So far, December has been warmer than normal for most of Texas, and this trend will likely continue for the rest of the month. 

We expect another burst of colder air across Texas for this second weekend of December, but for most of the state, December has started with warmer than average temperatures. According to the Climate Prediction Center, this trend will likely continue for the rest of the month. 

We are in an El Niño pattern, which typically means cooler and wetter than average conditions here at home, but this will continue to affect our weather pattern through the winter and spring seasons. 

The image below is from the Climate Prediction Center and shows most of Texas staying warmer than average for the rest of the month.

Keep in mind that there will still be some cold time as fronts move through the state, but on average, temperatures are expected to stay warmer than normal for this time of year. 

There have been ongoing improvements to the drought across the state, and this trend may continue into the winter and spring with El Niño in place, but a rainy pattern for the rest of the month only looks likely across East Texas.

The lack of color on the image below shows equal chances of above or below normal rainfall for most of the state. 

If we saw green state-wide, I believe there would also be a connection to cooler than normal temperatures, but we aren't. The CPC also hints that drought conditions will persist through December across Central and West Texas.

These areas are currently under the "extreme drought" category, and with a lack of significant rainfall soon, there will likely be an expansion to this or even placement into the next category.

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