December was a little warmer and a lot drier than normal, according to data compiled by volunteer weather observer John Beltz.
High temperature for the month was 56 degrees on Dec. 15. There were four days when the high was 50 degrees or warmer, and 19 days when the high temperature was at or above freezing. Average high for the month was 33.8 degrees, compared to the normal average high temperature of 31.4 degrees.
The low temperatures were much warmer than normal. Low for the month was -5 degrees on Dec. 31. Average low temperature was 22 degrees, compared to the normal 13.5 average low temperature.
Snowfall in Jefferson was much less than average for December. Normal is 7.1 inches; only 0.9 inch of snow fell. The largest snowfall was .5 inch on Dec. 27. Christmas wasn’t white in Greene County; there was snow on the ground just seven days during the month.
Beltz also reported rain on three days, for a total precipitation of .84 inch for the month.
Beltz provides each month the total cooling degree days (CDD) and heating degree days (HDD), figures used primarily by utility companies as a way to measure climate needs for cooling or heating. The CDD and HDD is figured by adding the maximum temperature and the minimum temperature, dividing the sum by two, and then subtracting 65. If the answer is a positive number, it is entered as a CDD; if it is negative, it is HDD. For example, on Christmas the high temperature was 33 degrees and the low temperature was 28 degrees: 33+28=61, divided 2 = 30.5, minus 65 = -34.5. There were 34.5 HDD units that day.
For December, Beltz calculated 1149.5 HDD. The average is 1319 for December.
