Dreary, cold conditions started in December and lingered into January but look by the forecast to be easing.

Last month’s average temperature of 31.7 degrees at Reading Regional Airport, the official National Weather Service station for Berks County, was 4 degrees below normal. A snowfall total of 3.7 inches was recorded in December.

There were also another five days at the airport that a trace of snow was recorded and four other days that only rain was recorded.

All of it added up to only 2.21 inches for the month, 1.30 below normal.

Last month’s average temperature tied with 2017 for 34th coldest of 130 Decembers in the Berks database, and the fifth coldest this century behind 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2002. The other averages were, respectively, 26.5, 30.2, 30.6 and 30.8.

“Temperatures were definitely colder than normal and quite persistently so,” said weather historian Jeffrey R. Stoudt. “The lowest of 11 (degrees) on the 9th was not far from a typical December lowest. But the highest of 61, only slightly below a typical December highest, was somewhat elusive as it came as a brief spike at dawn of the 19th and was accompanied by rain and wind.

“The cold was most persistent during the first half as each of the first 17 days averaged colder than normal and resulted in a running departure of nearly 8 degrees below by then. Some mildness edged in afterward, but those last 14 days were still more cold than mild.

“Beside the spike of 61, only two other days reached 50, both lower 50s and after the 17th. Anomalous and even some record breaking warmth developed west and southwest of the region during these days but could never gain full control. The chill was reluctant to budge.”

Last month was similar to December 2005, which also started extremely cold and moderated some in the second half. It went further. As the calendar changed, there was a significant warm-up in January 2006, which became the fifth-warmest January in the database.

The coldest December is 1989 at 20.6 degrees, way colder than No. 2 in 1917 at a 23.5 average. The temperature database is continuous from 1898, but the weather service recently expanded the database to also include 1888, 1889 and the first two months of 1890.

It’s unclear if the period from March 1890 through 1897 will ever be filled in. The coldest full year in the database is 1904 at 49 degrees, led by a very cold first quarter and December.

The closest any first quarters this century would have approached that consistent deep cold were in 2014 and 2015.

Precipitation-wise last month there was little to discuss.

“One system, during the 13th/14th overnight was all snow that melted to 0.3 inch in the Reading area, which officially had 2.2 inches,” said Stoudt, also a retired meteorologist and founder of the Berks Area Rainfall Networks in 1983.

“The snow began somewhat slushy upon the lower elevations of the Reading area and to the southeast, which limited accumulations below 3 inches, but became powdery later on,” he said. “The snow was powdery from the get-go to the north of Reading and upon higher terrain countywide, resulting in general 3 to 6 inches and even a bit more at a few spots.”

The forecast shows a thaw, with some sunshine and warming conditions over this workweek, with highs near 50 or above starting Wednesday until at least Saturday.

Also, the weather service has calculated the annual average temperature for 2025 at 54.9 degrees. What’s significant about that is that it ties for 16th warmest in the database and the coolest year this decade.

2024 was the warmest year on record at 56.9 degrees, followed by 2023, 1998, 2012 and 1949 at 56.4, 56.4, 56.2 and 56.2, respectively.

Berks December weather

Temperature: 31.7

Normal: 35.7

Precipitation: 2.21 inches

Normal: 3.51 inches

Snowfall: 3.7 inches (season, 3.7)

Records: None

Ice days: 4 (season, 4) (temperature not higher than freezing)

Source: National Weather Service

Precipitation totals from the Berks Area Rainfall Networks in inches/ snow total where available:

• Mohnton, 2.8/NA

• Strausstown, 2.73/11.5

• Elverson NE, 2.58/7.4

• Dryville, 2.57/6.

• Hamburg, 2.55/10.8

• Bernville, 2.5/7.5

• Shartlesville, 2.48/10.5

• Henningsville, 2.47/8.6

• Quaker Hill, 2.47/6.5

• Oley, 2.45/7

• Knauers, 2.43/8

• Shillington, 2.43/3.5

• Lincoln Park, 2.38/3.7

• New Morgan, 2.36/7.7

• Cornwall Terrace, 2.33/4.7

• West Reading, 2.33/NA

• Mohrsville SW, 2.28/3

• Mohrsville SW, 2.27/3.8

• Reading E, 2.26/3.2

• Bechtelsville, 2.25/7

• Oley Furnace, 2.24/NA

• Wyomissing, 2.24/3.6

• Greenfields, 2.21/NA

• Lobachsville, 2.19/5.6

• Vinemont, 2.14/6.4

• Reiffton, 2.08/NA