151
CXUS56 KMFR 011236 CCA
CLMMFR
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD, OR
436 AM PST MON JAN 01 2024
...............................
..THE MEDFORD OR CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2023
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1991 TO 2020
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1911 TO 2023
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR'S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
............................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 72 12/14/1962
LOW -10 12/13/1919
HIGHEST 68 12/29 62 12/26
LOWEST 28 12/17 18 12/18
12/23
12/24
AVG. MAXIMUM 52.0 46.1 5.9 46.6
AVG. MINIMUM 37.1 32.6 4.5 32.5
MEAN 44.5 39.4 5.1 39.5
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 0.8 -0.8 1
DAYS MIN <= 32 10 15.6 -5.6 15
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 12.72 1964
TOTALS 2.22 3.53 -1.31 4.04
DAILY AVG. 0.07 0.11 -0.04 0.13
DAYS >= .01 17 14.4 2.6 16
DAYS >= .10 6 8.0 -2.0 8
DAYS >= .50 2 2.1 -0.1 3
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.6 -0.6 1
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.78 12/02 TO 12/03
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 12.2 1972
TOTALS 0.0 0.9 -0.9 T
SINCE 7/1 0.0 1.0 -1.0 MM
DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 627 795 -168 784
SINCE 7/1 1472 1729 -257 MM
COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0
SINCE 1/1 1304 909 395 MM
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/13/1921
LATEST 06/12/1952
EARLIEST 10/28
LATEST 04/13
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WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 3.0
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 35/140 DATE 12/26
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 48/160 DATE 12/26
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.63
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 6
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 13
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 12
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 81
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 2 RAIN 4
LIGHT RAIN 17 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0
LIGHT SNOW 1 SLEET 0
FOG 26 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 12
HAZE 2
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
..MEDFORD OREGON WEATHER REVIEW: DECEMBER 2023
DECEMBER STARTED OFF WET WITH A SERIES OF ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS MOVING
THROUGH THE REGION. THIS LED TO VERY HIGH SNOW LEVELS BUT SOME
DECENT RAINFALL FOR MUCH OF THE AREA. MUCH OF THE RAINFALL WAS
AFFECTED BY THE TERRAIN WITH THE RED MOUND RAWS SEEING OVER 9 INCHES
OF RAIN IN A 24-HOUR PERIOD ENDING ON DECEMBER 3RD. MEANWHILE,
BROOKINGS SAW OVER 7 INCHES OF RAIN. UNFORTUNATELY, THE RAIN SHADOW
FROM THE TERRAIN CAUSED MOST OF THE RAIN TO EVAPORATE BEFORE
REACHING THE GROUND IN THE ROGUE VALLEY, AND THE MEDFORD ONLY SAW
0.74 INCHES. THE RAIN WOULD CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS WITH
CONTINUED HIGH SNOW LEVELS AS MEDFORD SAW AROUND A HALF AN INCH ON
DECEMBER 7TH. THIS STORM CAUSED SOME FLOODING NEAR THE COAST.
CONDITIONS LARGELY DRIED OUT AFTER THAT WITH PASSING SHOWERS IN
UNSETTLED WEATHER LEAVING VERY LITTLE PRECIPITATION THROUGH DECEMBER
19TH. IN FACT, CONDITIONS COOLED OFF AND AIR LARGELY STAGNATED
DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH WITH VALLEY AIR QUALITY SENSORS
READING UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THEN, ON
THE 17TH, CONDITIONS BEGAN TO CHANGE AS A SERIES OF WEAK SYSTEMS
PUSHED THROUGH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST BRINGING ADDITIONAL RAINFALL,
ALBEIT MINIMAL IN AMOUNTS TO MEDFORD. A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILT
IN JUST IN TIME FOR THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY ALLOWING TEMPERATURES TO
LOWER ONCE AGAIN AND THE GROUND TO DRY OUT.
AFTER CHRISTMAS, ANOTHER SERIES OF STORMS APPROACHED THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST, BUT THESE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS LARGELY REMAINED OFFSHORE.
WHILE RAINFALL WOULD BE MEAGER, WINDS WOULD BE PARTICULARLY GUSTY IN
THE VALLEYS AND ON THE COAST. MEDFORD SAW WIND GUSTS IN THE 40S ON
BOTH DECEMBER 26TH, DECEMBER 27TH, AND DECEMBER 29TH AS A DYNAMIC
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM BRUSHED BY THE AREA. THIS LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
ALSO CAUSED HAVOC FOR BEACHGOERS WITH HIGH SURF ACROSS ALL OF OUR
COASTLINES FOR THE BETTER PART OF A WEEK. AFTER A WEAK SYSTEM PASSED
THROUGH ON THE 30TH BRINGING SOME LIGHT RAIN, THE PATTERN BRIEFLY
CHANGED BACK TO A DRY ONE JUST IN TIME FOR THE NEW YEAR.
OVERALL, THIS DECEMBER WAS THE SECOND WARMEST ON RECORD VIA THE
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE, WITH 2014 HOLDING THE RECORD FOR WARMEST
DECEMBER ON RECORD. WE ALSO DID SET A DAILY RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE
ON DECEMBER 29TH WITH A TEMPERATURE OF 68 DEGREES. THE PREVIOUS
RECORD WAS 61 SET IN 1937. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THE GUSTY WINDS
BLOWING DOWN THE MOUNTAINS CAUSED THE AIR TO WARM THROUGH A PROCESS
CALLED ADIABATIC WARMING. THIS ALLOWED US TO BREAK THIS RECORD
BEFORE SUNRISE. (WE REACHED 62 DEGREES BEFORE 7 AM. THE RECORD
SETTING TEMPERATURE OF 68 OCCURRED AT 1254 PM.) -SCHAAF
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