In the Twin Cities, the average temperature for December was 8.1 degrees above the long-term average. November was 5.5 degrees above average and October was 6.5 degrees above average. The October through December period was tied for the second warmest in Twin Cities history, based on weather records going back to 1873. July through December will go down as the second warmest in Twin Cities history...September was the only month that was close to normal.
Details on the unusual warmth can be found at the Minnesota State Climatology Office web site: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/warm_jul_dec2011_twin_cities.htm
December snowfall was about 4 inches below normal. 63% of our December snow total fell by December 3. We did have one inch of snow on the ground on January 1, 2012, so 2004 remains the most recent New Year's Day with less than one inch of snowcover.
