Pattern December Doldrums 2025 🎄 ❄️

[Drizzle Snizzle]

All I will say is, if you like warm winters, fine. But you're in the wrong place trying to fanboy that. This is a southern weather forum where the majority of the people want cold and snow etc. Rooting for warm weather and trolling the board is weirdo behavior. Which I don't know why you would want to be here if those are your feelings anyways? There's nothing fun to track or discuss when it's 60 and 70 degrees during winter. Literally nothing. Why do you think the board goes almost dormant during the summer outside of tropical weather tracking. Just my opinion

Well I guess you could track severe weather when its in the 60s and 70s in winter. That can be fun.

 

[Twister]

All I will say is, if you like warm winters, fine. But you're in the wrong place trying to fanboy that. This is a southern weather forum where the majority of the people want cold and snow etc. Rooting for warm weather and trolling the board is weirdo behavior. Which I don't know why you would want to be here if those are your feelings anyways? There's nothing fun to track or discuss when it's 60 and 70 degrees during winter. Literally nothing. Why do you think the board goes almost dormant during the summer outside of tropical weather tracking. Just my opinion

Is that you Dr CAD? You right it's a weather forum and winter is NOT all there is to weather. So us warm weather lovers have just as much right to want what we want just as much as you Snow weenies

 

[CaryWx]

I'm still not yet convinced I'm going to see 70 degrees outside over Christmas. AN? sure.

 

[olhausen]

No we "All" are not. Just because it's winter doesn't mean EVERYONE wants winter weather. That's exactly why anyone in here should be able to pull for warm weather in winter if they do please to

Yeah 99% of the people on here during this time of year want cold weather and snow. Nothing wrong with not liking cold, but I’d compare it to a Mets fan hanging out on a Braves forum predicting they are gonna suck for 6 months.

 

[Arcc]

12z GFS highs for Christmas Day



Enjoy these kind of gorgeous days while you have them before the mosquitoes wake up from their winter slumber

View attachment 179073

I think you actually mean, "Enjoy this "day" before the mosquitoes wake up."

 

[GaWx]

Yeah 99% of the people on here during this time of year want cold weather and snow. Nothing wrong with not liking cold, but I’d compare it to a Mets fan hanging out on a Braves forum predicting they are gonna suck for 6 months.

I agree with the 99% or so wanting snow, but it doesn’t seem to be nearly as high with the cold, itself, even though snow obviously requires it. Several like Brick often say they don’t like dry cold and thus prefer warmth to that. So, I could see it being more like 99% want snow, but only, say, 2/3 want cold if there isn’t also snow to go along with it.

 

[CaryWx]

No we "All" are not. Just because it's winter doesn't mean EVERYONE wants winter weather. That's exactly why anyone in here should be able to pull for warm weather in winter if they do please to

That post makes no sense here. While people can do as they please with wishing in weather. This thread by all practical matter of its existence is for tracking winter weather in December.

 

[NCSNOW]

Yes, once the Aleutian ridge broke down, cold quickly came East in waves. The mid-south was hit first, then each successive front spread cold further East. Here in East Tn imby, after shorts and t-shirts (70) on New Years, snow ended up falling on 17 days in January and we got 18 inches of snow for the month. I'm not sure when this Aleutian high formed, but it seems like it's been around at least for the last week. So with luck, we are around 4 weeks or less from it breaking down. That would hopefully give us a good window in the heart of winter (Jan 15th-Feb 15th). Snow also fell on multiple days in February with 14 inches just before Valentine's Day. That one ended winter, and everyone was ready for it to be over after the month of cold and snow events.

Not in anyway saying we'll see a 1985 again, but this pattern won't last forever and we may have a grim few weeks if you love cold, but once it breaks, winter may roar back, especially if we get it to break down around the 30 day mark as they average doing.

You got me digging for more info: Great post by the way: Thanks


AI Overview



+2



December 1984 in North Carolina was unseasonably warm, a period often referred to as "
June in December" due to highly unusual weather patterns. This mild weather directly preceded the historic and record-shattering cold wave that struck in January 1985.

