ZCZC ARBCLMDTW
CXUS53 KDTW 012243

CLIMATOLOGICAL SUMMARY FOR DETROIT - DECEMBER 2002
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
530 PM EST WED JAN 1 2003

...DECEMBER OPENS UNUSUALLY COLD ACCOMPANIED BY A SNOWSTORM...
...SECOND HALF OF DECEMBER CONSIDERABLY MILDER THAN FIRST HALF...
...PICTURE PERFECT WHITE CHRISTMAS ACROSS THE REGION...
...17TH DRIEST DECEMBER ON RECORD...

THERE WAS NO CHANGE SEEN IN THE STRONG NORTHWESTERLY FLOW THAT HAS
PREVAILED SINCE MID OCTOBER. IN FACT...DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF THE 
MONTH...A VERY DEEP UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PUSHED SOME ARCTIC AIR INTO THE 
REGION AFTER THE AREA EXPERIENCED ITS FIRST SNOWSTORM. NEARLY SIX 
INCHES /5.8/ FELL AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT ON THE 2ND WITH SLIGHTLY 
LESSER AMOUNTS ELSEWHERE. NEEDLESS TO SAY...DRIVING CONDITIONS WERE 
EXCEPTIONALLY BAD DURING THE STORM SINCE IT STARTED AT THE MORNING 
RUSH...AND ENDED DURING THE EVENING RUSH. IN ITS WAKE...THIS SYSTEM 
CREATED ANOTHER LAKE EFFECT EVENT FOR ST CLAIR COUNTY WITH A BAND OF 
HEAVY SNOW. UP TO 8 1/2 INCHES OF SNOW FELL NEAR PORT HURON ONCE AGAIN 
IN THE COMBINATION OF SYNOPTIC/LAKE EFFECT SNOWSTORM. THIS COMING LESS 
THAN A WEEK AFTER THE FIRST EVENT /NOV 26TH/ WHICH HAD ALREADY DUMPED 
COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF SNOW IN A NARROW BAND ALONG/NEAR THE ST CLAIR RIVER. 

AFTER THE SNOWSTORM...TEMPERATURES DROPPED TO THEIR LOWEST LEVEL OF THE 
MONTH WITH READINGS INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS...ABOVE AND BELOW ZERO...THE 
MORNINGS OF THE 3RD/4TH. A LOW OF 3 ABOVE AT METRO AIRPORT SET A NEW 
RECORD FOR THE 3RD. TEMPERATURES FELL TO ONE BELOW HERE AT THE NWS AT 
WHITE LAKE ON BOTH MORNINGS. BY THE 7TH...THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR 
DETROIT WAS AT 20.6 OR ABOUT 13 DEGREES BELOW THE NORMAL FOR EARLY 
DECEMBER!

BY MID MONTH...HOWEVER...TEMPERATURES MODERATED CLOSER TO NORMAL OR 
EVEN ABOVE WITH HIGHS PUSHING UP INTO THE 30S/40S. PRECIPITATION 
REMAINED RATHER LIMITED WITH ONLY ABOUT TWO TENTHS OF WATER EQUIVALENT 
FALLING AS RAIN AND SNOW THROUGH THE 15TH. ALONG WITH WARMER WEATHER 
FROM MID MONTH ON...PRECIPITATION DID BEGIN TO MAKE MORE OF AN 
APPEARANCE. ON THE 18-19TH...A MILD SURGE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO 
PUSHED TEMPERATURES INTO THE 40S AND 50S WHILE 0.70 OF AN INCH OF 
RAIN FELL. 

