably warm, especially April, which was also the driest month of
2011 with a total fall of 12.8mm.  Probably it is the memory of the
cool, cloudy summer that makes the annual statistic so unexpected. The
highest daytime maximum occured on June 3rd with a reading of 27.3C.
Each summer month recorded just a couple of really warm days, so it was
not until late September that things became unseasonably warm and it is
this trend that has generally continued to the year’s end. The mean
temperature of 2011 was nearly 11.1C, whilst in chilly 2010, the figure
was a little over 9.2C.

Peter at  Pottlelake

Neville Cheeseman at Deep Cut adds his readings:

December rainfall 125mm, making 889.5 total for year, 64.5mm up on last year.

Highest rain fall 28mm on 12th only 2 days with no rain at all. 173 days no rain all year

Max temp in December 11      Min temp n December -1

Ave max for month 7.87        Ave Min 2.02

Ave max temp for year 13.42…. 1.15 higher than last year

Ave Min temp forv year 6.20…..1.50 higher than last year

No the weird bit!!! 44 eggs in December avage of 1.42 a day. Total for year 1068 ave of 2.93 a day – not bad for 5 chickens, but back up to 7 now Santa has been.

I must get out more!    Neville

At Pear Tree Cottage:

December rainfall:  105mm

Year Total:  790.5mm

Anyone else got any stats they would like to include?