December Weather Trivia Statements
DECEMBER 1
...CHICAGO... DECEMBER 1, 1893: DECEMBER STARTED OUT COLD AS THE HIGH
TEMPERATURE ON THIS DATE ONLY CLIMBED UP TO 2 ABOVE...WHICH
SET A RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD. ALSO ON THIS
DATE...THE LOW FELL TO 6 BELOW...ESTABLISHING A LOW MINIMUM
TEMPERATURE RECORD.
...ROCKFORD... DECEMBER 1, 1914: ROCKFORD EXPERIENCED A WARM START FOR THE WINTER SEASON. ON THIS DATE...THE LOW ONLY FELL TO 47 DEGREES...SETTING A NEW HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD. THIS DAY WAS ALSO IN THE MIDST OF A WARM SPELL AS HIGH TEMPERATURES FROM NOVEMBER 28TH TO DECEMBER 2ND CLIMBED TO AT LEAST 50 DEGREES.
DECEMBER 2
DECEMBER 2, 1982: HEAVY RAINS AND WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS
BEGAN ON THIS DATE AND CONTINUED INTO THE 6TH ACROSS MUCH OF
ILLINOIS. ON THIS DATE ALONE THE CITY OF CHICAGO RECEIVED
4.47 INCHES OF RAIN...THE SEVENTH LARGEST SINGLE DAY RAINFALL
TOTAL FOR THE CITY. HUNDREDS WERE EVACUATED FROM THEIR HOMES AS
SEVERE FLOODING OCCURRED OVER MUCH OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS. ONE PERSON WAS KILLED IN COOK COUNTY AS HE WAS WASHED AWAY WITH HIS TRUCK WHILE CROSSING SUGAR CREEK. AREAS NEAR PONTIAC AND OTTAWA ILLINOIS BECAME LAKES AS LOCAL RIVERS OVERFLOWED THEIR BANKS. THE FLOOD DAMAGE STATEWIDE WAS ESTIMATED TO BE OVER 200 MILLION DOLLARS. CHICAGO FINISHED THE MONTH WITH 8.56 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION...THE WETTEST DECEMBER EVER FOR THE CITY.
DECEMBER 3
DECEMBER 3, 1998: WARM AIR SETTLED OVER MUCH OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS
FOR THE START OF THE WINTER SEASON. A STRING OF 60 DEGREE PLUS
TEMPERATURES OCCURRED FROM THE 2ND THROUGH THE 6TH AT O'HARE AND
FROM THE 3RD THROUGH THE 5TH AT ROCKFORD. NUMEROUS HIGHEST MAXIMUM
AND HIGHEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET AT BOTH SITES OVER THIS TIME FRAME.
DECEMBER 4
...CHICAGO... DECEMBER 4, 1896: THE CITY OF CHICAGO RECEIVED 0.06 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION ON THIS DATE...THE MOST PRECIPITATION FOR ANY DAY
DURING DECEMBER OF 1896. THE MONTH ENDED WITH ONLY 0.16 INCHES OF
PRECIPITATION MAKING IT THE DRIEST DECEMBER ON RECORD FOR THE CITY.
THIS TOTAL IS OVER TWO INCHES BELOW NORMAL FOR THE MONTH.
...ROCKFORD...DECEMBER 4, 1991: ARCTIC AIR DESCENDED ON ROCKFORD ON THIS DATE. THE HIGH ONLY CLIMBED TO 7 ABOVE WHILE THE LOW PLUMMETED TO 4 BELOW. THIS LED TO NEW LOW MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURE
RECORDS. HOWEVER THIS COLD SNAP WAS SHORT-LIVED AS ABOVE NORMAL
TEMPERATURES WERE RECORDED A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER. THIS WAS ALSO
THE ONLY SUBZERO READING DURING THE MONTH.
