A Mild December

December’s weather brought “no ice-skating, no sledding, no snowballs or snowmen. Sorry, but that is weather,” Richard G. Hendrickson, the United States Cooperative weather observer in Bridgehampton, wrote at the close of last month.

That was soon to change, and he knew it. He wrote: “From now on there should be the snow for the children and some ice-skating. Our wind should be from the northwest; 40 m.p.h. and higher is not unusual for January. Maybe Mecox could freeze for a few days for ice-boating.”

December was very mild, Mr. Hendrickson said, with temperatures in the 50s on 13 days and as high as 69 on Dec. 2. He recorded a low of 14 on the nights of Dec. 11 and 23. There was measurable precipitation on eight days for a total of 3.78 inches. Snow fell on two days for a total of 2.5 inches. The wind was from the northwest on 11 days, and Mr. Hendrickson recorded 18 cloudy says.