Anybody remember December 1989?

[Anonymous]

It has been quite cold and snowy this December. I remember a December when it got very cold and snowy too, back in 1989. Then January and February were quite mild and rainy.


This December has become very cold and snowy. If we get an Arctic outbreak late in the month, might that not mean that Jan thru Mar will be mild and rainy (or mild and dry)?


Let the Debate begin!!!!!!


-Waterlogged JEB (I'm about to get a LOT more Waterlogged lol)

[Stormsfury]

It has been quite cold and snowy this December. I remember a December when it got very cold and snowy too, back in 1989. Then January and February were quite mild and rainy.

This December has become very cold and snowy. If we get an Arctic outbreak late in the month, might that not mean that Jan thru Mar will be mild and rainy (or mild and dry)?

Let the Debate begin!!!!!!

-Waterlogged JEB (I'm about to get a LOT more Waterlogged lol)

Jeb, 'tis might not be a good idea to bring up 1990 ... or the similarities of 2000-2001 ...

But seriously, December 1989 in Charleston was the 3rd coldest December of record at that time, and brought the unusual (and last significant snowstorm) to the South Carolina Coast.

Here's some of the differences though ...

November-December 2000 was extremely cold ... and in fact, Charleston's coldest December EVER on record (since 1930) ... However, 2001 January-March ended up being much above normal.

Both years 1989-1990 and 2000-2001 were during solar maximas ... we are not in a solar maxima now (with the exception of the solar flares), the solar flux indices have been on the decline as we head towards a minimum. Secondly, this past November was not, by any means, cold ... in fact, very warm across the East ...

My thoughts still stand with the variability this winter with a lot of flip-flopping between warm and cold periods throughout the winter ...

[senorpepr]

Hmmm... December of '89. The coldest month on record for Kansas City. As a matter of fact, the coldest temperature recorded for KC was on December 22-23, 1989. -23°F.

[Fishmn]

I was a sophmore in college in Unity Maine. It got wicked cold after Thanksgiving and thru December. Most nights were in the -10 to -25F range with daytime highs around 10F. Lots of snow in Dec but not many storms over 4" after that, but we had good snowpack all winter.

[polarbear]

The temperature at the Greater Cincinnati International Airport dropped to -20°F on the morning of December 22, 1989. This became the coldest low temperature ever recorded for the month of December. Other sub zero record lows were set on three consecutive days in 1989 in December, on the 16th, 17th and 18th.

[Miss Mary]

I remember that December well. We had moved into a new house the previous February. We had come from a condo with a heat pump and concrete slab first floor (under carpeting of course). We were so happy to be finally warm. But yikes, those temps. The lowest it got down to was -21 I believe in Cincinnati. My in-laws were up from Florida and staying with us for a week then. They just about froze. Hadn't been used to such harsh temps in years, although they both grew up here. I remember my father-in-law walking in the door one of those frigid days with a case full of Duraflame logs. He said "we're getting a fire going and keeping one going until it warms up!".

Mary

[Wannabewxman79]

I lived in Wilmington, NC in Dec. of 1989 and that was the only white Christmas I have ever had in my life. It snowed for 2 whole days and we had 15 inches of snow. That was the most on record there I believe. Also, the coldest temp on record in Wilmington, NC was Christmas morning of '89. It got down to 0 F. Ah the good old days of youth, but I do remember how cold it was that month and how mild the rest of the winter was.

[vbhoutex]

Yep, I remember it well!!! The temps were below freezing Houston for 3 days straight!!! A record to say the least. Talk about a big freaking mess!!!! Plumbing companies were set for years after that with all the frozen pipes!!!! People learned after that to wrap their pipes so they wouldn't freeze. That was the last hurrah for the winter season though with nothing near that for the rest of winter that year.

[NEwxgirl]

It has been quite cold and snowy this December. I remember a December when it got very cold and snowy too, back in 1989. Then January and February were quite mild and rainy.


This December has become very cold and snowy. If we get an Arctic outbreak late in the month, might that not mean that Jan thru Mar will be mild and rainy (or mild and dry)?


Let the Debate begin!!!!!!


-Waterlogged JEB (I'm about to get a LOT more Waterlogged lol)

1989-90, an ENSO neutral winter, following a strong La Nina. Already not a good match.

[Anonymous]

It has been quite cold and snowy this December. I remember a December when it got very cold and snowy too, back in 1989. Then January and February were quite mild and rainy.


This December has become very cold and snowy. If we get an Arctic outbreak late in the month, might that not mean that Jan thru Mar will be mild and rainy (or mild and dry)?


Let the Debate begin!!!!!!


-Waterlogged JEB (I'm about to get a LOT more Waterlogged lol)

1989-90, an ENSO neutral winter, following a strong La Nina. Already not a good match.

I am very, very glad to hear that. I am immensely enjoying all the winter storms and am looking forward to the Big Arctic Outbreak and I just wanted to be prepared for it if our nice snowy winter suddenly metamorphosed into a mild, wet winter of 2004.

I am MOST thankful that this winter is no way, shape, or form, analogous to 1989-90. Because I am looking forward to very frigid conditions this winter along with lots of snow to shovel. You may see me complain about too much rain, but you will NEVER see me complain about too much snow!!! Even if we had eight feet of snow, I would still be fervently praying for MORE SNOW!!!!

When it comes to snow and cold and drifting, enough is NEVER enough for me!!!

Thank God this will in no way be a mild winter! I want ice-age frigid cold and feet of snow and high winds to blow the snow all over the place and cut my visibility to zero, for days.


-Waterlogged Jeb