NOAA: October Ranked 8th Warmest on Record

November 18, 2010

 

October ranked the eighth warmest October on record. The first 10 months of 2010 tied with the same period in 1998 for the warmest combined land and ocean surface temperature on record. The global average land surface temperature for January-October was the second warmest on record behind 2007. The global ocean surface temperature for January-October tied with 2003 as the second warmest on record behind 1998. La Nina continues to be a significant factor in global ocean temperatures.

The monthly analysis from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, which is based on records going back to 1880, is part of the suite of climate services NOAA provides government, business and community leaders so they can make informed decisions.

Global Temperature Highlights

• The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for October 2010 was the eighth warmest on record at 58.07 F (14.54 C), which is 0.97 F (0.54 C) above the 20th century average of 57.1 F (14.0 C). The range associated with the combined temperature is +/- 0.14 F (0.08 C).*

• The October worldwide land surface temperature was 1.64 F (0.91 C) above the 20th century average of 48.7 F (9.3 C) , the sixth warmest October on record. Warmer-than-average conditions were particularly felt across western Alaska, Canada, northeastern Africa, the Middle East, Kazakhstan and large portions of Russia. Cooler-than-average regions included most of Europe, Mongolia and much of Australia. The range associated with the land surface temperature is +/- 0.20 F (0.11 C).
  
  
  • According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Australia had its 10th coolest maximum temperatures on record for October with daytime maximum temperatures 2.12 F (1.18 C) below average. Statewide, both the Northern Territory and Queensland had their third coolest maximum temperatures since national records began in 1950.
    
    
• The October worldwide ocean surface temperature was 0.72 F (0.40 C) above the 20th century average of 60.6 F (15.9 C) and was the 10th warmest October on record. The warmth was most pronounced across the Atlantic, western North Pacific and most of the Indian Ocean. The range associated with the ocean surface temperature is +/- 0.13 F (0.07 C).
  
  
• For the year-to-date, the global combined land and ocean surface temperature of 58.53 F (14.73 C) was tied with 1998 as the warmest January-October period on record. This value is 1.13 F (0.63 C) above the 20th century average.
  
  
• Moderate La Nina conditions continued in October, while sea surface temperatures remained below-normal across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, La Nina is expected to strengthen and last at least into the Northern Hemisphere spring of 2011.

 

Polar Sea Ice and Precipitation Highlights

• The average Arctic sea ice extent for October was 2.97 million square miles (7.69 million square km), which was 17.2 percent below average. This marks the third lowest October Arctic sea ice extent since records began in 1979 and the 14th consecutive October with below-average Arctic sea ice extent.
  
  
• Antarctic sea ice began its annual retreat during October. October 2010 was the fourth largest sea ice extent on record (2.9 percent above average). The largest October sea ice extent occurred in 2006.

•  According to Mexico's National Weather Service (Servicio Meteorolol-gico Nacional), this October was Mexico's driest since 1941.
  
  
• North and west Amazonia in Brazil was in the midst of its worst drought in the past 40 years. In October, one of the Amazon River's most important tributaries, the Black River, dropped to its lowest level of 44.7 feet (13.6 meters) since record keeping began in 1902.

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2010/20101118_globalstats.html

National Overview
November 2010

NOAA

National Climatic Data Center

 National Overview:

As Northern Hemisphere autumn transitions into winter during this time of year, the angle of the sun above the horizon decreases, resulting in less solar heating of the northern latitudes. Temperatures cool, the atmospheric circulation intensifies, and strong extra-tropical cyclonic storms with associated cold fronts develop in the westerly flow. This is what happened in November as a very active weather pattern brought a series of winter storms to the Lower 48 States. Several strong low pressure systems, or extra-tropical cyclones, developed in the West or central Plains, bringing beneficial snow to the mountains and snow cover to the northern tier states. About 12 percent of the country was snow covered by the 10^th of the month, with the snow coverage increasing to a third of the country with snowstorms after the 21^st. A few systems developed in the South. As the storm systems moved eastward, cold air was pulled in behind them. Near the end of the month, moisture drawn northward along the associated cold fronts brought locally heavy rains to the Ohio Valley and parts of the South, alleviating drought conditions in some areas. Strong winds along the front, and at least 20 tornadoes (including an EF-4 in Louisiana), caused damage in the Southeast and Eastern Seaboard.

Cold fronts and low pressure systems moving in the storm track flow are influenced by the broadscale atmospheric circulation. Two such large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns were dominant during November. The first was the La Niña, which is the phenomenon created by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. La Niña is typically associated with wet conditions in the northern tier states and Ohio Valley this time of year, and warm and dry conditions in the southern tier states. The second atmospheric circulation index was the Arctic Oscillation (AO), which was strongly negative during most of November. A negative AO is typically associated with dry conditions in the Southeast and colder-than-normal temperatures east of the Rockies at this time of year. In response to these two atmospheric indicators, Montana had the seventh wettest November on record and Indiana the 16^th wettest, while North Carolina ranked 16^th driest and New Mexico and South Carolina both ranked 18^th driest. The opposing temperature influences of these two atmospheric patterns contributed to a national temperature rank near the middle of the historical distribution. The circulation patterns funneled moisture and above-normal temperatures into Alaska.

 

· November temperatures, when averaged across the contiguous United States, were near-normal, 0.8 degrees F (0.4 degrees C) above the 1901-2000 average. The combined average temperatures for the fall season (September-November) was 1.5 degrees F (0.8 degrees C) above normal.

· Warmer-than-normal conditions were scattered about the Great Lakes region and a portion of the Northeast. Cooler-than-normal conditions existed for a subset of states in the western half of the U.S.

· For the fall season (September-November), warmer-than-normal temperatures were predominant throughout much of the country. These conditions were mostly reflective from the above-average warmth during September and October.

· The Northeast climate region has experienced persistent warmth through the entire year, resulting in its warmest January-November period on record.

· Six states (New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Jersey) had their warmest year-to-date period on record.

· Based on monthly temperatures averaged from January-November, Florida is the only state in the contiguous United States to experience a temperature that ranked below-normal.

 

· The average precipitation was 2.02 inches (51.3 mm), 0.1 inch (2.54 mm) below the 1901-2000 average. With most of the climate regions near-normal, the above-average precipitation in the West North Central and Central climate regions offset the below-average precipitation in the Southwest resulting in a near normal month for the contiguous U.S. Montana had its seventh wettest November on record.

