Unusual December coming to an end

With a possibility of light snow in west-central Indiana through Friday, the third-longest period without measurable snow seems about to come to an end.

Wednesday marked 284 days between measurable snows in central Indiana, according to the Indianapolis office of the National Weather Service. The last reported measurable snowfall in central Indiana occurred on March 18, tying 2016 for the third-longest period between measurable snows.

The longest period occurred in 1918 at 330 days, according to Weather Service records, while there were 287 days without measurable snow in 2009.

Following 2023 and 2016 at 284 days without measurable snowfall are 1998, 1986 and 1909 with 283 days.

The Weather Service also reports December 2023 as the sixth warmest December on record at 41.7 degrees. This month has seen 16 days of 50 degrees or more, including a seven-day period that ended on Wednesday.

All time, December 2023 trails only 1889 (46.2 degrees), 1877 (45.6), 2015 (42.6), 1923 (42.4) and 2021 (42.1) on the warmest December list.