College Station Monthly Summary: December 2004
December was a fitting end to an exciting year of weather. The month began with much cooler than normal temperatures and little precipitation. A low pressure system brought some warmer temperatures and moderate rainfall to the Brazos Valley. A high pressure settled over the state, and temperatures warmed up quite a bit. A cold front hit the area beginning on the 14th, and high temperatures dropped 10°F from one day to the next. A little bit of rain fell with the front, as well and temperatures again warmed to the 70s before a large trough hit the state. Temperatures plummeted as a large arctic air mass settled over Texas, and while many parts of the state received snow, College Station remained relatively dry over Christmas. On the 23rd and 25th, the low reached 25°F, the coldest temperature all year in College Station. Following the cold snap, temperatures warmed back up into the 70s, some 15-20°F above normal. Unlike most of a very wet 2004, only 1.07" of rain fell in College Station, 2.16" below the December normal. For the entire year, College Station received 56.18" of rain, the 3rd highest total in College Station history and only 4.86" behind the 1968 record.
| |
Daily Temperature |
Daily Precipitation |
Monthly Temperature Summary |
| Day |
Maximum |
Minimum |
*Departure |
Total |
Mean |
Value |
*Departure |
| 1 |
55°F |
31°F |
‑12°F |
|
Maximum |
63.5°F |
+0.7°F |
| 2 |
65°F |
43°F |
‑1°F |
|
Minimum |
41.5°F |
0.0°F |
| 3 |
57°F |
40°F |
‑6°F |
T |
Average |
52.5°F |
+0.3°F |
| 4 |
65°F |
43°F |
‑1°F |
|
Degree Days |
Total |
*Departure |
| 5 |
72°F |
55°F |
+10°F |
0.20" |
Heating |
387 |
‑26 |
| 6 |
74°F |
57°F |
+12°F |
0.30" |
Cooling |
8 |
‑6 |
| 7 |
70°F |
48°F |
+5°F |
|
Numberof Days: |
Total |
*Departure |
| 8 |
63°F |
46°F |
+0°F |
0.03" |
Maximum ≥ 90°F |
0 |
0 |
| 9 |
77°F |
47°F |
+9°F |
|
Maximum ≤ 32°F |
0 |
0 |
| 10 |
68°F |
47°F |
+4°F |
|
Minimum ≤ 32°F |
7 |
‑1 |
| 11 |
67°F |
41°F |
+1°F |
|
|
| 12 |
78°F |
46°F |
+9°F |
|
Monthly Precipitation Summary |
| 13 |
62°F |
43°F |
+0°F |
|
Precipitation |
Value |
*Departure |
| 14 |
52°F |
34°F |
‑9°F |
|
Monthly Total |
1.07" |
‑2.16" |
| 15 |
55°F |
28°F |
‑10°F |
T |
Year-to-date Total |
56.18" |
+16.51" |
| 16 |
52°F |
42°F |
‑5°F |
0.13" |
Days ≥ 0.01" |
6 |
‑2 |
| 17 |
59°F |
38°F |
‑4°F |
|
|
| 18 |
68°F |
35°F |
0°F |
|
Monthly Extremes |
| 19 |
64°F |
40°F |
+1°F |
|
Extreme |
Value |
Date(s) |
| 20 |
71°F |
40°F |
+4°F |
T |
Highest Temperature |
78°F |
12th |
| 21 |
77°F |
50°F |
+12°F |
|
Lowest Temperature |
25°F |
23rd, 25th |
| 22 |
55°F |
33°F |
‑7°F |
0.30" |
Max. 24-hour Precip. |
0.30" |
6th |
| 23 |
40°F |
25°F |
‑18°F |
|
Maximum Wind Gust |
34 mph |
5th |
| 24 |
36°F |
28°F |
‑19°F |
|
|
| 25 |
48°F |
25°F |
‑14°F |
|
Record Book for December |
| 26 |
61°F |
28°F |
‑6°F |
|
Highest Temperature |
89°F |
1922 |
| 27 |
64°F |
32°F |
‑2°F |
|
Lowest Temperature |
2°F |
1989 |
| 28 |
71°F |
44°F |
+8°F |
|
Highest Minimum |
74°F |
1982 |
| 29 |
71°F |
56°F |
+14°F |
T |
Lowest Maximum |
23°F |
1990 |
| 30 |
74°F |
61°F |
+18°F |
|
Wettest Month |
12.66" |
1913 |
| 31 |
76°F |
62°F |
+19°F |
0.11" |
Driest Month |
0.00" |
1947 |
| |
Wettest 24 Hours |
7.54" |
1913 |
"T" indicates daily precipitation ≤ 0.005".
BOLDFACE indicates an extreme daily value for the month.
ITALICS indicates a daily record was set or tied.
*Departure from the 1971‑2000 normal. |
*New Records Set
| Day |
Parameter |
Value |
Old Record |
Year |
| No new records were set or tied in December 2004. |
*Near Records Set
| Day |
Parameter |
Value |
Record |
Year |
| 21st |
Tied 3rd highest maximum temperature |
77°F |
79°F |
1970 |
| 30th |
Tied 4th highest minimum temperature |
61°F |
68°F |
1992 |
*NOTE: Records from 1910 through July 1951 are based on observations taken at the Texas Agricultural
Experiment Station main farm located 7 miles SW of College Station. Records from August 1951 through
the present are based on observations taken at Easterwood Field. |
January Normals for College Station
| Beginning of the month: |
62°F/41°F |
Monthly precipitation: |
3.32" |
| Middle of the month: |
61°F/40°F |
Precipitation days: |
9 |
| End of the month: |
63°F/42°F |
Days ≤ 32°F: |
11 |
