Baby, It's Gloomy Outside: One Of Cloudiest Decembers In History

By John Dodge

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A year that started with some of the coldest and snowiest weather on record will likely end the year as one of the gloomiest.

December has been incredibly gloomy.

Since Dec. 4, the sun has appeared only twice, on Dec. 11 and Dec. 18.

And one could be forgiven if the sunshine went unnoticed on Dec. 18 as it appeared for only 33 minutes.

The National Weather Service says Chicago is on track for the fourth-gloomiest December ever.

If the clouds persist, the area could make a run for the cloudiest month in history.

The graphic above does not include Sunday and Monday, which were both overcast.

More rain is in the forecast with a chance of accumulating snow on Christmas Eve.

The cloudiest December in history happened in 1975 when the sun appeared 19 percent of the time during the month.

The cloudiest ever? November 1985, when the sun appeared for a total of 16 percent of the time during the day.