WEEKLY CLIMATE NEWS

15-19 May 2017

DataStreme Earth Climate System will return for Fall 2017 with new Investigations files starting during Preview Week, Monday, 21 August 2017. All the current online website products will continue to be available throughout the summer break period.

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Hurricane season to begin in the eastern North Pacific -- The 2017 hurricane season in the eastern North Pacific Ocean basin begins this Monday, 15 May 2017. The hurricane season in the central North Pacific basin and the North Atlantic basin, including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico will begin in two weeks on 1 June. The official hurricane seasons in all of these basins end on 30 November 2017.
Worldwide GLOBE at Night 2017 Campaign commences -- The fifth in a series of GLOBE at Night citizen-science campaigns for 2017 will commence this Wednesday (17 May) and continue through Friday, 26 May. GLOBE at Night is a worldwide, hands-on science and education program designed to encourage citizen-scientists worldwide to record the brightness of their night sky by matching the appearance of a constellation (Leo in the Northern Hemisphere and Crux in the Southern Hemisphere) with the seven magnitude/star charts of progressively fainter stars. Activity guides are also available. The GLOBE at night program is intended to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution. The next series in the 2017 campaign is scheduled for 16-25 June 2017. [GLOBE at Night]
Zenithal Sun -- This week marks one of the two times during the year when the noontime sun is directly overhead to residents on the Big Island on about 14 May at South Cape (Ka Lae at 18.9 deg North latitude and 155.68 degrees West longitude) and on 18-19 May at Hilo; those on Oahu (Honolulu metropolitan area) will experience the noon sun at the zenith in approximately two more weeks (25-27 May). The sun will again be over the Big Island during the last week of July. [US Naval Observatory, Data Services]
North American Safe Boating Week -- On this upcoming Saturday (20 May), the 2017 National Safe Boating Week will start and run through Friday, 26 May. This week helps launch the 2017 North American Safe Boating Campaign. Check the Safe Boating Week site maintained by the Safe Boating Council. In addition, Friday 19 May has been designated as "Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day", followed by "Life Jacket World Record Day" on 20 May.

CURRENT CLIMATE STATUS

National weather and climate reviewed for April 2017 -- Scientists at the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) reported that their analysis of preliminary April 2017 data indicates the monthly average temperature for the 48 coterminous states was 2.7 Fahrenheit degrees above the 20th-century (1901-2000) average, which made this past month the eleventh warmest April since 1895 when comprehensive climate records became available nationwide. In addition, the nationwide maximum or daytime temperature was 2.4 Fahrenheit degrees above the long-term average (or 20th highest on record), while the nationwide minimum or nighttime temperature was 3.0 Fahrenheit degrees above average (or sixth highest since 1895).
The majority of the 48 contiguous states (39) reported above to much above average April statewide average temperatures, with essentially all the states to the east of the Mississippi River experiencing much above average temperatures. Eight states (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia) experienced their highest statewide average temperatures in the 123-year period of record. On the other hand, states across the northwestern quadrant of the nation (centered on Washington) reported near average to below average statewide April temperatures. Alaska experienced its sixth April since sufficiently dense weather records began in 1925.
Monthly precipitation across the lower 48 states for April 2016 was approximately 0.91 inches above the 20th-century monthly average, which made this month the second wettest April on record. Many of the states across the nation reported above to much above average statewide April precipitation. Fourteen states extending from the Pacific Northwest Coast eastward across the Rockies, the central Plains, the Midwest and the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Coast had statewide precipitation totals that ranked in the top 10 on record for the month. North Carolina had its wettest April in 123 years. Arizona and North Dakota were the only two states reporting below average statewide precipitation totals.
Alaska had its second driest April in 93 years. [NOAA/NCEI State of the Climate]
NOTE: A description is provided of the climatological rankings employed by NCEI for their monthly and seasonal maps. [NOAA/NCEI]
April national drought report -- The National Centers for Environmental Information has posted its April 2017 drought report online. Using the Palmer Drought Severity Index, approximately four percent of the contiguous United States experienced severe to extreme drought conditions at the end of April, while fifteen percent of the area had severely to extremely wet conditions.
Early May torrential rains create flood emergency in Montreal, Quebec -- A contractor with NOAA's Climate Program Office wrote a feature for the ClimateWatch Magazine that considers how the recent spring storms have brought heavy precipitation totals to Ontario and Quebec that have resulted in flooding. Some areas have had twice normal spring precipitation so far this year. The above average accumulated precipitation in spring 2017 appears to conform to the report from Environment Canada that total spring precipitation across eastern Canada has increased over the last six decades. [NOAA News]