DECEMBER 5
DECEMBER 5, 2001: MILD AIR REMAINED FIRMLY IN PLACE FOR THE PAST
SEVERAL DAYS...USHERING UNSEASONABLY WARM TEMPERATURES ACROSS MUCH OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS. IN CHICAGO...A NEW RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE
FOR THIS DATE WAS SET WHEN THE THERMOMETER REACHED 68 DEGREES. IN
ROCKFORD IT REACHED 67 DEGREES...NOT ONLY SETTING A NEW RECORD
HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE DAY...BUT ALSO THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE
EVER RECORDED FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER IN ROCKFORD.
DECEMBER 6
DECEMBER 6, 1980: FOLKS IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS EXPERIENCED MILD
WEATHER AS THE HIGH AT CHICAGO CLIMBED TO 65 DEGREES. NOT ONLY
WAS THIS THE WARMEST TEMPERATURE RECORDED DURING THE MONTH...THIS
TIED THE RECORD HIGH ON THIS DATE SET IN 1951. LIKEWISE AT
ROCKFORD THE HIGH CLIMBED TO 60 DEGREES WHILE THE LOW ONLY FELL
TO 45. THIS SET NEW HIGH MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS.
DECEMBER 7
...CHICAGO... DECEMBER 7, 1882: CHICAGO AWOKE TO A VERY COLD MORNING. THE OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURE DIPPED TO A RECORD SETTING 6 BELOW.
THE NEXT MORNING THE THERMOMETER DROPPED TO 7 BELOW...
SETTING A SECOND STRAIGHT OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURE RECORD.
...ROCKFORD... DECEMBER 7, 1980: MILD WEATHER CONTINUED THE THIRD DAY IN A ROW AT ROCKFORD. ALONG WITH THE MILD CONDITIONS...THIS WAS ALSO THE
THIRD CONSECUTIVE DAY WHERE PRECIPITAION WAS REPORTED. A TOTAL OF
1.89 INCHES OF RAIN FELL OVER THE FOUR DAYS WITH THE BULK OF IT FALLING
ON THIS DATE WITH 1.10 INCHES. THIS ALSO SET THE RECORD FOR THE GREATEST PRECIPITATION FOR THE 7TH.
DECEMBER 8
...CHICAGO... DECEMBER 8, 1946: UNSEASONABLY MILD AIR MOVED INTO THE CHICAGO AREA ON THIS DATE. THE HIGH CLIMBED TO 64 DEGREES WHICH NOT ONLY SET A HIGH MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD BUT WAS ALSO THE WARMEST TEMPERATURE RECORDED DURING THE MONTH. ALSO THE LOW ONLY FELL TO 53...SETTING A HIGHEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD FOR THIS DATE.
...ROCKFORD... DECEMBER 8, 1958: THIS WAS THE START OF A COLD SNAP THAT HIT ROCKFORD. ON THIS DATE...THE LOW FELL TO 6 BELOW WHICH SET A RECORD FOR THE LOWEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE. ALTHOUGH THIS WAS NOT THE COLDEST TEMPERATURE RECORDED DURING THE MONTH...IT WAS THE FIRST OF AN EIGHT CONSECUTIVE DAY STRING OF SUBZERO LOW TEMPERATURES.
DECEMBER 9
...CHICAGO... DECEMBER 9, 1876: ARCTIC AIR INVADED CHICAGO RESULTING IN A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF ONLY 9 ABOVE AND A LOW OF 14 BELOW. THESE
TEMPERATURES ENDED UP SETTING A NEW RECORD LOWEST MAXIMUM AND
MINIMUM FOR THIS DATE. ALTHOUGH THIS WAS THE ONLY SUBZERO READING
DURING THE MONTH...DECEMBER OF 1876 ENDED UP AS THE 7TH COLDEST
DECEMBER ON RECORD.
