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The Upside
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At least it’s not snow

The driest December was in 1955.

A pedestrian walks past the Perelman Building of the Philadelphia Museum of Art as rain falls during a recent evening commute.
A pedestrian walks past the Perelman Building of the Philadelphia Museum of Art as rain falls during a recent evening commute.Read moreMONICA HERNDON / Staff Photographer

Rain, rain, go away.

Here are a couple of fun facts courtesy of the National Weather Service.

On Dec. 29, 1917, the temperature in Philadelphia bottomed out at -1 degree. It was the earliest sub-zero temperature reading since official records began in 1870.

The wettest December on record was 1996 when Philadelphia experienced a total of 8.47 inches of precipitation. That year saw 56.45 inches of precipitation and ended up being the wettest year on record. The driest December was in 1955 when only 0.25 inches of precipitation fell.