December 1-7, 2001

The first week of December continued the unseasonably warm streak that began in early November. Temperatures ranged from 12-18°F above normal during the December 1-7 period, with warm conditions occurring throughout the region (Figure 5). A few light clipper systems touched the northern Midwest with a sprinkle of light rain or snow, but only one significant low pressure center moved through the area during the period, on the 5th. Moderate precipitation accompanied the low pressure center itself in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, while more rain fell in the Ohio Valley, where a cold front stalled as the low pulled north to James Bay (Figure 6). Only the northern Midwest had above normal precipitation; the remainder of the region was below normal, even with the stalled front across the Ohio Valley (Figure 7). Because of the warm conditions, very little snow was recorded during the first week of December (Figure 8).