COLDER...YET SEASONABLE WEATHER MOVED BACK IN THE AREA FOR THE 
CHRISTMAS WEEK. A DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE 
OHIO VALLEY CHRISTMAS EVE INTO CHRISTMAS DAY PROVIDED EXTREME SOUTHEAST 
LOWER MICHIGAN WITH A PICTURE PERFECT WHITE CHRISTMAS. TOTALS GENERALLY 
RANGED FROM FOUR TO SEVEN INCHES OF GOOD PACKING SNOW. ANOTHER STORM 
CENTER...PASSING WEST OF THE REGION...DREW MILD AIR NORTH INTO THE AREA 
NEAR THE CLOSE OF THE MONTH. LIGHT RAIN...DRIZZLE AND FOG MOVED INTO 
THE AREA ON THE 30TH AS THE WARMER...MOISTURE-LADEN AIR OVERSPREAD THE 
COLDER...SNOW COVERED GROUND. HIGH TEMPERATURES ROSE INTO THE LOWER 50S
LATE ON THE 30TH/EARLY ON THE 31ST...ELIMINATING MUCH OF THE SNOW COVER.
THE WEATHER DID COOPERATE...HOWEVER...ON NEW YEAR'S EVE AS A COLD FRONT 
SWEPT IN DRIER...MORE PLEASANT WEATHER FOR THE FESTIVITIES.   

WITH THE GENERALLY MILDER WEATHER SEEN DURING THE SECOND HALF OF
DECEMBER...THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WARMED CONSIDERABLY TO 28.7...
OR ONLY ABOUT A DEGREE /-.9/ BELOW NORMAL. WHILE THE PRECIPITATION
TOTAL WAS ABOUT HALF THE NORM AND PRODUCED THE 17TH DRIEST DECEMBER
ON RECORD...SNOWFALL STILL CAME IN TWO INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. THE
SNOWFALL REFLECTED THE RATHER BUSY STORM TRACK THROUGH THE OHIO 
VALLEY AND CLIPPERS THROUGH THE LAKES. 
....................................................................
  
...TEMPERATURES...                  ...PRECIPITATION...
AVERAGE MAXIMUM...........34.9      MONTHLY TOTAL ............ 1.16                       
AVERAGE MINIMUM ..........22.5      DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL.....-1.35 
AVERAGE MONTHLY...........28.7      GREATEST IN 24HRS/DATES... 0.55                      
DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL.....-0.9                          ON THE 19TH                  
HIGHEST..........53 ON THE 31ST     2002 TOTAL................30.54
LOWEST........... 3 ON THE  4TH     DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL.....-2.35                                                             
 
...HEATING DEGREE DAYS...           ...NUMBER OF DAYS WITH... 
MONTHLY TOTAL..............1119     0.01 OR MORE PRECIPITATION.. 10      
MONTHLY DEPARTURE.......... +20     0.10 OR MORE PRECIPITATION..  4  
2002-2003 SEASON TOTAL.....2404     0.50 OR MORE PRECIPITATION..  1  
DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL......  +4     1.00 OR MORE PRECIPITATION..  0  
 
...COOLING DEGREE DAYS...           ...SNOWFALL...
MONTHLY TOTAL..........   0         MONTHLY TOTAL...............13.1
MONTHLY DEPARTURE......   0         MONTHLY DEPARTURE...........+2.0
2002 SEASON............1061         2002-2003 SEASON TOTAL......14.7 
DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL..+325         DEPARTURE FROM AVERAGE......+0.6 
                                    (NEW 1971-2000 AVERAGE).....44.0
PEAK GUST - SW 35 MPH/20TH                                               

.....................................................................

DECEMBER 2002 CLIMATOLOGICAL SUMMARY FOR: 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE...WHITE LAKE MI.

...TEMPERATURE DATA...             ...PRECIPITATION DATA...
AVERAGE MAXIMUM.... 34.0           MONTHLY TOTAL ........... 1.30        
AVERAGE MINIMUM.... 19.3           GREATEST IN 24HRS........ 0.56     
MONTHLY AVERAGE.... 26.6                              ON THE 19TH                                                                    
                                   2002 TOTAL.............. 24.32 

...HEATING DEGREE DAYS...          ...SNOWFALL DATA...
MONTHLY TOTAL............1180      MONTHLY TOTAL............12.1       
2002-2003 SEASON TOTAL...2736      2002-2003 SEASON TOTAL...16.6 

...COOLING DEGREE DAYS...
MONTHLY TOTAL...........  0  
2002 SEASON.............725   

DEEDLER

NNNNZCZC ARBCLMDTW
CXUS53 KDTW 012243

CLIMATOLOGICAL SUMMARY FOR DETROIT - DECEMBER 2002
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
530 PM EST WED JAN 1 2003

...DECEMBER OPENS UNUSUALLY COLD ACCOMPANIED BY A SNOWSTORM...
...SECOND HALF OF DECEMBER CONSIDERABLY MILDER THAN FIRST HALF...
...PICTURE PERFECT WHITE CHRISTMAS ACROSS THE REGION...
...17TH DRIEST DECEMBER ON RECORD...

