December 2004 Pennsylvania Weather Summary

Dec 1-7

Brisk and windy conditions were felt across the state on Wednesday as a strong cold front pushed across the state. Cool temperatures remained across the Commonwealth on Thursday, December 2 with a mixture of clouds and sun. Another stint of sustained windy conditions greeted Pennsylvania residents Friday morning. A storm system moved through the region on the 5th, but frozen precipitation remained at high altitudes, keeping Pennsylvanians wet. However, temperatures rebounded to nearly 60 degrees following a showery day on the 7th.

Dec 8-13

Damp conditions prevailed for the next six days, with continued mild conditions. Rain across the state accumulated anywhere from a tenth of an inch on the 12th to nearly one inch on the 10th. The soggy conditions then exited off the coast, but cold air came behind the storminess. Air temperatures slightly below average funneled into Pennsylvania from the north allowing for prime lake-effect snow shower development.

Dec 14-17

Areas in the northwest saw a few inches of snow accumulation off of Lake Erie on the 14th and 15th. One the snow machine was turned off by high pressure to the South, pleasant conditions prevailed across the whole state on the 16th and 17th, although slightly chilly.

Dec 18-24

The days before Christmas were somewhat quiet and unusually warm across the Commonwealth, especially on the 23^rd. A large storm system that stirred up the Midwest a few days prior brought rainy conditions to much of the state on Thursday into Friday, Christmas Eve. In some spots in the western part of the state, some wet snow mixed in once the powerful cold front passed to the east.

Dec 25-31

Christmas Day was relatively chilly, with high temperatures across Pennsylvania in the 20s. However, the day after Christmas, much of the Eastern part of the state saw its first measurable snowfall. Areas from the Lehigh valley southward to the suburbs of Philadelphia received up to 2” of snow. Temperatures remained on the cold side the next few days, but by New Year’s Eve, 40s and 50s were common statewide.