Closing Out 2022
December average temperatures ranged from 4°F below normal to more than 6°F above normal.
December average temperatures ranged from 4°F below normal in parts of West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania to more than 6°F above normal in northern Maine. The dividing line between cooler than normal and warmer than normal generally followed New York’s border with Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with areas to the south being cooler and areas to the north being warmer. A similar pattern emerged with the 35 major climate sites, with 18 being cooler than normal, 15 being warmer than normal, and two averaging out to normal. Overall, December average temperature for the sites ranged from 2.1°F below normal in Allentown, PA, to 6.4°F above normal in Caribou, ME, its third warmest December on record. Three additional New England sites experienced one of their 15 warmest Decembers on record, as well.
This December ranked among the 15 warmest on record for four major climate sites.
Average temperatures for 2022 generally ranged from 1°F below normal to 3°F above normal.
Annual average temperatures for 2022 averaged out to be near to above normal for much of the Northeast, ranging from 1°F below normal in places such as West Virginia to 3°F above normal in areas such as New England. Average temperatures for 2022 at the major climate sites ranged from 0.9°F below normal in Allentown, PA, to 2.2°F above normal in Worcester, MA, with 26 being on the warm side of normal. 2022 ranked among the 20 warmest years on record for 26 major climate sites.
Twenty-six major climate sites had one of their 20 warmest years on record.
December precipitation ranged from 25% of normal to more than 200% of normal.
December precipitation ranged from 25% of normal in northwestern Pennsylvania and western West Virginia to more than 200% of normal in parts of Maine, New Hampshire, and northern New York. Far western portions of the Northeast tended to be drier than normal while the rest of the region was generally wetter than normal. December precipitation at the 35 major climate sites ranged from 25% of normal in Erie, PA, its fourth driest, to 175% of normal in Buffalo, NY, its sixth wettest. Overall, 23 of the sites were wetter than normal. This December ranked among 15 driest on record for three sites but among the 20 wettest on record for 10 sites.
This December ranked among 15 driest on record for three sites but among the 20 wettest on record for 10 sites.
2022 precipitation ranged from 50% of normal to 150% of normal.
Annual precipitation for 2022 ranged from 50% of normal in northeastern Massachusetts to 150% of normal in areas such as northern Maine and southern West Virginia. For the major climate sites, 2022 precipitation ranged from 72% of normal in Boston, MA, its eighth driest year, to 118% of normal in Charleston and Elkins, WV, their eight wettest and 12th wettest years, respectively. Overall, 19 of the sites landed on the dry side of normal for the year. 2022 ranked among the 20 driest years on record for four sites but among the 20 wettest on record for eight sites.
2022 ranked among the 20 driest years on record for four sites but among the 20 wettest on record for eight sites.
December snowfall ranged from more than 12 inches below normal to more than 12 inches above normal.
December snowfall was below or near normal for much of the Northeast, with the largest deficits of more than 12 inches in areas such as northwestern Pennsylvania and central New York. The main exceptions were northern New York and a portion of western New York near Buffalo, which had surpluses of over 12 inches. These areas were slammed by a major multi-day lake-effect snow event in late December. December snowfall at the 35 major climate sites ranged from 19.8 inches below normal in Erie, PA to 39.4 inches above normal in Buffalo, NY, its third snowiest December. However, this December ranked among the 20 least snowy Decembers on record for seven of the 33 sites that received below-normal snowfall.
Seven major climate sites had one of their 20 least snowy Decembers on record; however, Buffalo, NY, had its third snowiest.