December 22-31, 2025

Temperature

Average temperatures were significantly above normal for much of the region (Figure 1). In parts of southern Missouri, temperatures averaged over 15°F above normal for the final week of the year. Much of the region was at least 5-10°F above normal. Anomalies were less pronounced heading north, where temperatures averaged near to slightly above normal across the Canadian borderlands.

Minimum temperatures were most above normal across the south and west (Figure 2). Across western Iowa, Missouri, and Kentucky, minimum temperatures were 10-15°F above normal. Elsewhere, minimum temperatures were generally 5-10°F above normal.

Maximum temperatures were over 20°F above normal across southern Missouri (Figure 3). Across western Iowa, northern and eastern Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky, maximum temperatures were 10-15°F above normal. Departures were less pronounced across the Upper Midwest, where they were near normal to up to 5°F above normal. Springfield, Missouri observed 6 days of temperatures above 70°F, a record for the longest stretch of consecutive 70°F+ days in December in Springfield since records began in 1888. It was also the second most 70°F+ days in Springfield in December, with six total days, tying December of 2021 and just behind the eight 70°F days in December of 1889.

Precipitation/Snowfall/Drought

Precipitation was abundant across the Upper Midwest, where northern Wisconsin and Michigan observed 200-300 percent of normal precipitation (Figure 4). This contrasts with southern Missouri, where no precipitation was observed. Many places in the Ohio River Basin observed roughly 50 percent of normal precipitation. Some of the precipitation was wintry, though the heaviest totals were across the Upper Midwest (Figure 5). A strong low-pressure system that came through December 28-30 brought up to two feet of snow to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP). The same storm system brought wind gusts near 60 mph around Lake Erie, which pushed the water so far eastward that the western edge of the lakebed along Michigan’s coast was exposed, revealing remnants of old piers from the 1800s.

Drought changes were minimal this week. Slight improvements were made across the D2 (severe drought) and D3 (extreme drought) categories (Figure 6). Slight degradations were made across the D0 (abnormally dry) and D1 (severe drought) categories.