...ROCKFORD... DECEMBER 9, 1939: ROCKFORD RESIDENTS ENJOYED MILD WEATHER AS THE HIGH TEMPERATURE CLIMBED UP TO 54 DEGREES. THIS WAS THE WARMEST TEMPERATURE RECORDED DURING THE MONTH AND TIED WITH 1930 FOR THE HIGHEST MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE FOR THIS DATE.
DECEMBER 10
...CHICAGO... DECEMBER 10, 1934: A SNOWSTORM LEFT A SWATH OF 10 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW ALONG AND NEAR LAKE MICHIGAN. THE MAJORITY OF THE SNOW FELL ON THIS DATE WITH 10.9 INCHES...LEAVING A STORM TOTAL OF 11.3 INCHES. HOWEVER THIS STORM WAS SO LOCALIZED THAT NO SNOW WAS REPORTED ABOUT 15 MILES FURTHER WEST.
...ROCKFORD...DECEMBER 10, 2003: THIS WAS THE SECOND OF A TWO DAY CONSECUTIVE RAINFALL EVENT WHERE NEW GREATEST PRECIPITATION RECORDS WERE ESTABLISHED. ON THIS DATE A TOTAL OF 1.60 INCHES FELL...WHICH WAS ALSO THE GREATEST AMOUNT THAT FELL DURING THE MONTH. THIS CONTRIBUTED TO A TWO DAY TOTAL OF 2.64 INCHES.
DECEMBER 11
DECEMBER 11, 2000: A MAJOR WINTER STORM MOVED ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA...WITH HEAVY SNOW FALLING ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. PORTIONS OF THE CHICAGO METRO AREA AND NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS RECEIVED OVER A FOOT OF SNOW. O'HARE RECORDED 9.5 INCHES OF SNOW WHILE ROCKFORD ENDED UP WITH 8.3 INCHES OF NEW SNOW AS WELL. STRONG WINDS ALSO PACKED A PUNCH WITH THIS STORM AS WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH PRODUCED WIND CHILLS OF 35 TO 40 BELOW ZERO. WITH THE GROUND COVERED WITH SNOW FOR MOST OF THE MONTH...DECEMBER OF 2000 WAS THE SECOND COLDEST DECEMBER ON
RECORD FOR CHICAGO AND THE COLDEST DECEMBER FOR ROCKFORD.
DECEMBER 12
...CHICAGO... DECEMBER 12, 1972: A TOTAL OF 1.76 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION FELL AT CHICAGO ON THIS DATE. THIS ENDED UP BREAKING THE GREATEST PRECIPITATION RECORD AND WAS THE LARGEST CALENDAR DAY PRECIPITATION TOTAL FOR THE MONTH. THIS ALSO AIDED IN DECEMBER OF 1972 BEING THE FIFTH WETTEST DECEMBER ON RECORD WITH A MONTHLY TOTAL OF 4.74 INCHES.
...ROCKFORD... DECEMBER 12, 1909: A SNOW STORM DUMPED 8 INCHES OF SNOW ON THIS DATE AT ROCKFORD. WHILE NOT THE BIGGEST SNOWSTORM TO HIT THE CITY...THIS WAS THE LARGEST SNOWFALL THAT FELL DURING THE MONTH. THIS ALSO HELPED CONTRIBUTE TO DECEMBER OF 1909 BEING THE SECOND SNOWIEST DECEMBER ON RECORD WITH A TOTAL OF 26.5 INCHES.
DECEMBER 13
DECEMBER 13, 1963: A NINE CONSECUTIVE DAY BITTER COLD SPELL BEGAN
ACROSS THE CHICAGO. LOW TEMPERATURES DURING THE NINE DAY PERIOD WERE EITHER AT OR BELOW ZERO. A COUPLE OF LOW MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE ALSO SET...CONTRIBUTING TO A MONTHLY TEMPERATURE AVERAGE OF 17.9 DEGREES. THIS RESULTED IN DECEMBER OF 1963 BEING THE FOURTH COLDEST DECEMBER ON RECORD. SIMILARILY THIS DATE BEGAN AN ELEVEN DAY STRING OF ZERO OR BELOW LOW TEMPERATURE READINGS AT ROCKFORD. LIKE CHICAGO...SEVERAL RECORDS WERE SET DURING THE COLD SNAP WHICH AIDED IN DECEMBER OF 1963
BEING THE THIRD COLDEST DECEMBER ON RECORD WITH AN AVERAGE OF 13.1 DEGREES.