· Precipitation, when averaged across the U.S. for the fall period was near normal. However several states experienced precipitation that ranked among their wettest/driest ten percent. Both Maine and Minnesota had their sixth wettest period and it was the seventh wettest for Nevada and the ninth wettest for North Dakota. Meanwhile, the persistent lack of precipitation in Florida resulted in its second driest fall period on record.

· For the year-to-date period, the persistent storm track over the upper Midwest resulted in much-above-normal precipitation in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota. Meanwhile, the Bermuda high situated in the western North Atlantic this past summer acted as a blocking pattern. This led to below-average precipitation for the Southeast climate region.

Other Items of Note

· There were 57 preliminary tornado reports during November. This is near the long-term average, but marks the most tornado activity during November since 2005. Rare November tornadoes were reported in Wisconsin, Illinois, and New York — tornadoes are unusual this far north, this late in the year.

· Drought coverage continued to increased during November. The U.S. Drought Monitor reported 16.7 percent of the United States was affected by drought by November 30^th. While improvements were seen across the Ohio River Valley, drought conditions deteriorated during the month in Florida, south Texas, and parts of southeast Colorado.

NOAA, Partners: Growing Hypoxic Zones Reduce Habitat for Billfish and Tuna

Less habitat could increase vulnerability to fishing, affect population assessments

December 22, 2010

During the study, published recently in the journal Fisheries Oceanography, scientists tagged 79 sailfish and blue marlin with satellite tracking devices in the western North Atlantic, off south Florida and the Caribbean; and eastern tropical Atlantic, off the coast of West Africa. The pop off archival satellite tags monitored horizontal and vertical movement patterns. Researchers confirmed that billfish prefer oxygen rich waters closer to the surface and will actively avoid waters low in oxygen.

While these hypoxic zones occur naturally in many areas of the world�s tropical and equatorial oceans, scientists are concerned because these zones are expanding and occurring closer to the sea surface, and are expected to continue to grow as sea temperatures rise.

�The hypoxic zone off West Africa, which covers virtually all the equatorial waters in the Atlantic Ocean, is roughly the size of the continental United States, and it�s growing,� said Dr. Eric D. Prince, NOAA�s Fisheries Service research fishery biologist. �With the current cycle of climate change and accelerated global warming, we expect the size of this zone to increase, further reducing the available habitat for these fish.�

Less available habitat can lead to more fish being caught since the fish are concentrated near the surface. Higher catch rates from these areas may give the false appearance of more abundant fish stocks. The shrinking availability of habitat and resulting increases to catch rates are important factors for scientists to consider when doing population assessments.

Researchers forecast that climate change and its associated rise in ocean temperatures will further increase the expansion of hypoxic zones in the world�s oceans. As water temperature increases, the amount of oxygen dissolved in water decreases, further squeezing billfish into dwindling available habitat and exposing them to even higher levels of exploitation.

NOAA�s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Find us online and on Facebook.

NOAA: 2010 Tied For Warmest Year on Record

January 12, 2011

According to NOAA scientists, 2010 tied with 2005 as the warmest year of the global surface temperature record, beginning in 1880. This was the 34th consecutive year with global temperatures above the 20th century average. For the contiguous United States alone, the 2010 average annual temperature was above normal, resulting in the 23rd warmest year on record.

This preliminary analysis is prepared by scientists at NOAA�s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C., and is part of the suite of climate services NOAA provides government, business and community leaders so they can make informed decisions.

2010 Global Climate Highlights:

• 
  

  
  Global surface temperature anomalies for 2010.
  High Resolution (Credit: NOAA)

  Combined global land and ocean annual surface temperatures for 2010 tied with 2005 as the warmest such period on record at 1.12 F (0.62 C) above the 20th century average. The range of confidence (to the 95 percent level) associated with the combined surface temperature is +/- 0.13 F (+/- 0.07 C).*

• The global land surface temperatures for 2010 were the warmest on record at 1.80 F (1.00 C) above the 20th century average. The range of confidence associated with the land surface temperature is +/- 0.20 F (+/- 0.11 C).

• Global ocean surface temperatures for 2010 tied with 2005 as the third warmest on record, at 0.88 F (0.49 C) above the 20th century average. The range of confidence associated with the ocean surface temperature is +/- 0.11 F (+/- 0.06 C).

• In 2010 there was a dramatic shift in the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which influences global temperature and precipitation patterns � when a moderate-to-strong El Nino transitioned to La Nina conditions by July. At the end of November, La Nina was moderate-to-strong.

• According to the Global Historical Climatology Network, 2010 was the wettest year on record, in terms of global average precipitation. As with any year, precipitation patterns were highly variable from region to region.

• The 2010 Pacific hurricane season had seven named storms and three hurricanes, the fewest on record since the mid-1960s when scientists started using satellite observations. By contrast, the Atlantic season was extremely active, with 19 named storms and 12 hurricanes. The year tied for third- and second-most storms and hurricanes on record, respectively.

• The Arctic sea ice extent had a record long growing season, with the annual maximum occurring at the latest date, March 31, since records began in 1979. Despite the shorter-than-normal melting season, the Arctic still reached its third smallest annual sea ice minimum on record behind 2007 and 2008. The Antarctic sea ice extent reached its eighth smallest annual maximum extent in March, while in September, the Antarctic sea ice rapidly expanded to its third largest extent on record.

• A negative Arctic Oscillation (AO) in January and February helped usher in very cold Arctic air to much of the Northern Hemisphere. Record cold and major snowstorms with heavy accumulations occurred across much of eastern North America, Europe and Asia. The February AO index reached -4.266, the largest negative anomaly since records began in 1950.

• From mid-June to mid-August, an unusually strong jet stream shifted northward of western Russia while plunging southward into Pakistan. The jet stream remained locked in place for weeks, bringing an unprecedented two-month heat wave to Russia and contributing to devastating floods in Pakistan at the end of July.

U.S. Climate Highlights:

• 
  

  
  2010 average annual temperature ranks by state.
  High Resolution (Credit: NOAA)

  In the contiguous United States, 2010 was the 14th consecutive year with an annual temperature above the long-term average. Since 1895, the temperature across the nation has increased at an average rate of approximately 0.12 F per decade.

