December in Bend continued a yearlong trend of being warmer and drier than normal.

Every month in 2020, except March, had warmer temperatures, and seven of the months had less precipitation than usual, according to the National Weather Service office in Pendleton.

Despite the hot and dry trend, 2020 was not significantly warmer than most years, said Rob Brooks, a meteorologist at the weather service. The average yearly temperature for the region is about 62 degrees, and 2020 averaged 66 degrees, Brooks said.

“We had our warm spots and it was a little above at times,” Brook said. “I wouldn’t call it huge. It hasn’t been one that flagged a whole lot of attention for researching it.”

The average temperature last month in Bend was 34.9 degrees, which was 3.9 degrees above normal, the weather service reported in its monthly climate summary.

High temperatures averaged 43.7 degrees, which was 4.3 degrees above normal. The highest temperature recorded last month was 63 degrees on Dec. 9, short of the daily record high temperature of 69 degrees on Dec. 4, 1922, according to weather service data.

Low temperatures last month in Bend averaged 26.2 degrees, which was 3.5 degrees above normal. A total of 21 days last month had a low temperature below 32 degrees. On Dec. 29, the high temperature stayed below 32 degrees.

The lowest temperature last month was 15 degrees on Dec. 23. The record daily low temperature was minus 25 degrees on Dec. 12, 1919.

Bend recorded 0.74 inches of precipitation in December, which was 1.46 inches below normal, according to the monthly climate summary.

Measurable precipitation of at least 0.01 inches was recorded on 12 days. The heaviest was 0.18 inches reported Dec. 17.

Precipitation in 2020 in Bend totaled 9.59 inches, which is 1.77 inches below normal, according to the weather service.

Bend had just a dusting of snowfall last month, with 0.1 inches recorded on Dec. 12. The total was less than the 2 inches recorded in December 2019, and much less than the 22 inches that fell in December 2016, according to weather service data.

The outlook for January calls for above normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. The normal high temperature for Bend in January is 41.1 degrees and the normal low is 24.5 degrees.

Normal January precipitation in Bend is 1.53 inches.