CURRENT CLIMATE MONITORING

Temperature data collected by the bucket -- Sea surface temperature observations prior to the mid 20th century were primarily obtained from measurements of the temperatures of sea water samples collected by scientists and sailors collected from the upper 10 feet of the sea using wooden buckets. Since the mid 20th century, sea surface temperatures have been taken from thermal sensors using water entering the engine room intakes or by drifting buoys. Many of these records extending back to the early 19th century are archived at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. [NOAA NCEI News]
Glaciers in Montana rapidly shrinking over last half century -- A recent report released by the US Geological Survey (USGS) and Portland State University notes that 39 glaciers in Montana have dramatically decreased in size during the 50 years since 1966. The average reduction in glacier size has been 39 percent, with some decreasing by as much as 85 percent. Only 26 glaciers in Montana are now larger than 25 acres, the threshold used for ice bodies to be considered as glaciers. Many of the glaciers studied are in Glacier National Park. A warming climate is considered to be responsible for the shrinkage of the glaciers. [NOAA News]
Increased dust storms in Southwest likely driven by Pacific Ocean changes -- Scientists from NOAA's Air Resources Laboratory and George Mason University recently report that the dramatic increase in the number of wind-driven dust storms across the Southwestern United States appears to the driven by large scale changes in the pattern of sea surface temperatures in the nearby Pacific Ocean. These changes in sea surface temperatures have helped dry out the soil across the Southwest. The researchers have also noted that along with increased dust storms, an major increase has been observed in the number of cases of valley fever, an infectious disease caught by inhaling a soil-dwelling fungus found primarily in the Southwest. [NOAA News]

CLIMATE FORCING

Alaska tundra seen as source of early winter carbon emissions -- Researchers from Harvard University and colleagues recently reported that the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere from tundra areas in northern Alaska between October and December of each year has increased 70 percent since 1975. They based their findings upon analysis of three years of aircraft observations from NASA's Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment (CARVE) airborne mission and from NOAA's 41-year record of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations measured from ground towers in Barrow, AK. [NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory News]
Computer model simulates stealth solar storms -- An international team of scientists from the US and France has developed a computer model that simulates the evolution of stealth coronal mass ejections, or solar storms that eject solar material into space without typical warning signs. The researchers fine-tuned their model simulations using space-based observations from NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) and Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). A animation of a stealth CME simulation is provided that shows its evolution involving changes in the solar magnetic field over time due in part to the Sun's rotation. The stealth solar storms can cause minor to moderate disturbances to Earth's magnetic field. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]
Absorption of carbon dioxide by oceans exceeds methane emissions from seafloor seeps -- In a study conducted by researchers with the USGS (US Geological Survey) Gas Hydrates Project and collaborators in Germany and Norway, near-surface waters of the Arctic Ocean have been found to absorb 2000 times more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than the amount of methane that escaped into the atmosphere from seafloor methane seeps in these same waters. [USGS News]

CLIMATE FORECASTS

Updated El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Diagnostic Discussion is released -- Late last week forecasters at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) released their monthly El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Diagnostic Discussion. They reported an ENSO-neutral situation continued through April 2017 featuring near-average sea surface temperatures (SST) across the central equatorial Pacific Ocean, and above-average SST values in the eastern equatorial Pacific. Both the atmospheric and oceanic system remain consistent with ENSO-neutral as neither El Niño nor La Niña conditions prevailed. Many of the prediction models used by the forecasters indicate an onset of an El Niño during Northern Hemisphere summer (June, July and August). However, some of the models suggest SST values across the Pacific that would not be sufficiently elevated to warrant entry into a significant or lengthy El Niño event at this time. Since ENSO-neutral and El Niño conditions are nearly equally favored through boreal summer and fall 2017, the CPC's ENSO Alert System Status remained not activate. [NOAA Climate Prediction Center]
An ENSO blog was written by a contractor with CPC describing the difficulty that the CPC and IRI forecasters are having detecting a clear signal as to when an El Niño would develop across the equatorial Pacific in the next three to six months from the current ENSO-neutral conditions. [NOAA Climate.gov News]
An El Niño forecast from Down Under -- Forecasters with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology recently issued an updated forecast, in which they reported that although ENSO-neutral conditions were continuing currently, they foresaw possible development of an El Niño event in the equatorial Pacific Ocean during this calendar year of 2017. Therefore, the Bureau's ENSO Outlook status remains as an El Niño WATCH, meaning the likelihood of El Niño forming in 2017 is approximately 50%. [Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology]