• Precipitation across the contiguous United States in 2010 was 1.02 inches (2.59 cm) above the long-term average. Like temperature, precipitation patterns are influenced by climate processes such as ENSO. A persistent storm track brought prolific summer rain to the northern Plains and upper Midwest. Wisconsin had its wettest summer on record, and many surrounding states had much above-normal precipitation. Since the start of records in the U.S. in 1895, precipitation across the United States is increasing at an average rate of approximately 0.18 inches per decade.

• The year began with extremely cold winter temperatures and snowfall amounts that broke monthly and seasonal records at many U.S. locations. Seasonal snowfall records fell in several cities, including Washington; Baltimore, Md., Philadelphia; Wilmington, Del.; and Atlantic City, N.J. Several NOAA studies established that this winter pattern was made more likely by the combined states of El Ni�o and the Arctic Oscillation.

• Twelve states, mainly in the Southeast, but extending northward into New England, experienced a record warm June-August. Several cities broke summer temperature records including New York (Central Park); Philadelphia; Trenton, N.J.; and Wilmington, Del.

• Preliminary totals indicate there were 1,302 U.S. tornadoes during 2010. The year will rank among the 10 busiest for tornadoes since records began in 1950. An active storm pattern across the Northern Plains during the summer contributed to a state-record 104 confirmed tornadoes in Minnesota in 2010, making Minnesota the national tornado leader for the first time.

• During 2010, substantial precipitation fell in many drought-stricken regions. The U.S. footprint of drought reached its smallest extent during July when less than eight percent of the country was experiencing drought conditions. The increased precipitation and eradication of drought limited the acres burned and number of wildfires during 2010. Hawaii had near-record dryness occurring in some areas for most of the year.

Scientists, researchers and leaders in government and industry use NOAA�s monthly reports to help track trends and other changes in the world's climate. This climate service has a wide range of practical uses, from helping farmers know what and when to plant, to guiding resource managers� critical decisions about water, energy and other vital assets.

NOAA: January 2011 Ranked 17th Warmest on Record

February 15, 2011

Last month was the 17th warmest January for combined global land and ocean surface temperature since records began in 1880. La Ni�a, with its cooling effect on the central and eastern tropical Pacific, continues to be a factor in global ocean temperatures.

The monthly analysis from NOAA�s National Climatic Data Center is part of the suite of climate services NOAA provides government, business and community leaders so they can make informed decisions.

Global Temperature Highlights

Global surface temperature Anomalies - January 2011.
 (Credit: NOAA)

• The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for January 2011 was the 17th warmest on record at 54.28 F (12.38 C), which is 0.68 F (0.38 C) above the 20th century average of 53.6 F (12.0 C). The range associated with this temperature is plus or minus 0.14 F (0.08 C).
  
  
• The January worldwide land surface temperature was 0.81 F (0.45 C) above the 20th century average of 37.0 F (2.8 C). This was the 29th warmest January on record for the land surface. The range associated with this temperature is plus or minus 0.25 F (0.14 C). Warmer-than-average conditions were particularly felt across the eastern half of Canada, Iran and much of Siberia. Cooler-than-average regions included southern Siberia, Mongolia and most of China.
  
  
• According to the Beijing Climate Center, last month was China�s second coolest average January temperature since national records began in 1961.

• The January worldwide ocean surface temperature was 0.63 F (0.35 C) above the 20th century average of 60.5 F (15.8 C). This was the 11th warmest January on record for the ocean surface. The range associated with this temperature is plus or minus 0.13 F (0.07 C). The warmth was most pronounced across the South Pacific Ocean, the southern Indian Ocean and part of the North Atlantic located near Greenland and Canada.
  
  
• Moderate-to-strong La Ni�a conditions continued in January, as sea surface temperatures remained below-normal across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. According to NOAA�s Climate Prediction Center, La Ni�a conditions may persist but should be weaker, if not neutral, by May-June 2011.

Polar Sea Ice and Precipitation Highlights:

• The average Arctic sea ice extent for January was 5.23 million square miles (13.55 million square km), which was 8.7 percent below average. This ranks as the smallest January Arctic sea ice extent since records began in 1979 and the second consecutive month with record low Arctic ice extent.
  
  
• The January 2011 Antarctic sea ice extent was 7.5 percent below normal, and was the eighth smallest January ice extent since records began in 1979.
  
  
• According to Australia�s Bureau of Meteorology, flooding in that nation was widespread in southeast Queensland and Victoria. Average monthly rainfall across Victoria was the highest January rainfall in the 112-year period of record. On Jan. 10, six inches (152 mm) of rain fell in just 30 minutes near the town of Toowoomba. Downstream, the Brisbane River crested at nearly 17 feet (5 meters) in the city of Brisbane and inundated over 10,000 homes and businesses.

• The January 2011 snow cover extent for the Northern Hemisphere was 0.68 million square miles (1.76 million square km) above the long-term average of 17.6 million square miles (46.7 million square km), marking the fourth consecutive January with above-average snow cover extent for the Northern Hemisphere.

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2011/20110215_globalstats.html

Climate Projections Show Human Health Impacts Possible Within 30 Years

New studies demonstrate potential increases in waterborne toxins and microbes harmful to human health

February 19, 2011

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting:
Feb. 19 Symposium 10:00 a.m. � 11:30 a.m. (EST)

A panel of scientists speaking today at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) unveiled new research and models demonstrating how climate change could increase exposure and risk of human illness originating from ocean, coastal and Great Lakes ecosystems, with some studies projecting impacts to be felt within 30 years.

"With 2010 the wettest year on record and third warmest for sea surface temperatures, NOAA and our partners are working to uncover how a changing climate can affect our health and our prosperity," said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. "These studies and others like it will better equip officials with the necessary information and tools they need to prepare for and prevent risks associated with changing oceans and coasts."

In several studies funded by NOAA's Oceans and Human Health Initiative, findings shed light on how complex interactions and climate change alterations in sea, land and sky make ocean and freshwater environments more susceptible to toxic algal blooms and proliferation of harmful microbes and bacteria.

Climate Change Could Prolong Toxic Algal Outbreaks by 2040 or Sooner

Using cutting-edge technologies to model future ocean and weather patterns, Stephanie Moore, Ph.D., with NOAA's West Coast Center for Oceans and Human Health and her partners at the University of Washington, are predicting longer seasons of harmful algal bloom outbreaks in Washington State's Puget Sound.

