On Christmas Day, December 25th, the temperature at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole site soared to an all-time record high of 9.9°F (-12.3°C) eclipsing the former record of 7.5°F (-13.6°C) set on December 27, 1978. The low temperature on December 25th was a mild (relatively!) 0°F (-17.8°C). Records at the site began in January 1957. Its elevation is 9,301 feet (2,835 meters).
weatherhistorian, • 9:14 PM GMT on December 29, 2011
One of the most intense storms in recent years carved a path across Western Europe December 15-17th. Named winter-storm ‘Joachim’ (intense extra-tropical storms are named like hurricanes in Europe) the center of the storm passed between France and the United Kingdom and then across the Low Countries and into Northwestern Germany and on to Poland. A peak wind gust of 211 kph (131 mph) was measured at Puy de Dome in Auvergne, France.
weatherhistorian, • 9:14 PM GMT on December 18, 2011
November was a more active month than October so far as global weather extremes were concerned. The biggest story was the great flood of Bangkok in Thailand. Central Europe had its driest November on record. An unprecedented early-season cold wave engulfed the interior of Alaska while a powerful extra-tropical low pressure wreaked havoc in communities along the Bering Sea coast. And…wild flowers bloom in the Atacama Desert, driest place in the world.
weatherhistorian, • 6:00 AM GMT on December 11, 2011
A near record strength high pressure system over the Pacific Northwest slid southeast into the Great Basin on Nov. 30-Dec. 2 creating powerful wind gusts across almost all of the Western states causing considerable damage to many areas. Sustained winds of 148 mph with estimated gusts to 175 mph were recorded on Mammoth Mountain in California’s Sierra Nevada. Herein is a short summary of the wind events.
weatherhistorian, • 5:48 AM GMT on December 04, 2011