Sheldon, Iowa — December 2018 was slightly warmer than normal, and quite a bit wetter than normal in Sheldon, but the year as a whole was slightly colder.
The highest high recorded this past December was 44 degrees, on December 17th.
The lowest low recorded this past December was recorded on December 29th at -4 degrees. That’s not close to a record, as the record on that date was -20.
The all-time record low for the month is -27, set on December 13th and 14th all the way back in 1901. The all-time record high for the month is 66 degrees, which was set on December 6th in 1939
The average high for December 2018 was 31, and the average low was 15. The average normal high is 30 and low is 11, so December 2018 was near normal. Last year saw an average high of 32, and low of 12.
We received precipitation on 6 days in December that started and ended our month. Normal monthly snowfall is 7.7 inches and this December we received 6.45 inches, 1.25 inches less than normal. On the season, by the end of the month of December, we were 3.25 inches below normal on snowfall.
On the year as a whole, 2018 was 3 degrees colder than the average high, while the average low was just 1 degree colder, while in 2017, the average high was in line with the normal yearly high, but the average low for 2017 was 1 degree warmer than the normal.
Total precipitation for the year 2018 was 22.83 inches above the normal 27.63 inches. In 2017 we were just 2.59 inches above normal for the year, and 2018’s precipitation was nearly double the surplus of each year since 2012.
Early 2019 looks to be pleasant temperature-wise with the 6-10 day outlook calling for above normal temperatures, but above normal precipitation.