The team looked at blooms of Alexandrium catenella, more commonly known as "red tide," which produces saxitoxin, a poison that can accumulate in shellfish. If consumed by humans, it can cause gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms including vomiting and muscle paralysis or even death in extreme cases.

Longer harmful algal bloom seasons could translate to more days the shellfish fishery is closed, threatening the vitality of the $108 million shellfish industry in Washington state.

"Changes in the harmful algal bloom season appear to be imminent and we expect a significant increase in Puget Sound and similar at-risk environments within 30 years, possibly by the next decade," said Moore. "Our projections indicate that by the end of the 21st century, blooms may begin up to two months earlier in the year and persist for one month later compared to the present-day time period of July to October."

Natural climate variability also plays a role in the length of the bloom season from one year to the next. Thus, in any single year, the change in bloom season could be more or less severe than implied by the long-term warming trend from climate change.

Moore and the research team indicate that the extended lead time offered by these projections will allow managers to put mitigation measures in place and sharpen their targets for monitoring to more quickly and effectively open and close shellfish beds instead of issuing a blanket closure for a larger swath of coast or be caught off guard by an unexpected bloom. The same model can be applied to other coastal areas around the world increasingly affected by harmful algal blooms and improve protection of human health against toxic outbreaks.

Desert dust deposition from the atmosphere is considered one of the main contributors of iron in the ocean, has increased over the last 30 years and is expected to rise based on precipitation trends in western Africa. Iron is limited in ocean environments and is essential to most forms of life. In a study conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey, Erin Lipp, Ph.D. and graduate student Jason Westrich demonstrated that the sole addition of desert dust and its associated iron into seawater significantly stimulates growth and persistence of Vibrios, a group of ocean bacteria that occur worldwide and can cause gastroenteritis and infectious diseases in humans.

 "Within 24 hours of mixing weathered desert dust from Morocco with seawater samples, we saw a 10-1000-fold growth in Vibrios, including one strain that could cause eye, ear, and open wound infections, and another strain that could cause cholera ," said Lipp. "Our next round of experiments will examine the response of the strains associated with seafood-related infections."

Since 1996 Vibrio cases have jumped 85 percent in the United States based on reports that primarily track seafood-illnesses. It is possible this additional input of iron, along with rising sea surface temperatures, will affect these bacterial populations and may help to explain both current and future increases in human illnesses from exposure to contaminated seafood and seawater.

Increased Rainfall and Dated Sewers Could Affect Water Quality in Great Lakes

A changing climate with more rainstorms on the horizon could increase the risk of overflows of dated sewage systems, causing the release of disease-causing bacteria, viruses and protozoa into drinking water and onto beaches. In the past 10 years there have been more severe storms that trigger overflows. While there is some question whether this is due to natural variability or to climate change, these events provide another example as to how vulnerable urban areas are to climate.

 

Projected change in the frequency of one inch rainfalls across Wisconsin in days per decade. Global Climate Models were downscaled to produce region specific projections using a statistical method developed by the Climate Working Group of the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts. Data provided by D. Lorenz, M. Notaro, and D. Vimont, University of Wisconsin-Madison.  (Credit: NOAA)

Using fine-tuned climate models developed for Wisconsin, Sandra McLellan, Ph.D., at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences, found spring rains are expected to increase in the next 50 years and areas with dated sewer systems are more likely to overflow because the ground is frozen and rainwater can�t be absorbed. As little as 1.7 inches of rain in 24 hours can cause an overflow in spring and the combination of increased temperatures -- changing snowfall to rainfall and increased precipitation -- can act synergistically to magnify the impact.

McLellan and colleagues showed that under worst case scenarios there could be an average 20 percent increase in volume of overflows, and they expect the overflows to last longer. In Milwaukee, infrastructure investments have reduced sewage overflows to an average of three times per year, but other cities around the Great Lakes still experience overflows up to 40 times per year.

"Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on urban infrastructure, and these investments need to be directed to problems that have the largest impact on our water quality," said McLellan. "Our research can shed light on this dilemma for cities with aging sewer systems throughout the Great Lakes and even around the world."

It's a puzzle: How could warmth in the Arctic produce frigid conditions elsewhere?

Dr. James Overland, a scientist at NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) in Seattle, has been studying the changing conditions in the Arctic for 30 years. He explains why the deterioration of the Polar Vortex could be leading to some of these extreme winter weather events.

"When the Polar Vortex - a ring of winds circling the Arctic - breaks down, this allows cold air to spill south, affecting the eastern United States and other regions," says Dr. Overland. "This can result in a warmer-than-average Arctic region and colder temperatures that may include severe winter weather events on the North American and European continents."

A Polar Vortex link to Winter 2009-2010?

The Polar Vortex is a strong wind flowing around a low-pressure system normally present over the Arctic in winter. Average December values from 1968�1996 show the Polar Vortex remaining strong and helping to keep the cold air in the Arctic region. During winter of 2009-2010, this normal pattern broke down, and a weakened Polar Vortex allowed cold Arctic air to move southward.

"In December 2009, the Arctic was 9 degrees F warmer than normal, and mid-latitude continents were 9 degrees F cooler than normal, with record cold and snow conditions in northern Europe, eastern Asia and eastern North America," says Dr. Overland. "This is the Warm Arctic-Cold Continents pattern. The winter of 2009-2010 had especially extreme weather in the U.S. as moisture from El Nino hit cold air from the Arctic."

 

A map of the Warm Arctic-Cold Continents pattern for December 2010 shows warmer than usual air temperature (red) in the Arctic, especially for regions that were sea-ice-free in summer - north of Alaska, Hudson Bay and in the Barents Sea. Cold continents (purple) are seen where Arctic air has penetrated southward.  (Credit: NOAA)

Why are we seeing these changes now?

According to the 2010 Arctic Report Card, there is reduced sea summer sea ice cover, record snow cover decreases, and record temperatures. Could these changes be linked to the weakened Polar Vortex and extreme winter weather events?

Many factors, including natural climate variability, can produce extreme weather events. But, there also is a potential impact from Arctic regions, where solar heat absorbed by recently ice-free regions of the ocean warms the atmosphere during autumn, impacting the winds. More research is needed to study the causes and extent of the recently observed Warm Arctic-Cold Continent pattern.