DECEMBER 14
DECEMBER 14, 1975: MUCH OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS EXPERIENCED MILD WEATHER
FOR MID DECEMBER. AT CHICAGO...THE HIGH TEMPERATURE CLIMBED TO A
RECORD SETTING 66 DEGREES. THIS WAS THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE DAY WITH
RECORD-SETTING HIGH TEMPERATURES. THE HIGH ON THE 13TH CLIMBED TO 67
DEGREES. SIMILARILY ON THIS DATE ROCKFORD RECORDED A RECORD-SETTING
HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 58 DEGREES. LIKE CHICAGO THIS WAS THE SECOND
CONSECUTIVE DAY WITH RECORD-SETTING HIGH TEMPERATURES. THE 13TH HAD
A MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 57 DEGREES.
DECEMBER 15
DECEMBER 15, 1987: A SEVERE WINTER STORM LAID 6 TO 12 INCHES
OF SNOW ACROSS MUCH OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS. WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS
75 TO 90 MPH PRODUCED BLIZZARD CONDITIONS...DOWNING POWER LINES AND
DRIFTING SNOW WHICH RESULTED IN NUMEROUS ROADS BEING CLOSED. SNOW
TOTALS INCLUDED 11.4 INCHES IN ROCKFORD AND 9.1 INCHES AT O'HARE. THE
STORM SYSTEM ALSO PRODUCED THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE SNOW WHICH LASTED FROM TWO TO FOUR HOURS...A VERY UNUSUAL DURATION FOR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH SNOW. A FEW OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS ALSO PRODUCED SLEET AND HAIL...WITH THREE-QUARTER INCH HAIL REPORTED IN JOLIET.
DECEMBER 16
...CHICAGO... DECEMBER 16, 1965: IN CHICAGO...0.3 INCHES OF SNOW FELL ACROSS THE CITY. THIS IS THE LATEST DATE IN RECORDED WEATHER HISTORY
WHEN THE FIRST MEASURABLE SNOW OF THE WINTER SEASON FELL.
...ROCKFORD...DECEMBER 16, 1951: ROCKFORD RECORDED MINIMUM TEMPERATURES OF 11 BELOW ON THE 16TH AND 17TH. HISTORY REPEATED ITSELF ON THIS DATE IN 1989 AS A LOW OF 11 BELOW WAS RECORDED.
DECEMBER 17
...CHICAGO... DECEMBER 17, 1989: THIS WAS THE FOURTH OF AN ELEVEN DAY COLD SNAP IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS. DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURES IN CHICAGO
FAILED TO REACH THE 20 DEGREE MARK...WITH ONE DAY ONLY REACHING
ZERO DEGREES. MORNING LOWS WERE OFTEN BELOW ZERO DURING THIS
PERIOD AND THE MEAN MONTHLY TEMPERATURE WAS 17.4 DEGREES...
MAKING DECEMBER OF 1989 THE FOURTH COLDEST DECEMBER EVER RECORDED IN CHICAGO.
...ROCKFORD...DECEMBER 17, 2000: THIS DATE WAS THE START OF A NINE CONSECUTIVE DAY STRETCH WHERE SUBZERO LOWS WERE RECORDED. IN ALL THERE WERE TWELVE DAYS WITH SUBZERO LOW TEMPERATURES...MAKING THIS MONTH THE COLDEST IN ROCKFORDS HISTORY.
DECEMBER 18
DECEMBER 18, 1983: THIS WAS THE START OF AN INTENSE COLD SNAP.
