A December 2023 sunrise in the Portland area.

It might feel cold outside right now but don’t let that fool you — Portland is currently on track to have either the warmest or second warmest December on record.

Back in 1950, just about 10 years after weather data began being recorded at the Portland International Airport, Portland had its warmest December on record. That year, according to Tyler Kranz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Portland, the average of the highs and lows of each day was 46.4 degrees.

As of Wednesday, Portland’s average temperature for December this year is 47.5 degrees, Kranz said.

“For records,” he said, “that is a lot.”

Of course, December is not yet over. But looking out into the forecast, Kranz thinks this Portland December is likely going to make it into the top two.

“If we get colder the last week of the month, we probably won’t end up the warmest December ever,” he said. “Right now the forecast is generally near normal to slightly above.”

But, he added, “If the forecast pans out we’re probably going to be warmest or second warmest.”

The second warmest December on record happened in 1973 when the average temperature was 44.7 degrees. Kranz said he’s confident that this year would beat that.

It turns out December wasn’t the only warm month in 2023. As the global temperatures rise due to human-caused climate change, Portland continues to feel the burn.

Currently, the warmest year on record at the Portland International Airport is 2015, when the yearly average temperature hit 57.4 degrees. The second warmest year was 2021, when the average temperature was 56.6 degrees.

As of Thursday, with 11 days left in the year, Kranz said Portland’s daily average for 2023 sat at 57.1 degrees.

“We might wind up with the second-warmest December ever recorded and also the second-warmest year on record,” said Kranz. “It’s becoming the new norm.”