December Was One Of Warmest

SEBRING - Last week's cold snap aside, Highlands County's temperatures were anything but winter-like since December.

In fact, as we go through at least another three days of highs reaching 80 degrees, records from the National Weather Service indicated that Avon Park had the sixth warmest December since 1893. The average temperature in the City of Charm last month was 68.4 degrees, 5.8 degrees above the December average of 62.6.

The mercury at the Archbold Biological Station south of Lake Placid did not stay as high up from the average mark, but still was 4.7 degrees higher at 67.1, above the station's 62.4 average. For Archbold, this is the fourth highest average since 1969. The NWS holds no data for Sebring.

Meteorologist Ernie Jillson described the warm weather as "significant," at least meteorologically speaking, though he didn't go so far as to say it would have any negative effects on the area not already being caused by the lack of rainfall. He blamed the temperatures on the ongoing La Niña effect, a cooling of the Pacific Ocean that would bring warmer, drier weather to Florida.

The heat does make things somewhat worse for fire threats, according to Tim Elder, the area forest supervisor of the Florida Division of Forestry.

"When it's combined with drought conditions, it has a multiplier effect," he said. Fuel for a potential fire, such as dead leaves and undergrowth, dries out more quickly.

Interestingly, some air conditioning businesses are also feeling the heat, because the area is near the perfect temperature for most homeowners to leave their windows open.

"The weather is nice," said Kathy Juliano of Juliano Air Conditioning in Sebring. She said that she and her sales representatives noticed their business slow down considerably compared to earlier winters. "We can open our windows, so even though it's warmer than it would be, the AC's are not struggling to cool, if they're running it at all."