LOW TEMPERATURES WERE MAINLY BELOW ZERO THROUGH THE 26TH.
DURING THIS PERIOD...CHICAGO SET SEVEN TEMPERATURE RECORDS OVER
FOUR CONSECUTIVE DAYS WHEREAS ROCKFORD HAD FIVE TEMPERATURE
RECORDS SET OVER THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS. THIS CONTRIBUTED TO THE
MONTH RANKING AS THE COLDEST DECEMBER FOR CHICAGO AND THE SECOND
COLDEST DECEMBER FOR ROCKFORD.
DECEMBER 19
...CHICAGO... DECEMBER 19, 1877: CHICAGO EXPERIENCED A WARM SPELL AS HIGH TEMPERATURES ON THIS DATE CLIMBED UP TO 64 DEGREES. THIS ENDED
UP SETTING A MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD. LIKEWISE THE LOW ONLY
DROPPED TO 57...ESTABLISHING A RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE.
THESE TEMPERATURES AIDED 1877 IN BEING THE WARMEST DECEMBER ON
RECORD WITH AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 43.4 DEGREES. THIS IS
16.0 DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL AVERAGE DECEMBER TEMPERATURE.
...ROCKFORD... DECEMBER 19, 1988: THE HIGH TEMPERATURE AT ROCKFORD CLIMBED UP TO 56 DEGREES. THIS WAS THE FIRST IN A STRING OF TWO DAYS WHERE THE HIGH ROSE PAST 50 DEGREES. THIS ALSO ENDED UP SETTING A
RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE AT ROCKFORD ON THIS DATE.
DECEMBER 20
DECEMBER 20, 1974: LIGHT SNOW FELL OVER CHICAGO AND ROCKFORD
FOR SIX CONSECUTIVE DAYS. ALTHOUGH DAILY SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WERE
GENERALLY AROUND AN INCH...THIS DATE RECORDED THE LARGEST CALENDAR
DAY SNOWFALL AMOUNTS FOR THE MONTH. CHICAGO REPORTED 4.2 INCHES
WHILE ROCKFORD ENDED UP WITH 2.4 INCHES.
DECEMBER 21
DECEMBER 21, 1836: APPARENTLY A VERY STRONG COLD FRONT HAD PUSHED
THROUGH NORTHERN ILLINOIS ON THIS DATE. ALTHOUGH NO RELIABLE
TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE AVAILABLE...ESTIMATES FROM EYEWITNESS REPORTS INDICATED THAT TEMPERATURES FELL FROM THE 40S TO NEAR ZERO IN A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. THE WATER IN PONDS AND STREAMS WAS PUSHED INTO WAVES BY 70 MPH WINDS...THEN FROZEN IN PLACE. SMALL ANIMALS WERE FROZEN IN THEIR TRACKS. TWO MEN FROZE TO DEATH. AN INDIVIDUAL RIDING HORSEBACK STARTED THE TRIP IN RAIN AND BY THE TIME HE STOPPED HIS COAT WAS FROZEN SOLID...AND HE WAS FROZEN ONTO THE SADDLE. THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS THE "WINTER OF STARVING TIME" IN ILLINOIS.
DECEMBER 22
...CHICAGO... DECEMBER 22, 1872: CHICAGO WAS IN THE MIDST OF A COLD SPELL ON THIS DAY. FROM THE 21ST THROUGH THE 24TH...SUBZERO LOW TEMPERATURES WERE RECORDED. THE LOW ON THIS DATE FELL TO 21 BELOW...SETTING A RECORD THAT STILL EXISTS TODAY. IN ALL...THIS MONTH IS THE SIXTH COLDEST DECEMBER ON RECORD WITH AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 18.4 DEGREES.