CLIMATE AND SOCIETY

"NOAA Extreme Weather Information Sheets" becoming popular -- Following the 2015 Hurricane Katrina disaster, NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information have been developing a set of 22 "NOAA Extreme Weather Information Sheets" containing important contact information for coastal regions that can be downloaded as a pdf file or as a free app for Apple devices. These sheets, which appear in an easy-to-read format, have been developed for those selected regions that are at high risk from tropical cyclones (tropical storms and hurricanes) along the nation's coasts, including the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts from North Carolina to Texas, the Caribbean Islands of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, and Hawaii. A yearly update of the sheets is planned. The goal of these information sheets is to help the public increase their weather readiness as part of NOAA's Weather-Ready Nation" initiative. [NOAA NCEI News]
Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com]

Historical Events:

15 May 1968...Only tornado of record to have ever touched down in Alaska was spotted near Anchorage. (The Weather Doctor)
Check A tornado touched down southwest of Anchorage, Alaska. It was the second of just three tornadoes reported in Alaska since 1950. (National Weather Service files)
16 May 1917...Marquette, MI had its latest opening of navigation on Lake Superior in history. (Intellicast)
16 May 1924...The temperature at Blitzen, OR soared to 108 degrees to set a state record for the month of May. The record was later tied at Pelton Dam on the 31 May 1986. (The Weather Channel)
17 May 1997...Two inches of snow fell at Herman, MI, marking the last measurable snow for the 1996-1997 snow season. The 384.0 inches for this just concluded snow season broke a state snowfall record that was set the previous 1995-1996 season of 347.0 inches. The average snowfall at Herman is 239.7 inches. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
17 May 1979...A reading of 12 degrees at Mauna Kea Observatory (elevation 13,770 feet) established an all-time record low temperature for the state of Hawaii. (The Weather Channel)
18 May 1960...Salt Lake City, UT received an inch of snow, marking their latest measurable snowfall of record. (The Weather Channel)
18 May 1980...Mount St. Helens in Washington State erupted, ejecting smoke and ash to a height of 63,000 feet. The smoke plume rose to a height of 80,000 feet. The ground was covered with heavy ash to the immediate northeast and visibility was reduced to less than one mile for a downwind distance of 400 miles. Five deaths were caused and over 2000 people were evacuated due to mudslides and flooding when the snowpack melted. Small particles in the cloud reached the East Coast in 3 days and circled the world in 19 days. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast)
19 May 1780...The infamous "dark day" in New England tradition occurred as noon was nearly as dark as night. Chickens went to roost, and many persons were fearful of divine wrath. Forest fires to the west of New England caused the phenomena. (David Ludlum)
19 May 1955...Lake Maloya, NM received 11.28 inches of rain in 24 hours to establish a state record. (The Weather Channel)
19 May 1962...An all-time May record was set when the temperature climbed to 99 degrees at Central Park in New York City. (Intellicast)
20 May 1996...Bridgeport, CT soared to 97 degrees for its highest temperature on record in May. (Intellicast)
21 May 1895...The temperature at Norwalk, OH dipped to 19 degrees to set a state record for the month of May. (The Weather Channel)
21 May 1896...The mercury soared to 124 degrees at Salton, CA to establish an U.S. record for May. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987)
21 May 1980...The temperature at Williston, ND reached 102 degrees to set a record for May, and the next day the mercury hit 106 degrees. (The Weather Channel)

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