Considerations upon the Air Temperature Characteristics in Oltenia in December

The study analyzes the temperature regime on December in the south-western Romania, emphasizing the significant variations in the air temperature. Typically, this month begins with a cooling in the first days, but generally, within the 10 – 15 days, it retains the characteristics of November. In some years, the cooling is followed by a late heat wave, while the last important cooling in December occurs within December 30th – December 31st. For all the meteorological stations, the trend of the air temperature variation is decreasing, emphasizing the natural climate cooling due to the coldest month of winter - January. The climate warming is determined by the fact that, after 1997, there were not recorded monthly minimum temperatures < -26.0 °C and the frequency of the maximum values ? 20.0 °C and also the temperature during the warm periods of this month increased. The frequency and intensity intervals with snow expansion decreased considerably and their duration has become insignificant. In Oltenia, the absolute maximum air temperature in December is 21.6 °C, being recorded in the Subcarpathians, at Polovragi, on December 4th, 1985, exceeding after 82 years, the old absolute maximum of 21.5 °C recorded in 1903 at Corabia in the extreme south-eastern. For Oltenia, the absolute minimum air temperature of -28.5 °C was recorded 68 years ago, at the interference area of the Piedmont Plateau with the high B?l?ci?a Plain, at Strehaia (in the Mehedinti County) on December 15th, 1948. For all the meteorological stations, the absolute minimum temperatures recorded before 1950, were not exceeded, these climate records remaining so far. The study is useful to everyone interested in the evolution of the air temperature on December.