Another Slow-Starting Winter

by Russell Russ

November and December typically mean the beginning of winter in Norfolk. Similar to recent years, this winter once again got off to a slow start. The final two months of 2022 were warmer than normal and below normal for snowfall. Each had short periods of winter-like weather, but nothing lasting. Both months ranked fairly high for warmth, and December ranked fairly high for precipitation. Most local small ponds and swamps started icing over in late November and temperatures were just cold enough to keep them frozen through December. Larger water bodies, like Tobey Pond and Wangum Lake, briefly iced over in late December, only to open up again by the end of the month.

November’s average temperature of 41 degrees was 3.9 degrees above normal and ranked as Norfolk’s eighth warmest November over the last 91 years. Temperatures ranged from a high of 71 degrees to a low of 14 degrees. A daily high of 67 degrees on Nov. 12 surpassed the previous 1964 record by one degree. The warmest November was in 2006 with 43.2 degrees; the coldest was in 1933 with 30.7 degrees. Total precipitation for the month was 3.26 inches, 1.32 inches below normal but not high-ranking. Norfolk’s driest November was in 2012 with just 0.84 inch, and the wettest was in 1950 with 10.03 inches. There was just 1.3 inches of snowfall for the month, 5.3 inches below normal. The first snowfall of the season came on Nov. 15, measuring 1.2 inches. Norfolk’s snowiest November was in 1968 with 24.7 inches. 

December’s average temperature of 28.9 degrees was 3.1 degrees above normal, ranking it as Norfolk’s 15th warmest December. Temperatures ranged from a high of 59 degrees to a low of minus 2 degrees. There was one wild temperature swing that month. In the early morning of Dec. 23 the temperature was 52 degrees but only minus 2 degrees the next morning. A high of 59 degrees on Dec. 30 surpassed the 1932 record of 55 degrees for that date. Norfolk’s warmest December was in 2015 with 39.5 degrees, and the coldest was 1989 with 11.5 degrees. The monthly total precipitation of 6.02 inches was 1.45 inches above normal and was tied with December 1936 as the 17th wettest December over the last 91 years. December’s monthly snowfall total of 13.0 inches was 3.8 inches below normal. While some parts of Norfolk may not have had snow, there were two inches of snow on the ground at the weather station on Christmas morning, technically making it a white Christmas this year. Norfolk’s snowiest December was in 1969 with 44.2 inches; the least snowy December was in 1943 with a monthly snowfall total of just 0.6 inch.

Weather observations and record keeping are performed by Russell Russ for the National Weather Service and Great Mountain Forest at Norfolk’s National Weather Service Cooperative Weather Observer Station, Norfolk 2SW.