Karl Bohnak, Journal contributor

Since autumn began, temperatures across Upper Michigan have been predominately above average. September was the warmest autumnal month against average–over four degrees above normal.

There wasn’t a freezing temperature at the National Weather Service site near Negaunee until October 11, and there wasn’t a low temperature in the 20s until October 29th!.

Since then, only two mornings–December 2nd and this past Tuesday–had low temperatures below 10 degrees. Often, the temperature will plunge to zero or below as December unfolds. One of the coldest twelfth months occurred 40 years ago in 1983.

First of all, it snowed. A total of 28.5 inches fell at the Weather Service between December 14 and 16. Afterward, arctic cold settled in. The temperature fell below zero for 11 consecutive nights, with the coldest, the night of December 20th.

Iron Mountain’s temperature crashed to 23 below, while the National Weather Service hit 28 below–the coldest December night in the last 60+ years. In Ironwood, the low of minus 36 was the coldest December temperature in over 120 years of record-keeping.

All in all, there were 14 days with lows of zero or below at the National Weather Service in December 1983.

Extreme cold is not likely before December 2023 concludes. In fact, it will be an exceptionally warm Christmas, with temperatures running over 20 degrees above average. It also looks like a good chance of rain. Slow cooling will follow for the rest of Christmas week, but temperatures should still linger much above the long-term normal.