Yes, December has been snowier than usual!

Decorah weather observer Richard Bernatz is confirming what all of the rest of us had suspected--this December has been a lot snowier and colder than normal.

Says Bernatz, "Obviously, it's been a winter-like December so far."

He notes that snowfall so far through Friday, December 17th was 19.2 inches.  There are still nearly two weeks left in the month, but even If no more snow falls this December, December of 2010 would rank as the ninth snowiest December out of 114 for which records have been kept. The record for heaviest snowfall for the month of December is 32 inches, occurring in 2000 and 2008.

Bernatz also notes the average temperature through last Friday, December 17th, was 13.4 degrees F, which would make this December the 12th coldest December out of the 114 for which daily temperatures are recorded for the entire month. The coldest December on record is 1985 when the average temperature was 8.45 degrees Fahrenheit.