...ROCKFORD... DECEMBER 22, 1989: COLD WEATHER GRIPPED THE ROCKFORD AREA AS TEMPERATURES FROM THE 11TH THROUGH CHRISTMAS DAY NEVER CLIMBED PAST THE FREEZING MARK. ON THIS DATE...THE HIGH ONLY ROSE TO 3 BELOW WITH A LOW OF 19 BELOW. BOTH OF THESE READINGS SET NEW TEMPERATURES RECORDS FOR THE 22ND.
DECEMBER 23
DECEMBER 23, 1983: BITTERLY COLD WEATHER CONTINUES ACROSS MUCH OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION. ON THIS DATE THE MORNING LOW WAS 21 BELOW ZERO AT BOTH CHICAGO AND ROCKFORD WHILE THE HIGH ONLY REACHED 6 BELOW AND 11 BELOW ZERO AT CHICAGO AND ROCKFORD RESPECTIVELY. OVERNIGHT LOW AND MINIMUM DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET AT BOTH STATIONS.
DECEMBER 24
DECEMBER 24, 1983: THIS WAS A BITTERLY COLD CHRISTMAS EVE IN BOTH
CHICAGO AND ROCKFORD. THIS MORNINGS LOW WAS 25 BELOW ZERO AT CHICAGO...THE THIRD ALL-TIME COLDEST TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED FOR THE CITY. WINDS ON THE MORNING OF THE 24TH RANGED FROM 29 TO 41 MPH...CREATING WIND CHILLS TO -82! THIS IS THE LOWEST WIND CHILL IN CHICAGOS HISTORY. ROCKFORD WAS NOT SPARED IN THIS COLD WAVE. FOLKS WERE WAKING UP TO A TEMPERATURE OF 24 BELOW ZERO. THIS WAS THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE DAY WHEN THE HIGH TEMPERATURE ONLY REACHED ELEVEN BELOW ZERO...AROUND 40 DEGREES BELOW THE DAILY NORMAL.
DECEMBER 25
DECEMBER 25, 1951: NORTHERN ILLINOIS CERTAINLY SAW A WHITE CHRISTMAS
THIS YEAR. THE SNOW DEPTH FOR CHICAGO WAS 17 INCHES...THE GREATEST SNOW DEPTH NOT ONLY FOR CHRISTMAS DAY BUT FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH OF DECEMBER. THE SAME CAN BE SAID FOR ROCKFORD. ON THIS DATE...ROCKFORD REPORTED A SNOW DEPTH OF 14 INCHES. THIS IS THE GREATEST SNOW DEPTH FOR CHRISTMAS DAY AND SECOND GREATEST SNOW DEPTH FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER.
DECEMBER 26
DECEMBER 26, 1950: HEAVY SNOWS MOVED ACROSS MUCH OF NORTHERN
ILLINOIS OVER THE 25TH AND 26TH. ON THE DAY BEFORE...5.1 INCHES
OF SNOW FELL ACROSS CHICAGO...AND ON THIS DATE ANOTHER 3.9 INCHES
FELL. ROCKFORD RECORDED 4 INCHES ON THE 25TH AND ANOTHER 3 INCHES
ON THE 26TH.
DECEMBER 27
...CHICAGO... DECEMBER 27, 1930: IT WAS ANOTHER DRY DAY IN CHICAGO WITH NO MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION OCCURRING. DECEMBER OF 1930 RECORDED
ONLY 0.27 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION...THE THIRD DRIEST DECEMBER EVER
FOR THE CITY. THIS MONTH ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE WINTER OF 1930-1931
AS BEING THE DRIEST SEASON EVER RECORDED FOR CHICAGO. DURING THE THREE MONTHS OF DECEMBER THROUGH FEBRUARY...ONLY 1.60 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION OCCURRED. THIS SEASON ALSO HAD THE LEAST AMOUNT OF SNOWFALL DURING THE WINTER MONTHS...WITH A TOTAL OF ONLY 5.7 INCHES.
