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Record-high temperature logged Saturday in the Mahoning Valley
YOUNGSTOWN
Andrea Jaeger can’t remember the last time she experienced such a mild December.
Jaeger, of Boardman, took advantage of the warm weather Saturday at Boardman Park, where she played with her 4-year-old grandson, Cameron Burgess.
“It’s so, so awesome that in December we can enjoy this. We haven’t seen this in forever,” said Jaeger, helping Cameron cross the monkey bars.
“Forever” isn’t much of a stretch, at least for Saturday’s conditions.
Record high temperatures – all of which surpassed records set more than 60 years ago – were set at various weather centers throughout Northeast Ohio and Northwest Pennsylvania, according to data from the National Weather Service.
At Akron-Canton Regional Airport, a new record of 67 degrees surpassed the previous record for Dec. 12, set in 1899, of 62 degrees. At the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, a record-high temperature of 67 Saturday afternoon broke the previous record of 60, logged on that day in 1949.
Records also were set near Columbus, Toledo, Erie, Pa., and Cleveland, which logged the highest temperature at 70 degrees.
It’s too soon to say how this month compares with other Decembers in history, but so far, the average monthly temperature – 39.9 degrees (through Friday) – and relatively high temperatures logged each day this month indicate that it’s an unusually warm December.
“It’s been warmer than normal, and today [Saturday] is one of those days where it’s really gotten warm,” said Martin Thompson of the National Weather Service in Cleveland.
People in the Valley were out and about at area parks Saturday, enjoying the phenomenon.
Although he admitted he’d like to have some snow, Jonathan Burrows of Columbiana and his canine companion, Galena, enjoyed the day by trekking through most of Boardman Park’s trails.
Mahoning Valley residents have another opportunity to bask in the warmth today, with the forecast predicting partly sunny conditions and a high near 70.
Area residents also can expect to see some precipitation in the near future. The NWS forecasts a chance of rain tonight and Monday, when the high will be 60 degrees and the chance of precipitation is 80 percent.
After Monday, temperatures are forecast to gradually drop – but still be at unseasonably warm levels for a few days, with a high near 47 Tuesday, near 54 Wednesday and near 46 Thursday. The NWS forecasts a chance of showers for Thursday.
Seasonably appropriate temperatures are expected to hit the Youngstown area Thursday night, with a low around 29. The highs forecast for Friday and Saturday are 37 and 33 degrees, respectively.
The warmest December in history in the Mahoning Valley was in 1982, when the average temperature was 40.3 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.