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2012: Richmond’s warmest year

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With the final numbers tallied, 2012 is now Richmond’s warmest year on record.  The average temperature for the entire year was 61.11°.  The previous record was 61.04° in 1990.*

The year got off to a warm start with January, February and March being well above normal.  March was close to 10° above normal, and produced an average temperature close to April’s levels.  While there were a few months close to normal, the only month that produced temperatures well below normal was November. 

Listed below is how the year shaped up.  The first number is the “average” temperature calculated from the actual high and low recorded each day.  The second number is the departure from historical monthly normal values.

  • 46.7°    +5.7°    December
  • 46.3°     -4.1°    November
  • 60.4°    +0.7°    October
  • 70.3°     -0.3°    September
  • 78.2°    +0.7°    August
  • 82.7°    +3.4°    July
  • 74.1°     -1.2°    June
  • 70.5°    +4.1°    May
  • 58.5°    +0.3°    April
  • 58.3°    +9.7°    March
  • 44.7°    +3.8°    February
  • 42.6°    +4.7°    January

* Monthly data courtesy of the National Weather Service in Wakefield.  On their site, they list the warmest year on record as 1891 with an average temperature of 61.4°.  They have done further research and feel this number was in error, and that 1990 was the warmest on record prior to 2012.