December 2023 Saint Cloud Weather Summary

Record Warm, Wet December Finishes Top 5 Warmest 2023

December 2023 and Annual 2023 St. Cloud Weather Summary

St. Cloud and all of Minnesota (except Duluth, which finished 2nd) finished its mildest December by far. The St. Cloud December average temperature of 32.1 degrees was 14.3 degrees above average and 3.5 degrees warmer than the previous number 1, set in 1913. Note especially how often the daily low temperature (bottom of the blue column on the December 2023 high-low temperature graph) was warmer than the average high (where green and light red shading meet). 20 of the 31 days, including the last 11 days, were more than 10 degrees above average. I need to double check my numbers, but there were 10 daily record warm temperatures tied or broken, including the third latest 50-degree high ever recorded (53 degree high on December 24). The December 2023 average temperature was warmer than usual for even November or March. All of Minnesota's major climate stations ended up with their warmest December, except for Duluth that finished with the second warmest.

The very warm conditions meant that the 2023 annual average temperature in St. Cloud tied with 1921 for the 4th warmest year in St. Cloud records. The average temperature was 46.2 degrees, 3.3 degrees milder than average. Half of the top 20 (10 of the 19 warmest years) have happened during the recent period of global warming since 1997. Every month, except for March and April was warmer than average with January, May, June, and August through December were significantly warmer than average. June (5th warmest), September (3rd warmest), and December (warmest) all placed within the top 10.

Wettest December by Far

On top of that, December was the wettest December in St. Cloud records by far. The total precipitation of 3.35 inches was nearly 4 times the average amount of 0.88 inch, and broke the December record (set in 2010) by nearly 0.80 inch. That included 1.47 inch on December 24, which broke the daily rainfall record for the entire month of December by 0.40 inch (1.07 inch on December 25, 1893). The rainfall in December was more than an inch higher than the average for the entire winter (Dec-Feb, 2.93 inches).

More Balancing Out of Extremely Dry Warm Season

The major rainfall culminated a partial recovery from the extremely dry late spring through early fall. There were only 10.52 inches of rain in May through September, 7.53 inches below average. At worst, the drought category from the US Drought Monitor had the worst drought classification in north central and southeastern Minnesota (compare two weeks: September 12 and December 26). The dryness was in spite of the end of a record setting snow season in 2022-2023 (9.97 inches January through April, +4.46 inch above average) and was assisted by a catch-up period from October through December (7.24 inches, 2.38 inches above average), despite an 0.08 inch November, the 7th driest November on record. For the entire year, St. Cloud was within an inch of average (27.73 inches).

El Nino Producing Mild Weather Pattern, But With December Rain

The warm weather in December was part of a typical weather pattern produced during an El Nino season, a warmer than average ocean current off the Central America coast and colder than average water off Australia. The cold air has been held off, not only in the Continental US, but also much of North America as a northern steering wind track has been stuck in central Canada to the Alaska Arctic coast for most of the cold season so far. It has been cold, but in northeastern Europe to Siberia. For November, the southern US storm track held most of the moisture well to our south, and the northern storm track remained in Canada, so we were between them, and got very little precipitation. In December, however, a handful of southern stream storms partially merged with a Canadian storm to produce slow-moving central US storms that dumped huge rain amounts. The biggest one was during December 23 through 25 with more than 2 inches of precipitation. The warm conditions meant very little frost in the ground, so much of the water was able to sink in. This is also proof that warm cold seasons during an El Nino year are a safe forecast from Minnesota westward, but precipitation is more difficult to predict.

Warm Season Warmth Part of Extreme Heat to South, Producing Air Quality Issues at Time

The warm and dry warm season still was merely a small taste of the extreme heat over the South and Southwest for much of the summer. The occasional penetration of the heat allowed St. Cloud to top 90 degrees 24 times, the 11th most 90-degree days in St. Cloud records. This was the most 90-degree days since the 33 days set in the last severely hot and dry summer in 1988. Despite several forecasts and occasional leaps to 100 degrees in the Minnesota River Valley and southwestern Minnesota, St. Cloud didn't duplicate the 101 degree high temperature on June 14, 2022. That was only the 4th 100-degree day since 1988 and the 11th since 1950. Still, 90's extended from May through October, including the hottest October high on record.

The dryness extended across most of the Plains, including the Canadian Plains. This led to one of the worst fire seasons in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, northern Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Frequently, that air was blown into the northern US with several smoke outbreaks in Minnesota from May through the summer. The worst air quality came during air quality alerts on May 18 and June 14.

Not Cold So Far

The persistent warmth so far this cold season has not allowed a low colder than 3 degrees on November 28. On average, St. Cloud would have 10 or 11 days with a low of zero or colder by now. This is the slowest start to sub-zero lows in St. Cloud since 1954-1955 (that season produced 39 days with a low of zero or colder and 4 days of -20 or colder during the rest of its cold season). So, it is possible that very cold air gets held in the arctic and is let loose over the US later in the year. On the other hand, the large area of warmer than average ocean water will make it difficult for such cold air to build up. So, extreme cold isn't likely for very long the rest of the winter. Still, there have been at least 10 days with a low of zero or colder in every recorded St. Cloud winter. Every year since 2001-2002 has produced at least one low of -10 or colder.

Not Snowy So Far

The warm conditions in December meant that only 3.1 inches of snow fell during the month, less than half of the 6.9 inch average. For the season, the total of 5.7 inches is the 17th lowest start to the snow season through December. What's more unusual is the lack of snow cover. In the average year, St. Cloud begins a nearly three-month period with at least an inch of snow cover on December 10. The last year when the snow cover streak didn't begin until January was during the 2011-2012 winter when only 33 straight days of snow cover began on January 15. That year ended up producing only 27.4 inches of snow. 2006-2007 also had a late date for the steady snow cover, January 16, and ended up with 31.8 inches.

Last Updated: January 4, 2024