"Some scientists are beginning to suspect that the lack of sea ice allows the oceans to pump heat into the atmosphere in the Arctic in a way that could impact weather patterns such as the North Atlantic Oscillation," said Mark Serreze, director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center. "The idea is still very much in its infancy, but it's worth looking into. If it turns out to be right, it could help to explain the frigid winters the eastern United States and Europe have experienced these past two years."

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is a natural climate pattern that is the dominant mode of winter climate variability for the region, which ranges from central North America to Europe and into Northern Asia. A strongly negative NAO can indicate a breakdown of the Polar Vortex. Last winter, there were two extreme cold continent events � and the breakdown of the Vortex, as measured by the NAO, was the most extreme on record for the past 145 years.

Undoubtedly, changes in the Arctic are being felt near and far. The winters of 2009 and 2010 serve as a jumping off point for more research to determine potential linkages between Arctic changes and continental weather to help predict if the Northern latitudes will witness colder winters in the future as more summer sea ice is lost.

Earth had 13th warmest March on record

April 14, 2011

The Earth experienced the 13th warmest March since record keeping began in 1880, as the climate phenomenon La Ni�a continued to be a significant factor. The annual maximum Arctic sea ice extent was reached on March 7 and tied with 2006 as the smallest annual maximum extent since record keeping began in 1979.

Global surface temperature Anomalies - March 2011. (Credit: NOAA)

The monthly analysis from NOAA�s National Climatic Data Center is part of the suite of climate services NOAA provides government, business and community leaders so they can make informed decisions.

Global temperature highlights � March

• The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for March 2011 was the 13th warmest on record at 55.78 F (13.19 C), which is 0.88 F (0.49 C) above the 20th century average of 54.9 F (12.7 C). The margin of error associated with this temperature is +/- 0.13 F (0.07 C).
  
  
• Separately, the global land surface temperature was 1.49 F (0.83 C) above the 20th century average of 40.8 F (5.0 C), and tied for the 12th warmest March on record. The margin of error is +/- 0.15 F (0.27 C).Warmer-than-average conditions occurred across most of Siberia, southwestern Greenland, southern North America, and most of Africa. Cooler-than-average regions included: most of Australia, the western half of Canada, most of Mongolia, China, and southeastern Asia.
  
  
• The March global ocean surface temperature was 0.65 F (0.36 C) above the 20th century average of 60.7 F (15.9 C), making it the 12th warmest March on record. The margin of error is +/- 0.07 F (0.04 C). The warmth was most pronounced in the equatorial Atlantic, the western Pacific Ocean, and across the Southern Hemisphere mid-latitudes.

Global temperature highlights � year-to-date (January through March)

• The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for the year to date (January 2011 � March 2011) was 0.77 F (0.43 C) above the 20th century average of 54.1 F (12.3 C), making it the 14th warmest such period on record. The margin of error is +/- 0.16 F (0.09 C).
  
  
• The year-to-date worldwide land surface temperature was 1.08 F (0.60 C) above the 20th century average � the 21st warmest such period on record. The margin of error is +/- 0.41 F (0.23 C). Warmer-than-average conditions occurred across northern Alaska, far northwestern Canada, southern Greenland and northern Siberia. Cooler-than-average regions included most of Europe, western Russia, Mongolia, much of China, Australia, and part of central North America.

• The global ocean surface temperature for the year to date was 0.65 F (0.36 C) above the 20th century average and was the 12th warmest such period on record. The margin of error is +/-0.07 F (0.04 C). The warmth was most pronounced across parts of the central western Pacific Ocean, the tropical Atlantic Ocean, the North Atlantic near Greenland and Canada, and the southern mid-latitude oceans.
  
  
• La Ni�a conditions continued to weaken in March for the third consecutive month, although sea-surface temperatures remained below normal across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. According to NOAA�s Climate Prediction Center, La Ni�a will continue to have global impacts through the Northern Hemisphere spring, but neither La Nina nor El Nino conditions are expected by June.
  
  
• The average high temperatures were the coolest on record for March across Australia. The Northern Territory and the state of South Australia experienced their coldest average maximum temperature in the 62-year period of record while Queensland was the lowest on record since 1971. Within the state of Western Australia, the eastern portion had its coolest March on record while its southwest had its warmest.

Polar sea ice and precipitation highlights

• The average Arctic sea ice extent during March was much-below average, ranking as the second smallest March on record, behind March 2006. On March 7, Arctic sea ice reached its annual maximum extent at 5.65 million square miles (14.64 million square kilometers), tying with 2006 as the smallest annual maximum extent in the satellite record.

• The March 2011 Antarctic sea ice extent was 16.2 percent below average and was third lowest for March since records began in 1979.

• Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent during March ranked as the ninth largest on record, while the snow cover extent over North America was the sixth largest and largest since March 1979.

• England reported its driest March in 50 years and fifth driest since records began in 1910. East Anglia�a region in eastern England�had its second driest March on record, behind 1929.

• Average rainfall across Australia was 117 percent above average during March, making it the wettest March on record. In the north, the state of Queensland and the Northern Territory each reported the most March rainfall since records began in 1900. South Australia had its fourth highest March rainfall on record.

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2011/20110414_globalstats.html

Even in the South American nations studied, more density helped maintain regional carbon levels in the face of deforestation.

The researchers analyzed information from 68 nations, which together account for 72 percent of the world's forested land and 68 percent of reported carbon mass. They conclude that managing forests for timber growth and density offers a way to increase stored carbon, even with little or no expansion of forest area.

"In 2004 emissions and removals of carbon dioxide from land use, land-use change and forestry comprised about one fifth of total emissions. Tempering the fifth by slowing or reversing the loss of carbon in forests would be a worthwhile mitigation. The great role of density means that not only conservation of forest area but also managing denser, healthier forests can mitigate carbon emission," says Rautiainen.

Co-author Paul E. Waggoner, a forestry expert with Connecticut's Agricultural Experiment Station, says remote sensing by satellites of the world's forest area brings access to remote places and a uniform method. "However, to speak of carbon, we must look beyond measurements of area and apply forestry methods traditionally used to measure timber volumes."