THERE WAS NO CHANGE SEEN IN THE STRONG NORTHWESTERLY FLOW THAT HAS
PREVAILED SINCE MID OCTOBER. IN FACT...DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF THE 
MONTH...A VERY DEEP UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PUSHED SOME ARCTIC AIR INTO THE 
REGION AFTER THE AREA EXPERIENCED ITS FIRST SNOWSTORM. NEARLY SIX 
INCHES /5.8/ FELL AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT ON THE 2ND WITH SLIGHTLY 
LESSER AMOUNTS ELSEWHERE. NEEDLESS TO SAY...DRIVING CONDITIONS WERE 
EXCEPTIONALLY BAD DURING THE STORM SINCE IT STARTED AT THE MORNING 
RUSH...AND ENDED DURING THE EVENING RUSH. IN ITS WAKE...THIS SYSTEM 
CREATED ANOTHER LAKE EFFECT EVENT FOR ST CLAIR COUNTY WITH A BAND OF 
HEAVY SNOW. UP TO 8 1/2 INCHES OF SNOW FELL NEAR PORT HURON ONCE AGAIN 
IN THE COMBINATION OF SYNOPTIC/LAKE EFFECT SNOWSTORM. THIS COMING LESS 
THAN A WEEK AFTER THE FIRST EVENT /NOV 26TH/ WHICH HAD ALREADY DUMPED 
COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF SNOW IN A NARROW BAND ALONG/NEAR THE ST CLAIR RIVER. 

AFTER THE SNOWSTORM...TEMPERATURES DROPPED TO THEIR LOWEST LEVEL OF THE 
MONTH WITH READINGS INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS...ABOVE AND BELOW ZERO...THE 
MORNINGS OF THE 3RD/4TH. A LOW OF 3 ABOVE AT METRO AIRPORT SET A NEW 
RECORD FOR THE 3RD. TEMPERATURES FELL TO ONE BELOW HERE AT THE NWS AT 
WHITE LAKE ON BOTH MORNINGS. BY THE 7TH...THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR 
DETROIT WAS AT 20.6 OR ABOUT 13 DEGREES BELOW THE NORMAL FOR EARLY 
DECEMBER!

BY MID MONTH...HOWEVER...TEMPERATURES MODERATED CLOSER TO NORMAL OR 
EVEN ABOVE WITH HIGHS PUSHING UP INTO THE 30S/40S. PRECIPITATION 
REMAINED RATHER LIMITED WITH ONLY ABOUT TWO TENTHS OF WATER EQUIVALENT 
FALLING AS RAIN AND SNOW THROUGH THE 15TH. ALONG WITH WARMER WEATHER 
FROM MID MONTH ON...PRECIPITATION DID BEGIN TO MAKE MORE OF AN 
APPEARANCE. ON THE 18-19TH...A MILD SURGE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO 
PUSHED TEMPERATURES INTO THE 40S AND 50S WHILE 0.70 OF AN INCH OF 
RAIN FELL. 