...ROCKFORD... DECEMBER 27, 1959: ROCKFORD EXPERIENCED A WET AND WARM DAY. THE HIGH CLIMBED TO 55 DEGREES...SETTING A MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD. A RECORD LOW MAXIMUM WAS ALSO SET ON THIS DATE AS THE LOW ONLY FELL TO 44 DEGREES. WHILE NOT A RECORD...THERE WAS A TOTAL OF 1.02 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION RECORDED AS WELL.
DECEMBER 28
DECEMBER 28, 1984: A YEAR AFTER SUCH A FRIGID DECEMBER...RESIDENTS IN
NORTHERN ILLINOIS ENJOYED SOME MILD WEATHER. THE HIGH AT CHICAGO
REACHED 69 DEGREES WHILE ROCKFORD REPORTED A HIGH OF 66 DEGREES. BOTH STATIONS SET A NEW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD. AT ROCKFORD...THE LOW ONLY FELL TO 41...SETTING ANOTHER RECORD FOR THE HIGHEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE.
DECEMBER 29
...CHICAGO... DECEMBER 29, 1984: MILD TEMPERATURES RESULTED IN ANOTHER HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORD TO BE SET AT CHICAGO. ON THIS DATE...THE HIGH CLIMBED UP TO 64 DEGREES...SOME 33 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. HOWEVER WINTER-LIKE WEATHER RETURNED ON THE 30TH...AS THE HIGH CLIMBED TO 34 DEGREES.
...ROCKFORD... DECEMBER 29, 1954: ROCKFORD RECORDED 8 INCHES OF SNOW ON THIS DATE. WHILE NOT A RECORD BREAKER...IT IS THE LARGEST SNOWFALL TO HIT ROCKFORD DURING THE MONTH. THERE WERE THREE OTHER DAYS WHERE SNOW OF AT LEAST AN INCH WAS RECORDED. AS A RESULT...DECEMBER 1954 IS THE TENTH SNOWIEST DECEMBER ON RECORD.
DECEMBER 30
...CHICAGO... DECEMBER 30, 1903: FOLKS IN CHICAGO WERE WAKING UP TO A MORNING LOW OF 4 BELOW ZERO...AND BY THE AFTERNOON THE HIGH REACHED ONLY 15 DEGREES. THIS RESULTED IN DECEMBER OF 1903 BEING THE NINTH COLDEST DECEMBER ON RECORD FOR CHICAGO AND ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE WINTER OF 1903-1904 RANKING AS THE COLDEST SEASON EVER FOR THE CITY WITH A SEASONAL MEAN TEMPERATURE OF 18.3 DEGREES.
...ROCKFORD... DECEMBER 30, 1976: ARCTIC AIR GRIPPED ROCKFORD FOR THE CLOSE OF 1976. ON THIS DATE...THE HIGH ONLY CLIMBED TO 4 ABOVE...SETTING A RECORD FOR THE LOWEST MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE. IN FACT A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF FOUR ABOVE WAS ALSO RECORDED ON THE 29TH AND 31ST...SETTING ANOTHER LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE ON THE 31ST. LOW TEMPERATURES FOR THE THREE DAYS WERE AT LEAST 10 BELOW.
DECEMBER 31
DECEMBER 31, 1978: OVER THE PAST FOUR DAYS...13.0 INCHES OF SNOW FELL
ACROSS CHICAGO. ON THIS DAY ALONE...7.6 INCHES FELL AND THE MONTHLY
SNOWFALL TOTAL WAS 31.4 INCHES. THIS IS THE SECOND SNOWIEST DECEMBER
EVER RECORDED IN CHICAGO. SIMILARILY FOR ROCKFORD A TOTAL OF 13.7 INCHES FELL FROM THE 28TH THROUGH THE 31ST...MAKING IT THE FOURTH SNOWIEST DECEMBER IN ROCKFORDS HISTORY WITH A TOTAL OF 25.1 INCHES. 8.5 INCHES FELL ON THIS DATE...THE LARGEST OF THE FOUR DAYS.
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