December was a cold and snowy month across the Syracuse area, with an average temperature of 26°, about 4 degrees below normal,  Readings ranged from 58°F on December 19 to 4°F on December 9. Total precipitation reached 4.80 inches of melted snow and rain, about 1.50 inches above normal. Snowfall was exceptional, with 61.1 inches for the month, making it the fourth-snowiest December on record here and the snowiest start to a winter season in 25 years. By the end of the month, seasonal snowfall had climbed to 79 inches, far ahead of the normal 31 inches. A major storm on December 30 brought 24.2 inches in a single day—the second-largest daily snowfall ever recorded in Syracuse, behind 34 inches on February 15, 1946. Winds were also strong, with a peak gust of 55 mph on December 19 as an arctic front passed through, while Whiteface Mountain recorded a 110 mph gust that same day. Despite all that wintry weather, the ground was actually green on Christmas Day—a brief lull in an otherwise harsh December.