Despite this, the very mild weather at the end of November continued throughout the first half of December. The daytime maximum didn't fall below 50F between November 27th and December 13th and the temperature didn't fall below freezing until December 16th.

The month started overcast but the 2nd and 3rd were quite sunny as well as mild. The 5th was very mild with 59F recorded, the highest temperature of the month and the temperature didn't fall below 51F on the night of the 4th and 5th. However, an intense depression tracked north-east across the UK on the 8th and brought heavy rain. That would prove to be the wettest day of the month. The weather was to remain mild, wet and unsettled and there were strong winds on the 13th, though another very mild night was recorded on the night of the 11th/12th.

There was a dry interlude in the middle of the month but the weather turned colder from the 15th onwards, which was a sunny day itself but then only 3.1 hours of sunshine was recorded between the 16th and the 24th. No sun at all was recorded between the 18th and the 24th. During this spell there were a few cold nights between the 16th and 19th. There was also thick fog that remained all day on the 18th and for most of the 23rd.

A southward moving cold front ended the fairly settled spell of weather bringing a wet day for the 24th. The next three days were colder but sunnier. Technically a white Christmas was seen on Christmas Day as snow showers were recorded, as they were on Boxing Day. The 27th was very sunniest day of the month but the nights from the 26th to the end of the year were bitterly cold and there was more snow on the 28th. The daytime temperature didn't rise above freezing that day, making the coldest day of the year with regards to daytime temperatures.

The weather turned milder on the 30th and a partial thaw occurred. Then the final day of the year saw snow falling from 2.30pm to 4pm. Around 8.30pm, further snow fell to rain and a total thaw occurred. However, by midnight the rain had stopped and it was dry.

The monthly temperature overall was above average. Daytime temperatures overall were 0.5F below average but night-time values were over 1C above average. It was a month of two halves. The first half was exceptionally mild and it was the warmest first half of a December since 1979. The second half was cold, particularly the final few days, which was very cold between the 26th and the 29th. Sunshine was around average but rainfall was well above average for the fourth consecutive month, making it the second successive wet December, though it wasn't as wet a month as December 1999 was.

Kevin Phillips - 6.40pm - Saturday 6th January 2001.