"Forests are like cities -- they can grow both by spreading and by becoming denser," says co-author Iddo Wernick of The Rockefeller University's Program for the Human Environment.

The authors say most regions and almost all temperate nations have stopped losing forest and the study's findings constitute a new signal of what co-author Jesse Ausubel of Rockefeller calls "The Great Reversal" under way in global forests after centuries of loss and decline. "Opportunities to absorb carbon and restore the world's forests can come through increasing density or area or both."

To examine how changing forest area and density affect timber volume and carbon, the study team first focused on the United States, where the U.S. Forest Service has conducted a continuing inventory of forest area, timberland area and growing stock since 1953.

They found that while U.S. timberland area grew only 1 percent between 1953 and 2007, the combined national volume of growing stock increased by an impressive 51 percent. National forest density increased substantially.

For an international perspective, the research team examined the 2010 Global Forest Resources Assessment compiled by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which provides consistent figures for the years 1990 to 2010.

The data reveal uncorrelated changes of forest area and density. Countries in Africa and South America, which lost about 10 percent of their forest area over the two decades, lost somewhat less carbon, indicating a small rise in forest density.

In Asia during the second decade of the study period, density rose in 10 of the region's 21 countries. Indonesia's major loss of density and sequestered carbon, however, offset any gain in carbon storage in other Asian nations.

Europe, like the U.S., demonstrated substantial density gains, adding carbon well in excess of the estimated carbon absorbed by the larger forested area.

Says study co-author Pekka Kauppi, of the University of Helsinki, Finland, "With so much bad news available on World Environment Day, we are pleased to report that, of 68 nations studied, forest area is expanding in 45 and density is also increasing in 45. Changing area and density combined had a positive impact on the carbon stock in 51 countries."

Flumom

NOAA study: Increase in particles high in Earth’s atmosphere has offset some recent climate warming

July 21, 2011

Light from a lidar instrument forms a beam in the sky over Boulder, Colo.. NOAA researchers and colleagues used lidar data to better understand recent changes in the amounts of tiny particles high in Earth's atmosphere.

Download here. (Credit: CIRES/NOAA)

A recent increase in the abundance of particles high in the atmosphere has offset about a third of the current climate warming influence of carbon dioxide (CO2) change during the past decade, according to a new study led by NOAA and published today in the online edition of Science.

In the stratosphere, miles above Earth’s surface, small, airborne particles reflect sunlight back into space, which leads to a cooling influence at the ground. These particles are also called “aerosols," and the new paper explores their recent climate effects -- the reasons behind their increase remain the subject of ongoing research.

“Since the year 2000, stratospheric aerosols have caused a slower rate of climate warming than we would have seen without them,” says John Daniel, a physicist at the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) in Boulder, Colo. and an author of the new study.

The new study focused on the most recent decade, when the amount of aerosol in the stratosphere has been in something of a “background” state, lacking sharp upward spikes from very large volcanic eruptions. The authors analyzed measurements from several independent sources – satellites and several types of ground instruments – and found a definitive increase in stratospheric aerosol since 2000.

“Stratospheric aerosol increased surprisingly rapidly in that time, almost doubling during the decade,” Daniel said. “The increase in aerosols since 2000 implies a cooling effect of about 0.1 watts per square meter – enough to offset some of the 0.28 watts per square meter warmingeffect from the carbon dioxide increase during that same period.”

Sources of aerosols reach the stratosphere from above and below, as shown in the graph. Sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbonyl sulfide (OCS), and dimethyl sulfide(DMS) are the dominant surface emissions which contribute to aerosol formation.

Download here. (Credit: NOAA)

The reasons for the 10-year increase in stratospheric aerosols are not fully understood and are the subject of ongoing research, says coauthor Ryan Neely, with the University of Colorado and the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES). Likely suspects are natural sources – smaller volcanic eruptions – and/or human activities, which could have emitted the sulfur-containing gases, such as sulfur dioxide, that react in the atmosphere to form reflective aerosol particles.

Daniel and colleagues with NOAA, CIRES, the University of Colorado, NASA, and the University of Paris used a climate model to explore how changes in the stratosphere’s aerosol content could affect global climate change – both in the last decade, and projected into the future. The team concluded that models miss an important cooling factor if they don’t account for the influence of stratospheric aerosol, or don’t include recent changes in stratospheric aerosol levels.

Moreover, future global temperatures will depend on stratospheric aerosol. The warming from greenhouse gases and aerosols calculated for the coming decade can vary by almost a factor of two — depending on whether aerosols continue to increase at the same rate as over the past decade, or if instead they decrease to very low levels, such as those experienced in 1960.

If stratospheric aerosol levels continue to increase, temperatures will not rise as quickly as they would otherwise, said Ellsworth Dutton, also with NOAA ESRL and a co-author on the paper. Conversely, if stratospheric aerosol levels decrease, temperatures would increase faster. Dutton and his colleagues use the term “persistently variable” to describe how the background levels of aerosol in Earth’s stratosphere can change from one decade to the next, even in the absence of major volcanic activity.

Lidar instruments - pointing up from the ground or down from satellites - use reflected light to measure the amounts of particles and their locations, which can influence climate.

Download here. (Credit: CIRES/NOAA)

Ultimately, by incorporating the ups and downs of stratospheric aerosols, climate models will be able to give not only better estimates of future climate change, but also better explanations of past climate changes.

“The ‘background’ stratospheric aerosols are more of a player than we thought,” said Daniel. “The last decade has shown us that it doesn’t take an extremely large volcanic eruption for these aerosols to be important to climate.”

Authors of the paper are: Susan Solomon, University of Colorado; John Daniel, Chemical Sciences Division of NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory; Ryan Neely, CIRES-University of Colorado and NOAA-ESRL; J.P. Vernier, NASA-Langley Research Center and University of Paris; Ellsworth Dutton, Global Monitoring Division of NOAA-ESRL; and Larry Thomason, NASA-Langley.

