December ends as a dry month

Shovels and snowplows have been idle most of this month in what’s been a near-record low for snowfall. Unless there’s an unexpected snowfall today, State Climatologist Harry Hillaker it’s the least amount of snow we’ve had in a December in 22 years.The statewide average for this month is seven-tenths-of-an-inch of snow. That’s the least snowiest December since the statewide record low of four-tenths-of-an-inch was set in 1979. Warmer temperatures helped keep the white stuff from forming and falling.December temperatures averaged about seven degrees above normal, the warmest since 1965, and the 15th warmest overall. Hillaker says December 2001 was a complete turnaround from 2000.Last December was the second coldest on record and the snowiest ever in 129 years of state weather records. Hillaker says there’s no real explanation for the big turnaround. Hillaker says 2002 will continue the run of cold weather that wrapped up the month of December.