Winter ended Feb. 29 for those who issue the forecasts and deal in weather statistics and other matters year-in and year-out. And this year they are reporting that the average temperature in Gainesville for the period December 2023-February 2024 (the Meteorological Winter) was 2.9 degrees above normal.
That’s according to the Winter Climate Summary issued this week by the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Peachtree City – and the departure from normal was second only to Atlanta which was 3.8 degrees warmer than usual.
Other data show that the average winter temperature in Gainesville is 43.6 degrees. This year’s was 46.5. The highest reading recorded was 75 on Feb. 28; the lowest was 13 degrees on both Jan. 17 and Jan. 21.
As for rainfall, 20.44 inches were recorded at the Gainesville airport during the three-month period. That’s 6.04 inches above normal. The 3.78 inches that fell January 9 was tops for any day during the period.
To see all of the Winter Climate Summary, click here: Winter 2023-24 Climate Summary (weather.gov)
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The Peachtree City office is responsible for all of north Georgia and parts of central. The rest of the state’s data and forecasts are provided by NWS offices in Tallahassee, Florida, and Jacksonville.)
Nationally, it was the warmest on record (by 3-5 degrees) for large stretches of the country, resulting in temperatures that resembled fall and spring levels, which triggered a lack of wintry precipitation. To read the national summary, click here: Winter 2023-2024 Climate Summary (weather.gov)