MONTHLY CLIMATOLOGICAL SUMMARY for DEC. 2002 NAME: Charleswood CITY: Winnipeg STATE: MB, CANADA ELEV: 235 m LAT: 49° 51' 00" N LONG: 97° 16' 00" W TEMPERATURE (°C), SNOW (cm), WIND SPEED (km/h) HEAT COOL AVG MEAN DEG DEG WIND DOM DAY TEMP HIGH TIME LOW TIME DAYS DAYS SNOW SPEED HIGH TIME DIR ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 -11.5 -5.9 12:15a -17.1 12:00m 29.8 0.0 0.0 7.6 27.4 9:00p N 2 -20.3 -17.2 12:15a -23.2 8:30a 38.5 0.0 0.0 3.9 29.0 2:00a N 3 -18.7 -13.3 1:00p -23.3 2:30a 36.6 0.0 0.0 1.1 12.9 2:15p N 4 -15.8 -10.4 3:30p -22.1 3:30a 34.5 0.0 0.0 2.7 27.4 1:15p SW 5 -11.0 -9.4 3:00p -13.3 7:30p 29.6 0.0 0.2 5.1 27.4 10:15p N 6 -8.2 -4.7 1:45p -12.4 7:45a 26.8 0.0 0.0 6.0 30.6 1:30p N 7 -10.1 -6.6 12:15a -16.1 12:00m 29.6 0.0 0.0 5.5 30.6 10:15p N 8 -14.3 -8.2 12:00m -21.3 7:45a 33.0 0.0 0.0 8.3 41.8 10:45p SSW 9 -3.7 4.0 2:30p -8.6 9:00a 20.6 0.0 0.0 2.7 27.4 12:15a SW 10 -3.1 5.7 3:00p -9.4 1:45a 20.1 0.0 0.0 5.0 27.4 2:15p SSW 11 -2.1 7.3 2:30p -6.3 7:00a 17.8 0.0 0.0 4.4 25.7 1:15p SSW 12 -4.7 -2.2 2:15p -8.7 6:45a 23.7 0.0 0.2 1.5 20.9 1:45p N 13 -0.4 3.4 3:15p -3.1 1:45a 18.1 0.0 0.0 7.1 35.4 12:30p SSW 14 -2.2 -0.7 2:30a -4.4 6:30a 20.8 0.0 0.0 4.5 30.6 10:45a N 15 -1.7 -0.2 3:15p -3.1 11:30p 19.9 0.0 0.0 4.4 29.0 11:00p SE 16 -3.6 -2.0 5:45p -5.3 6:00a 21.9 0.0 0.0 7.7 35.4 10:45p SSE 17 -1.9 0.5 11:45p -4.3 1:15a 20.2 0.0 0.0 6.3 29.0 1:15p SSE 18 0.1 1.0 4:15a -1.1 11:45p 18.3 0.0 4.0 2.3 12.9 1:00a ENE 19 -2.6 -1.1 1:15a -3.6 12:00m 20.6 0.0 2.0 7.1 33.8 11:45p N 20 -5.2 -3.6 12:15a -6.3 8:45a 23.2 0.0 5.0 11.6 45.1 8:30a N 21 -6.4 -5.1 3:45a -8.5 8:45a 25.1 0.0 2.0 8.2 32.2 7:15p N 22 -9.2 -7.1 8:30a -13.1 9:00p 28.4 0.0 3.0 9.9 38.6 9:30a N 23 -11.4 -10.6 12:45p -12.4 6:15p 29.8 0.0 0.0 8.0 35.4 11:00a N 24 -16.9 -10.8 12:15a -21.7 9:15a 34.5 0.0 0.0 2.2 17.7 1:45p SSW 25 -14.5 -8.2 1:30p -19.7 12:30a 32.3 0.0 0.0 4.5 17.7 9:15a S 26 -12.1 -6.7 2:15p -15.9 3:00a 29.6 0.0 0.0 7.7 27.4 4:30p S 27 -6.2 0.6 2:30p -12.3 2:15a 24.1 0.0 0.0 5.0 29.0 5:00a SSW 28 -9.3 -4.7 2:00p -15.7 7:30a 28.5 0.0 0.0 0.6 11.3 2:45p W 29 -5.1 -1.1 12:00m -8.1 8:15a 22.9 0.0 0.0 3.3 20.9 10:00a ENE 30 -8.0 -0.6 1:00a -14.1 9:30p 25.6 0.0 1.0 8.3 43.5 2:15p N 31 -14.4 -11.8 1:30p -16.0 9:30a 32.2 0.0 0.0 3.0 32.2 12:30a N ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -8.2 7.3 11 -23.3 3 816.5 0.0 17.4 5.3 45.1 20 N December Highlights: The effects of El-Nino finally kicked in over Southern Manitoba during December, with the mean monthly temperature finishing 6 degrees above normal giving Winnipeg its mildest December since 1997. Officially it was the 11th mildest December on record in Winnipeg, with a monthly mean temperature of -8.5C, compared to the normal of -14.4C. There were only 5 days below -20C compared to the normal of 15 days of -20C or lower during December. The lowest temperature for the month was a relatively moderate -23.3C at my site recorded during the month's only cold spell at the beginning of the month. By the 9th, temperatures turned mild and stayed above normal every day but one for the rest of the month. From Dec 9th to the 21st, temperatures remained above the -10C mark every day, a remarkable statistic considering normal highs for the period are -10! Snowfall was virtually absent for the first 18 days of the month and for awhile, it was looking like Winnipeg was heading towards a rare brown Christmas. However a slow moving storm system from the 18th to the 21st brought a prolonged period of snow to southern Manitoba, giving about 10-15 cm in Winnipeg, and up to 50 cm over western Manitoba. Christmas week featured plenty of sunshine and quiet weather giving ideal traveling conditions over most of southern Manitoba. The month finished with a brief blast of cold air on the 30th as gusty northwest winds to 70 km/h and a light snowfall produced reduced visibilities in blowing snow over Winnipeg and the Red River Valley. Overall however the month will be remembered as a mild and storm free month.. thanks to El-Nino!