Docile December

December weather in the Lake Almanor Basin was relatively mild when compared to historic averages or to the wild weather impacting other parts of the nation.

The west shore accumulated 18 inches of snowfall during the month, bringing our season total to 32 inches, or 86 percent of the long-term average accumulation at this point in the season.

We also received some cold rain, which when combined with the water content of the snowfall added 4.19 inches of total precipitation at the Prattville monitoring site.

The season accumulation at the end of the month was 8.75 inches, or 73 percent of the long-term average.

For the most part, our temperatures were on the mild side. Our average monthly low temperature was nearly 3 degrees above the long-term average while our average monthly high temperature was slightly less than 2 degrees warmer.

Still, the Chester airport site recorded a bone chilling morning low of 9 degrees late in the month.

A typical January in the basin remains cold with additional rainfall and considerable additional snowfall expected.