Weather Summary

• Temperatures: The month was characterized by significantly above-normal temperatures across the state. Many locations in eastern North Carolina reported temperatures exceeding 70°F during the latter half of the month, with only minor cool-downs on December 23rd and 26th.
• Precipitation: While specific totals require a more detailed climate report, the overall atmospheric pattern was controlled by a displaced jet stream, which blocked the inflow of typical colder, winter air.
• Snow and Ice: The state saw below-normal snowfall for the entire 1984-1985 winter season, with only one or two minor events. Any precipitation in December was generally rain, given the warm temperatures.

Context
The unseasonable warmth in December 1984 was a meteorological precursor to one of the most severe weather events in state history: the January 1985 North American cold wave. The build-up of cold air in the Arctic was suddenly released, sending temperatures plummeting in January and setting numerous all-time record lows across North Carolina, including the state record of -34°F at Mount Mitchell.

 

[NCSNOW]

Greensboro: Multiple nickel/dime events Jan 1985

Climatological Data for Greensboro Area, NC (ThreadEx) - January 1985
Click column heading to sort ascending, click again to sort descending.

1985-01-01	75	46	60.5	20.4	4	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-02	65	48	56.5	16.5	8	0	0.70	0.0	0
1985-01-03	48	32	40.0	0.0	25	0	1.37	0.0	0
1985-01-04	38	32	35.0	-4.9	30	0	0.60	0.0	0
1985-01-05	42	26	34.0	-5.8	31	0	T	T	0
1985-01-06	46	22	34.0	-5.7	31	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-07	53	32	42.5	2.8	22	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-08	45	30	37.5	-2.1	27	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-09	40	24	32.0	-7.5	33	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-10	30	27	28.5	-11.0	36	0	T	T	0
1985-01-11	47	25	36.0	-3.5	29	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-12	37	22	29.5	-9.9	35	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-13	46	22	34.0	-5.4	31	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-14	46	20	33.0	-6.4	32	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-15	36	19	27.5	-11.9	37	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-16	41	15	28.0	-11.4	37	0	T	T	0
1985-01-17	36	28	32.0	-7.4	33	0	0.20	0.5	T
1985-01-18	44	24	34.0	-5.4	31	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-19	49	32	40.5	1.1	24	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-20	36	-6	15.0	-24.5	50	0	0.06	0.5	T
1985-01-21	21	-8	6.5	-33.0	58	0	0.00	0.0	T
1985-01-22	35	4	19.5	-20.1	45	0	0.00	0.0	T
1985-01-23	40	12	26.0	-13.6	39	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-24	47	18	32.5	-7.2	32	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-25	50	24	37.0	-2.8	28	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-26	33	17	25.0	-14.8	40	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-27	39	13	26.0	-13.9	39	0	0.05	T	0
1985-01-28	33	30	31.5	-8.5	33	0	0.31	4.1	T
1985-01-29	36	24	30.0	-10.1	35	0	0.00	0.0	4
1985-01-30	40	28	34.0	-6.3	31	0	0.00	0.0	2
1985-01-31	43	34	38.5	-1.9	26	0	1.05	0.0	T
Sum	1317	716	-	-	992	0	4.34	5.1	-
Average	42.5	23.1	32.8	-6.9	-	-	-	-	0.2
Normal	49.3	30.1	39.7	-	784	0	3.39	2.9

 

[Jimmy Hypocracy]

we’ve got to at least begin the process of dislodging that Aleutian ridge or else..it’s just going to be one big pacific burp in your face during peak winter season..and that’s really all I’ve got

 

[GaWx]

Natural gas is down still another 3% today making it a total of a whopping 29% just since the high of Dec 4th!

 

[GaWx]

Euro Weeklies remain largely unchanged from previous days.

 

[John1122]

we’ve got to at least begin the process of dislodging that Aleutian ridge or else..it’s just going to be one big pacific burp in your face during peak winter season..and that’s really all I’ve got

View attachment 179084

It's going to be a while. 33 days is average, some last longer. We likely still have at least 3 or 4 weeks to go but that puts us in early to mid Jan, which is the beginning of prime snow climo for most of the South.

 

[NCSNOW]

Wow at the latest CFS: Starts Cooking 12/28 and gets it rolling Bigly rest of run. 180 degree turn. Awesome Block sets up over Greenland and stays anchored

 

[GaWx]

This afternoon’s walk was another pleasant one due to still pretty dry air (dewpoints mid 30s), blue skies, and light winds though it was ~20 warmer (60 vs 40). So, though it was pleasant, it felt better and more invigorating yesterday.