NOAA study: Slowing climate change by targeting gases other than carbon dioxide

August 3, 2011

The direct warming influence of all long-lived greenhouse gases in the atmosphere today attributable to human activities. CO_2's warming influence of 1.7 watts/m2 is equivalent to the heat from nearly 9 trillion 100-watt incandescent light bulbs placed across Earth's surface. The combined influence of the non-CO₂ greenhouse gases is equivalent to the heat from about 5 trillion bulbs. The category '"ther" includes a few very long-lived chemicals that can exert a climate influence for millennia. (Credit: NOAA)

Carbon dioxide remains the undisputed king of recent climate change, but other greenhouse gases measurably contribute to the problem. A new study, conducted by NOAA scientists and published online today in Nature, shows that cutting emissions of those other gases could slow changes in climate that are expected in the future.

Discussions with colleagues around the time of the 2009 United Nations- climate conference in Copenhagen inspired three NOAA scientists  - Stephen Montzka, Ed Dlugokencky and James Butler of NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colo. - to review the sources of non-carbon dioxide (CO₂) greenhouse gases and explore the potential climate benefits of cutting their emissions.

Like CO₂, other greenhouse gases trap heat in Earth's atmosphere. Some of these chemicals have shorter lifetimes than CO₂ in the atmosphere. Therefore cutting emissions would quickly reduce their direct radiative forcing - a measure of warming influence.

"We know that recent climate change is primarily driven by carbon dioxide emitted during fossil-fuel combustion, and we know that this problem is going to be with us a long-time because carbon dioxide is so persistent in the atmosphere," Montzka said. "But lowering emissions of greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide could lead to some rapid changes for the better."

The direct radiative forcing (warming effect) of greenhouse gases under various scenarios. a) Red: constant 2008 emissions of both CO₂ and non-CO₂ greenhouse gases. b) An 80% cut in non-CO₂ emissions. c) An 80% cut in CO₂ emissions. d) An 80% cut in all greenhouse gas emissions. In all scenarios, emissions cuts are phased in between 2009 and 2050. (Credit: NOAA)

Scientists know that stabilizing the warming effect of CO₂ in the atmosphere would require a decrease of about 80 percent in human-caused CO₂ emissions - in part because some of the carbon dioxide emitted today will remain in the atmosphere for thousands of years. In contrast, cutting all long-lived non-CO₂ greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent could diminish their climate warming effect substantially within a couple of decades. Cutting both CO₂ and non-CO₂ greenhouse gas emissions to this extent could result in a decrease in the total warming effect from these greenhouse gases this century, the new paper shows.

For the new analysis, the researchers considered methane; nitrous oxide; a group of chemicals regulated by an international treaty to protect Earth's ozone layer; and a few other extremely long-lived greenhouse gases currently present at very low concentrations.

The new review paper describes the major human activities responsible for these emissions, and notes that steep cuts (such as 80 percent) would be difficult. Without substantial changes to human behavior, emissions of the non-CO₂ greenhouse gases are expected to continue to increase.

The climate-related benefits of reductions in non-CO₂ greenhouse gases have limits, Montzka and his colleagues showed. Even if all human-related, non-CO₂ greenhouse gas emissions could be eliminated today, it would not be enough to stabilize the warming influence from all greenhouse gases over the next 40 years - unless CO₂ emissions were also cut significantly.

The scientists also noted in the paper the complicated connections between climate and greenhouse gases, some of which are not yet fully understood. The non-CO₂ gases studied have natural sources as well as human emissions, and climate change could amplify or dampen some of those natural processes, Dlugokencky said. Increasingly warm and dry conditions in the Arctic, for example, could thaw permafrost and increase the frequency of wildfires, both of which would send more methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

"The long-term necessity of cutting carbon dioxide emissions shouldn't diminish the effectiveness of short-term action. This paper shows there are other opportunities to influence the trajectory of climate change," Butler said. "Managing emissions of non-carbon dioxide gases is clearly an opportunity to make additional contributions."

Global temperatures were seventh warmest on record for July

August 15, 2011

 Global surface temperature Anomalies - July 2011.  (Credit: NOAA)

The globe experienced its seventh warmest July since record keeping began in 1880. July's Arctic sea ice extent was the smallest on record for that month since records began in 1979.

The monthly analysis from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center is part of the suite of climate services NOAA provides government, business and community leaders so they can make informed decisions.

Global Temperature Highlights: July

• The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for July 2011 was the seventh warmest on record for that month at 61.43 F (16.37 C), which is 1.03 F (0.57 C) above the 20th century average of 60.4 F (15.8 C). The margin of error associated with this temperature is +/- 0.16 F (0.09 C).
  
  
• Separately, the global land surface temperature for July was 1.51 F (0.84 C) above the 20th century average of 57.8 F (14.3 C), making it the fifth warmest July on record. The margin of error is +/- 0.23 F (0.13 C). Warmer-than-average conditions occurred across Northern Europe, western and eastern Russia, and most of North America. Cooler-than-average regions included central Russia, Western Europe, much of the western United States, and southwestern Canada.
  
  
• The July global ocean surface temperature was 0.85 F (0.47 C) above the 20th century average of 61.5 F (16.4 C), making it the 11th warmest July on record. The margin of error is +/- 0.07 F (0.04 C). The warmth was most pronounced across Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea in the Northern Hemisphere high latitudes and in the north central and northwestern Pacific Ocean.
  

• July 2011 temperatures were above normal for all states and territories in Australia for the first month since April 2010. La Nina conditions during 2010/11 kept temperatures below normal across most of the country for more than a year.
  
  
• The United Kingdom average monthly July temperature of 57.4 F (14.1 C) was the coolest July temperature since 2000 at 0.9 F (0.5 C) below the long-term average, which dates to 1910.The average minimum July temperature was the coolest for this month since 1980. Dublin Airport reported its coolest July in 46 years, with an average temperature of 56.8 F (13.8 C).

Global Temperature Highlights: Year to date

• The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for the January - July period was 0.92 F (0.51 C) above the 20th century average of 56.9 F (13.8 C), making it the 11th warmest such period on record. The margin of error is +/- 0.16 F (0.09 C).
  
  
• The January   - July worldwide land surface temperature was 1.40 F (0.78 C) above the 20th century average - the eighth warmest such period on record. The margin of error is +/- 0.36 F (0.20 C). Warmer-than-average conditions were prevalent across most of Russia, the Middle East, northern Africa, Europe, the southern United States, and Mexico. Cooler-than-average regions prevailed over the northwestern United States, southwestern Canada, and most of Australia.
  