COLDER...YET SEASONABLE WEATHER MOVED BACK IN THE AREA FOR THE 
CHRISTMAS WEEK. A DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE 
OHIO VALLEY CHRISTMAS EVE INTO CHRISTMAS DAY PROVIDED EXTREME SOUTHEAST 
LOWER MICHIGAN WITH A PICTURE PERFECT WHITE CHRISTMAS. TOTALS GENERALLY 
RANGED FROM FOUR TO SEVEN INCHES OF GOOD PACKING SNOW. ANOTHER STORM 
CENTER...PASSING WEST OF THE REGION...DREW MILD AIR NORTH INTO THE AREA 
NEAR THE CLOSE OF THE MONTH. LIGHT RAIN...DRIZZLE AND FOG MOVED INTO 
THE AREA ON THE 30TH AS THE WARMER...MOISTURE-LADEN AIR OVERSPREAD THE 
COLDER...SNOW COVERED GROUND. HIGH TEMPERATURES ROSE INTO THE LOWER 50S
LATE ON THE 30TH/EARLY ON THE 31ST...ELIMINATING MUCH OF THE SNOW COVER.
THE WEATHER DID COOPERATE...HOWEVER...ON NEW YEAR'S EVE AS A COLD FRONT 
SWEPT IN DRIER...MORE PLEASANT WEATHER FOR THE FESTIVITIES.   

WITH THE GENERALLY MILDER WEATHER SEEN DURING THE SECOND HALF OF
DECEMBER...THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WARMED CONSIDERABLY TO 28.7...
OR ONLY ABOUT A DEGREE /-.9/ BELOW NORMAL. WHILE THE PRECIPITATION
TOTAL WAS ABOUT HALF THE NORM AND PRODUCED THE 17TH DRIEST DECEMBER
ON RECORD...SNOWFALL STILL CAME IN TWO INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. THE
SNOWFALL REFLECTED THE RATHER BUSY STORM TRACK THROUGH THE OHIO 
VALLEY AND CLIPPERS THROUGH THE LAKES. 
....................................................................
  
...TEMPERATURES...                  ...PRECIPITATION...
AVERAGE MAXIMUM...........34.9      MONTHLY TOTAL ............ 1.16                       
AVERAGE MINIMUM ..........22.5      DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL.....-1.35 
AVERAGE MONTHLY...........28.7      GREATEST IN 24HRS/DATES... 0.55                      
DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL.....-0.9                          ON THE 19TH                  
HIGHEST..........53 ON THE 31ST     2002 TOTAL................30.54
LOWEST........... 3 ON THE  4TH     DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL.....-2.35                                                             
 
...HEATING DEGREE DAYS...           ...NUMBER OF DAYS WITH... 
MONTHLY TOTAL..............1119     0.01 OR MORE PRECIPITATION.. 10      
MONTHLY DEPARTURE.......... +20     0.10 OR MORE PRECIPITATION..  4  
2002-2003 SEASON TOTAL.....2404     0.50 OR MORE PRECIPITATION..  1  
DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL......  +4     1.00 OR MORE PRECIPITATION..  0  
 
...COOLING DEGREE DAYS...           ...SNOWFALL...
MONTHLY TOTAL..........   0         MONTHLY TOTAL...............13.1
MONTHLY DEPARTURE......   0         MONTHLY DEPARTURE...........+2.0
2002 SEASON............1061         2002-2003 SEASON TOTAL......14.7 
DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL..+325         DEPARTURE FROM AVERAGE......+0.6 
                                    (NEW 1971-2000 AVERAGE).....44.0
PEAK GUST - SW 35 MPH/20TH                                               

.....................................................................

DECEMBER 2002 CLIMATOLOGICAL SUMMARY FOR: 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE...WHITE LAKE MI.

...TEMPERATURE DATA...             ...PRECIPITATION DATA...
AVERAGE MAXIMUM.... 34.0           MONTHLY TOTAL ........... 1.30        
AVERAGE MINIMUM.... 19.3           GREATEST IN 24HRS........ 0.56     
MONTHLY AVERAGE.... 26.6                              ON THE 19TH                                                                    
                                   2002 TOTAL.............. 24.32 

...HEATING DEGREE DAYS...          ...SNOWFALL DATA...
MONTHLY TOTAL............1180      MONTHLY TOTAL............12.1       
2002-2003 SEASON TOTAL...2736      2002-2003 SEASON TOTAL...16.6 

...COOLING DEGREE DAYS...
MONTHLY TOTAL...........  0  
2002 SEASON.............725   

DEEDLER

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