December was the second warmest in Philadelphia since 1872

The not-so-white Christmas wasn’t normal; the month was also drier than normal.

Climate change will bring warmer and wetter weather to Philadelphia. Although the increased temperatures aligned with trends, it was also a drier month.

The average December temperature was 45.3°, which was 6.7° above normal. The temperature made it the second warmest December on record since 1872, with the warmest being 2015. Winter is the fastest-warming season in Pennsylvania, according to Climate Matters.

The 1.64 inches of precipitation for December was only 41% of the normal amount compared to data from 1991-2020.

Photo by Chris Henry on Unsplash

Julie Hancher

Julie Hancher is the co-founder and Executive Director of Green Philly, an independent media organization making sustainability accessible, affordable and actionable. Since launching Green Philly in 2008, she has grown it from a passion project into a leading voice for local climate storytelling, pairing impactful journalism with community events and experiences. Julie is a frequent speaker on climate, media innovation and the future of local journalism, and is the creator of SustainPHL and EcoFair. Outside of Green Philly, you can find her hiking, biking, traveling, or exploring Philadelphia.