 

[Tarheel1]

I’m hearing that MJO is stil in phase 8, but other factors are overwhelming that piece of the winter pie

 

[NCHighCountryWX]

 

[ragtop50]

Greensboro: Multiple nickel/dime events Jan 1985

Climatological Data for Greensboro Area, NC (ThreadEx) - January 1985
Click column heading to sort ascending, click again to sort descending.

1985-01-01	75	46	60.5	20.4	4	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-02	65	48	56.5	16.5	8	0	0.70	0.0	0
1985-01-03	48	32	40.0	0.0	25	0	1.37	0.0	0
1985-01-04	38	32	35.0	-4.9	30	0	0.60	0.0	0
1985-01-05	42	26	34.0	-5.8	31	0	T	T	0
1985-01-06	46	22	34.0	-5.7	31	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-07	53	32	42.5	2.8	22	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-08	45	30	37.5	-2.1	27	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-09	40	24	32.0	-7.5	33	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-10	30	27	28.5	-11.0	36	0	T	T	0
1985-01-11	47	25	36.0	-3.5	29	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-12	37	22	29.5	-9.9	35	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-13	46	22	34.0	-5.4	31	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-14	46	20	33.0	-6.4	32	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-15	36	19	27.5	-11.9	37	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-16	41	15	28.0	-11.4	37	0	T	T	0
1985-01-17	36	28	32.0	-7.4	33	0	0.20	0.5	T
1985-01-18	44	24	34.0	-5.4	31	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-19	49	32	40.5	1.1	24	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-20	36	-6	15.0	-24.5	50	0	0.06	0.5	T
1985-01-21	21	-8	6.5	-33.0	58	0	0.00	0.0	T
1985-01-22	35	4	19.5	-20.1	45	0	0.00	0.0	T
1985-01-23	40	12	26.0	-13.6	39	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-24	47	18	32.5	-7.2	32	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-25	50	24	37.0	-2.8	28	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-26	33	17	25.0	-14.8	40	0	0.00	0.0	0
1985-01-27	39	13	26.0	-13.9	39	0	0.05	T	0
1985-01-28	33	30	31.5	-8.5	33	0	0.31	4.1	T
1985-01-29	36	24	30.0	-10.1	35	0	0.00	0.0	4
1985-01-30	40	28	34.0	-6.3	31	0	0.00	0.0	2
1985-01-31	43	34	38.5	-1.9	26	0	1.05	0.0	T
Sum	1317	716	-	-	992	0	4.34	5.1	-
Average	42.5	23.1	32.8	-6.9	-	-	-	-	0.2
Normal	49.3	30.1	39.7	-	784	0	3.39	2.9

Those January 20-21 negative lows in 1985 I remember well. It was record cold statewide, stuff froze that normally doesn't around here.

 

[BrickTamland]

View attachment 179090View attachment 179091

I'm dreaming of a sweaty Christmas...

 

[Brent]

View attachment 179090View attachment 179091

It's gonna be interesting I guess to see how warm we actually get

80/64 is the all times for December. 80 has only happened three times ever in December here

73/51 for Christmas is the records

I dont think Tulsa will be hitting 80(much easier to our southwest) but.... Well see

Might as well sort of embrace it at this point. Nothing we can do about it

At least it's not July and we're talking about 120 degree heat indexes. It could always be worse

 

[iGRXY]

Is that you Dr CAD? You right it's a weather forum and winter is NOT all there is to weather. So us warm weather lovers have just as much right to want what we want just as much as you Snow weenies

Dr. CAD here already told you, you can spew all that warm weather loving nonsense that you want. But don’t cry about people telling you you’re a troll and weirdo. Really that simple

 

[weather bubba]

Wow at the latest CFS: Starts Cooking 12/28 and gets it rolling Bigly rest of run. 180 degree turn. Awesome Block sets up over Greenland and stays anchored

View attachment 179089

That's the best look I've seen for cold air in the Southeast in days. I hope the CFS is on to a pattern change that isn't being picked up elsewhere. It would lighten and brighten the mood in this forum if we saw more signs of winter not being dead until mid January at the earliest.