  
• The global ocean surface temperature for the year to date was 0.74 F (0.41 C) above the 20th century average and was the 11th warmest such period on record. The margin of error is +/-0.07 F (0.04 C). The warmth was most pronounced across the Labrador Sea, most of the central and western Pacific, the equatorial Atlantic, and much of the mid-latitude southern oceans.
  
  
• Neither El Nino nor La Ni�a conditions were present during July 2011. According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, ENSO neutral conditions are expected to continue into the Northern Hemisphere fall 2011, with an equally likely chance of ENSO-neutral or La Ni�a conditions thereafter.

Polar Sea Ice and Precipitation Highlights

• The average Arctic sea ice extent during July was 21.6 percent below average, ranking as the smallest July extent since satellite records began in 1979. The extent was 81,000 square miles (210,000 square kilometers) below the previous July record low, set in 2007.
  
  
• The July 2011 Antarctic sea ice extent was 0.54 percent below average and was the 12th smallest July extent since records began in 1979.

• Seoul, South Korea received more than 11.8 inches (300 millimeters) of precipitation on July 27, the heaviest single-day rainfall in the city since 1907.

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2011/20110815_globalstats.html

Awsome High Res Pic Of Saturn   (Cassini Space Craft)

U.S. experiences second warmest summer on record

Texas has warmest summer on record of any state

September 8, 2011

The blistering heat experienced by the nation during August, as well as the June through August months, marks the second warmest summer on record according to scientists at NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) in Asheville, N.C. The persistent heat, combined with below-average precipitation across the southern U.S. during August and the three summer months, continued a record-breaking drought across the region.

The average U.S. temperature in August was 75.7 degrees F, which is 3.0 degrees above the long-term (1901-2000) average, while the summertime temperature was 74.5 degrees F, which is 2.4 degrees above average. The warmest August on record for the contiguous United States was 75.8 degrees F in 1983, while its warmest summer on record at 74.6 degrees F occurred in 1936. Precipitation across the nation during August averaged 2.31 inches, 0.29 inches below the long-term average. The nationwide summer precipitation was 1.0 inch below average.

This monthly analysis, based on records dating back to 1895, is part of the suite of climate services NOAA provides.

• Excessive heat in six states – Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana – resulted in their warmest August on record. This year ranked in the top ten warmest August for five other states: Florida (3rd), Georgia (4th), Utah (5th), Wyoming (8th), and South Carolina (9th).The Southwest and South also had their warmest August on record.

• Only nine of the lower 48 states experienced August temperatures near average, and no state had August average temperatures below average.

• Wetter-than-normal conditions were widespread across the Northeastern United States, which had its second wettest August, as well as parts of the Northern Plains and California.  Drier-than-normal conditions reigned across the interior West, the Midwest, and the South.

• Hurricane Irene made landfall near Cape Lookout, N.C. as a Category 1 storm on August 27, marking the first hurricane landfall in the U.S. since Hurricane Ike in September 2008. Irene made a second landfall in New Jersey as a hurricane on August 28, marking only the second recorded hurricane landfall in that state.

• Irene contributed to New Jersey, New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire having their wettest August on record. Meanwhile, Massachusetts (2nd), Connecticut (2nd), Delaware (3rd), Maine (3rd), Maryland (5th), Pennsylvania (5th), and Rhode Island (9th) had a top 10 wet August.

• Several major U.S. cities broke all-time monthly rainfall amounts during August. New York City (Central Park) measured 18.95 inches of rain, exceeding the previous record of 16.85 inches in 1882. In Philadelphia, 19.31 inches of rain was observed, besting the previous monthly record of 13.07 inches in September 1999.

• Louisiana (3rd), Tennessee (4th), Texas (5th), Mississippi (6th), Georgia, (6th), Illinois (8th), Washington (9th), and Alabama (9th) had precipitation totals among their top ten driest on record.

• Despite record rainfall in parts of the country, drought covered about one-third of the contiguous United States, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The Palmer Hydrologic Drought Index indicated that parts of Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas are experiencing drought of greater intensity, but not yet duration, than those of the 1930s and 1950s. Drought intensity refers to the rate at which surface and ground water is lost, due to a combination of several factors, including evaporation and lack of precipitation.

• An analysis of Texas statewide tree-ring records dating back to 1550 indicates that the summer 2011 drought in Texas is matched by only one summer (1789), indicating that the summer 2011 drought appears to be unusual even in the context of the multi-century tree-ring record.

   

• Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Louisiana had their warmest (June-August) summers on record. Average summer temperatures in Texas and Oklahoma, at 86.8 degrees F and 86.5 degrees F, respectively, exceeded the previous seasonal statewide average temperature record for any state during any season. The previous warmest summer statewide average temperature was in Oklahoma, during 1934 at 85.2 degrees F.

• Fifteen states had a summer average temperature ranking among their top ten warmest. West of the Rockies, a persistent trough brought below-average temperatures to the Pacific Northwest, where Washington and Oregon were the only states across the lower 48 to have below-average summer temperatures.

• Texas had its driest summer on record, with a statewide average of 2.44 inches of rain. This is 5.29 inches below the long-term average, and 1.04 inches less than the previous driest summer in 1956. New Mexico had its second driest summer and Oklahoma its third driest summer. New Jersey and California had their wettest summers on record with 22.50 inches and 1.93 inches, respectively.

• The U.S. Climate Extremes Index, a measure of the percent area of the country experiencing extreme climate conditions, was nearly four times the average value was during summer 2011. This is the third largest summer value of the record, which dates to 1910. The major drivers were extremes in warm minimum and maximum temperatures and in the wet and dry tails of the Palmer Drought Severity Index.

• Based on NOAA's Residential Energy Demand Temperature Index, the contiguous U.S. temperature-related energy demand was 22.3 percent above average during summer. This is the largest such value during the index’s period of record, which dates to 1895.

Other U.S. climate highlights

• During the six-month period (March-August), much-above-average temperatures dominated the southern and eastern United States. New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Florida, all experienced their warmest March-August on record. Cooler-than-average temperatures dominated the West and Northwest.

• For the year-to-date period, the average statewide temperature for Texas was 69.9 degrees F, the warmest such period on record for the state. This bests the previous record for the year-to-date period of 69.8 degrees F in 2000.

• For precipitation year-to-date, New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana have all had their driest January-August periods on record, while Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut were record wet during the same period.

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2011/20110908_auguststats.html