LaVale MD Monthly Weather Stats - December 1992 Max Min Liquid Ice & Special Date Temp Temp Precip Snow Obs 1 42 25 2 37 24 0.04 T 3 37 27 0.03 0.1 4 35 25 0.21 T S 5 34 22 0.07 1.0 6 32 20 7 33 31 8 33 25 9 38 24 10 33 25 2.80 20.0 11 36 32 0.64 3.5 S 12 38 32 0.01 T 13 39 26 14 44 19 15 36 23 16 34 30 0.17 17 40 33 0.58 F 18 36 26 19 37 28 20 43 31 0.04 21 40 24 22 48 32 23 47 24 0.04 24 24 18 T 0.2 25 36 12 26 36 11 27 30 10 28 32 27 0.20 0.2 F,G 29 36 32 F 30 63 36 31 65 37 0.01 Total 38.5 25.5 4.84 25.0 32.0 (mean temp) NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS - DECEMBER 1992 2-3: Wet snow showers. Most of it melted on contact with only 0.1" on the 3rd. 4: A period of evening showers mixed with sleet. 5: A morning snow squall with 1.0" falling, then clearing and cold. 10: A heavy wet snow began prior to dawn and continued all day. The snow fell moderately to heavily all day long and piled up to a whopping 20 inches by 10 pm when it finally began to taper off. This unusually heavy snow set a new all-time daily snowfall record, and would remain a record for the month of December. It melted down to a hefty 2.80" of liquid precipitation, which also set a new December record. 11: Overnight showers of snow, sleet and rain. Little additional snowfall. Thunder was observed in Cumberland overnight. During the day, wet snow showers resumed along with gusty NE winds with another 3.5" falling for a storm total of 23.5", the heaviest snow storm ever in December in the 2nd heaviest to date, with only the Ash Wednesday storm of 1962 dropping more (25 inches fell from that one). An unusually strong Nor' Easter was responsible for all of the heavy snow and precipitation. Winds gusted over hurricane force along and near the east coast, causing lots of wind damage and flooding from heavy rains and coastal water rises. Also, a state record of 42 inches was recorded, unofficially, at Piney Dam in eastern Garrett Co. Definitely a storm for the ages!!! 17: Steady rain in the morning .58" fell. Surprisingly, this set a daily precip record. 24: Cold with AM snow showers, light accumulations (0.2"). 27: Cold low 10 F was the monthly low temperature. 28: Cold with a steady freezing rain that froze on everything with 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch of sheer ice, causing many accidents in the area, including on I-68. 30: Major warm-up with a high of 63 F. 31: Very warm high 65 F. All of the snow and ice melted. Light drizzle fell. MONTHLY SUMMARY December 1992 was highlighted by the massive Nor' Easter on the 10th-11th, one of the greatest storms of the century. 23.5" of snow fell here, with 34 inches piling up in Frostburg and 42 inches at Piney Dam near the top of Big Savage Mountain. Except for the final two days when temperatures spiked up into the mid 60s, temperatures were on the cool side all month. Frequent freezing and thawing of the near 2-foot snow pack led to a layer of ice that helped protect further snowmelt and kept it on the ground for a white Christmas. A nuisance ice storm hit the area on the 28th, catching many drivers by surprise with a coating of black ice resulting on many accidents. The persistent cold weather came to an abrupt end on the final two days, with 65 on New Year's Eve. Additional notes/records 10: ALL-TIME daily record snowfall 20.0". This record was later broken in the same season (on March 13, 1993) and again on Jan. 7, 1996, but still stands as a daily snowfall record for December. 10: The heavy wet snow melted down to 2.80" of precipitation. This also stands as an all-time daily record for December. 11: An additional 0.64" of precip and 3.5" of snow for a storm total of 23.5", the 2nd greatest snowstorm on record to date. 17: Daily record 0.58" of precipitation. December 1992 was the 2nd snowiest December on record with 25.0" of snowfall.