 

[BullCityWx]

This afternoon’s walk was another pleasant one due to still pretty dry air (dewpoints mid 30s), blue skies, and light winds though it was ~20 warmer (60 vs 40). So, though it was pleasant, it felt better and more invigorating yesterday.

It was 28 as I walked across Cornell’s campus and I’m with you - so much better than summer

 

[NCSNOW]

That's the best look I've seen for cold air in the Southeast in days. I hope the CFS is on to a pattern change that isn't being picked up elsewhere. It would lighten and brighten the mood in this forum if we saw more signs of winter not being dead until mid month at the earliest.

To be honest , the 1st glimpse any of us get of a pattern change will come via way of a determistic model. Or perhaps individual panels themselves off ensembles.

The ensembles themselves that are representative of the means from their indy members, want be the 1st to call the shot.

However, once we start seeing some shots called by the determistic models. They will be dismissed until the ensemble means agree, confirm. Aka give the determistic models legitimatacy.

 

[demiguez87]

Yeah 99% of the people on here during this time of year want cold weather and snow. Nothing wrong with not liking cold, but I’d compare it to a Mets fan hanging out on a Braves forum predicting they are gonna suck for 6 months.

Yes, I agree with you.
Its sofrustrating at the amount of posts telling people to move somewhere else if they expect cold. Even average temperatures across the south are mild to cool during december... not 70 degrees. Chastising people for not being excited about AN or MAN temps when its supposed to be in the 50s is unreasonable. Same could be said for those who enjoy warmth. You want warm in december ? Move to Miami. Just spent this past week there and it was in the mid 80s and raining. No thanks.

We get hot 70% of the year, hot is fine in summer, i want heat in summer. But in winter I want it to be what its supposed to be; which generally speaking is not 70 degrees on christmas for most of our forum.

In the end, none of us can control it, but those posters telling people to move is unhelpful discussion.

 

[NCSNOW]

I'm dreaming of a sweaty Christmas...

You watch them Bluedevils on tv, while sitting around in those baby blue pajamas Santa puts in your stocking, you gone be sweating alot harder than you will be under that big orange oval shape way up in the sky.

Welcome back Brick!

 

[BrickTamland]

You watch them Bluedevils on tv, while sitting around in those baby blue pajamas Santa puts in your stocking, you gone be sweating alot harder than you will be under that big orange oval shape way up in the sky.

Welcome back Brick!

 

[Rain Cold]

The end of the 18z GFS is about the biggest kick in the grapefruits you could draw up.

 

[NBAcentel]

Ummm is this a heat release at 850mb in December from the Southern plains ? Looks like something straight out of late May minus the convection on the gradient

 

[Snowfan]

Ummm is this a heat release at 850mb in December from the Southern plains ? Looks like something straight out of late May minus the convection on the gradient View attachment 179093

Not that often you see 20 C 850 mb temperatures in December.

 

[Tarheel1]

Can’t wait to ring in the New Year in my banana hammock!

 

[Tarheel1]

Also, took this last night, kind of a weird cloud at night

 

[TriplePhaser]

Originally we were supposed to have a sustained torch on Christmas week but models have shifted it west towards the central US. Now we are looking at a few CAD's for the southeast(a few cold/dry days here and there) and clippers for New England(where the trough will be sustained). The reason being a retrograding Scand-Greenland ridge and a west-based Alutian ridge keeping the Northeast and at least parts of the Great Lakes away from the torch!

 

[ChrisAMB]

Florence, SC is still running -8.8 for the month and data hasn't updated yet for the BN day we've had today yet. Do we finish the month above average? At least right now NBM has 3 of the next 7 days BN. Some warm days ahead for sure but it doesn't scream heat wave. As a tidbit, it's headed below freezing again tonight which will make 9 straight days with below freezing lows.

 

[Tarheel1]

Even during Torchmas, the wether is still always interesting up here!

 

[GoDuke]

Big JB!

 

[NBAcentel]

This is the first southern stream bowling ball I’ve seen on model output in a long long time

 

[BrickTamland]

Can’t wait to ring in the New Year in my banana hammock! View attachment 179094

Pics?

 

[Rain Cold]

This is the first southern stream bowling ball I’ve seen on model output in a long long timeView attachment 179098

Given the 850s, raindrops will be burned alive on their way to the ground.

 

[GaWx]

The radiational cooling in much of the SE has been quite impressive the last 4 hours!