First Alert Weather In-Depth: Is the warm weather heading our way rare for December?

 ROCHESTER, N.Y. — After a chilly past few days, things are expected to warm up in a big way through Saturday afternoon.

Highs on Friday reached near 50 degrees and highs on Saturday will be close to record breaking warmth. We are not expected to break the record of 63 set back in 1966, but we will be close. Highs Saturday afternoon will reach the mid and upper 50s, and some will hit that 60 degree mark if some sun breaks through some cloud cover.

With the mild weather, folks at home might be thinking that this is unusual for December as it should be cold and snowy! However, the statistics say otherwise.

December is definitely known for colder weather and snow across our region, but from time to time the weather pattern will bring us a stretch of warmer weather. With the warmer weather, we will see very mild weather with temperatures in the 50s and 60s. Believe it or not, we do usually average a few warm days in December!

On average, we usually average about three days within the month of December in which our high temperature reaches 50 degrees or warmer. Not persistent, but it definitely occurs, and it occurred a bunch in 2015.

December of 2015 has the record for the most 50 degree days in Rochester with a total of 16 — over half the month. Not fun for snow fans. As far as 60 degrees, it’s a little more rare as we only average about one day in December in which with hit or surpass that mark. However, in December of 1982 it was common, as that month had a stretch in which we hit the 60 degree mark nine times.

Enjoy the warmth ahead through Saturday though, because things are expected to get knocked back closer to average — with highs in the 30s and 40s after Sunday’s cold front.