2018 - A Very Wet, Warm Year

Eight major climate sites had their wettest year on record (shaded yellow). All 35 sites were wetter than normal.

2018 came to a close on the wet side of normal for almost the entire Northeast. In fact, eight of the 35 major climate sites had their wettest year on record, and another 18 sites ranked 2018 among their 20 wettest years on record. Annual precipitation ranged from 75% of normal in a few locations in New York and northern New England up to 200% of normal in parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and the Mid-Atlantic.

2018 precipitation ranged from near to 200% of normal for almost all of the Northeast.

December precipitation ranged from 50% of normal to more than 200% of normal.

Nineteen major climate sites ranked this December among their 20 wettest Decembers on record. For some sites, it was a wetter-than-normal December that pushed their annual precipitation tally into record or near-record territory. Overall, December precipitation ranged from 50% of normal in parts of New England, New York, and northwestern Pennsylvania to more than 200% of normal in parts of West Virginia and central Pennsylvania.

Nineteen major climate sites ranked this December among their 20 wettest Decembers on record.

December average temperatures ranged from 4°F below normal to 6°F above normal.

A large portion of the Northeast experienced a warmer-than-normal December, with average temperatures ranging from near normal to 6°F above normal. The warmest areas were generally in Pennsylvania. The main exceptions were parts of northern New England where average temperatures were as much as 4°F colder than normal. All but one of the 35 major climate sites recorded a warmer-than-normal December.

Thirteen major climate sites ranked this December among their 20 warmest on record.

2018 was another warmer-than-normal year for the Northeast.

Average temperatures for 2018 ranged from 1°F below normal to more than 3°F above normal, with most areas on the warm side. All 35 major climate sites were warmer than normal, with 27 sites ranking 2018 among their 20 warmest years on record.

Twenty-seven of the major climate sites ranked 2018 among their 20 warmest years on record.

December snowfall ranged from more than 12 inches below normal to within 3 inches of normal for most areas.

A majority of the Northeast received below-normal snowfall in December, with the largest deficits of more than 12 inches in parts of northern New England, New York, and northwestern Pennsylvania. The snowy exceptions were southeastern West Virginia and coastal New Jersey due to an early December storm that left some sites with a surplus of snow.

December ranked among the 20 least snowy Decembers on record for nine sites and among the 20 snowiest at two sites.