WEEKLY CLIMATE NEWS

22-26 June 2015

DataStreme Earth Climate System will return for Fall 2015 with new Investigations files starting during Preview Week, Monday, 24 August 2015. All the current online website products will continue to be available throughout the summer break period.

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Lightning Awareness Week -- The nation will celebrate its annual National Lightning Safety Awareness Week this upcoming week, 21 through 27 June 2015, as declared by NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS). On average, 55 people in the nation are killed annual by lightning and numerous more are injured. NWS, in conjunction with other sponsors, has a "Lightning Safety" website, http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/, that has links to a variety of informational and teacher resource materials. As many as 20 states are also observing this week with statewide activities.
TRMM spacecraft reenters tropical atmosphere -- According to the U.S. Strategic Command's Joint Functional Component Command for Space, NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) spacecraft reentered the Earth's atmosphere over the South Indian Ocean late Monday 15 June (Eastern Time) and broke apart as it traveled through the atmosphere. As many as 12 pieces of the spacecraft could have reached the ocean surface. The TRMM satellite, which was launched in 1997, collected precipitation data across the Earth's tropical and subtropical latitudes until April. [NASA News]

CURRENT CLIMATE MONITORING

Review of global weather and climate for May 2015 -- Scientists at NOAA's National Climatic Data Center report that the recently concluded month of May was the warmest May since sufficiently dense global climate records began in 1880. They based their report on preliminary calculations of the combined global land and ocean surface temperature for May 2015, which was 1.57 Fahrenheit degrees (0.87 Celsius degrees) above the 20th century (1901-2000) average May temperature. This temperature reading exceeded the previous record that was set one year ago by 0.14 Fahrenheit degrees. When considered separately, the average May 2015 land surface temperature was 2.30 Fahrenheit degrees above the 20th century average, which meant that this temperature tied the reading for May 2012 for the highest May land temperature since 1880. The global ocean surface temperature for May 2015 was 1.30 Fahrenheit degrees above the 20th century average, which also represented a record May sea surface temperature. The El Niño event has developed, with above average sea surface temperatures across the east and central equatorial Pacific Ocean
In addition, the combined global land and ocean surface temperature for the last three months (March through May), which is considered meteorological spring in the Northern Hemisphere (fall in the Southern Hemisphere), was the highest since 1880. [NOAA/NCDC State of the Climate]
The average Arctic sea ice extent for May 2015 was the third smallest extent for May since satellite records began in 1979, while the corresponding sea ice extent around Antarctica was the largest on record for May according to data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center.
A global map of Selected Significant Climate Anomalies and Events for May 2014 is available from NCDC.
Revised sea surface temperature time series released -- Scientists at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (formerly National Climatic Data Centers) recently released an updated global monthly sea surface temperature analysis dataset identified as version 4 of the Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature (ERSST v4). This dataset, which has global sea surface temperature data for each month extending back to 1880, represents an improvement on previous versions in that contains greater coverage in high-latitude ice-free oceans, updated sea ice data and improved ship bias corrections. [NOAA NCEI News]
Interpreting the significance of ranking hottest years -- NOAA climate scientist Deke Arndt has written a blog entitled "Is Second Place Really 'First Loser'?" that represents a follow-up on a blog that he posted earlier this month in which he thought that the year 2015 could surpass 2014 as having the highest annual global temperature since a sufficiently detailed global temperature record commenced in 1880. In the current blog, Deke discussed the significance of ranking and how it can be interpreted or misinterpreted. [NOAA Climate.gov News]
An energetic start to hurricane season in eastern North Pacific basin -- Within the first month of the 2015 hurricane season in the eastern North Pacific (from the western coast of North and Central America to longitude 140 degrees West), three hurricanes have formed in this basin. Two of these hurricanes (Andres and Blanca) reached major category 4 hurricane status on the Saffir-Simpson Scale as maximum sustained surface winds surrounding both hurricanes reached at least 140 mph. Satellite image animations of these two hurricanes are available. The rapid start to the season in the eastern Pacific appears to be due in part to the current El Niño event that is spreading warmer than average water across the eastern equatorial and tropical sections of the basin. [NOAA Climate.gov News]
Instrumented "Saildrones" successfully complete test mission in cold Bering Sea waters -- Two instrumented autonomous surface vehicles called "Saildrones" from NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory successfully completed a 6-week test run in the cold waters of the eastern Bering Sea off the southwestern coast of Alaska. These remotely controlled wind- and solar-powered "Saildrone" vehicles are equipped with meteorological and oceanographic sensors that would permit the increased collection of observational data in the harsh environment of the remote polar oceans. [ NOAA Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research News]
Another early start made to the noctilucent cloud season -- Scientists who analyzed data obtained from sensors onboard NASA's AIM (Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere) spacecraft report that noctilucent clouds returned over the Northern Hemisphere's polar cap by the second week of June 2015. These noctilucent clouds, or electric blue ice clouds, are found in the high mesosphere during the summer season at altitudes of approximately 85 km. This year's observance of noctilucent clouds by satellite and ground observers came slightly more than three weeks after last year's observance that marked the earliest start to the noctilucent cloud season since 2007. Earlier observances of noctilucent clouds may be the result of increased atmospheric greenhouse gases. [NASA Earth Observatory]
One-third of planet's large groundwater basins are in distress -- Using data collected by NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites between 2003 and 2013, an international team of researchers have found that nearly one-third of the Earth's 37 largest groundwater basins and aquifers are being rapidly depleted by human consumption, exceeding sustainability tipping points. As many as 13 of these groundwater basins considered significantly distressed, threatening regional water security and resilience. [NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory]
Spacecraft carrying ocean salinity monitoring instrument ceases operation -- At the end of the first week of June, the international Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft that carried the NASA-built ocean salinity measuring instrument ended due to the spacecraft's power and attitude control system stopped operating. The spacecraft, which represented a collaboration between NASA and Argentina's space agency, Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales, was launched in 2011 on a mission to make space-based measurements of ocean surface salinity. The spacecraft successfully achieved its science objectives and completed its primary three-year mission in November 2014. [NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory News]

CLIMATE FORCING

Distinguishing between "global warming" and "climate change" -- A Q&A feature on the NOAA Climate.gov website distinguishes between the often used terms "global warming" and "climate change." Briefly, global warming typically refers to the recent increases in the Earth's surface temperature, while "climate change" represents alterations in the planetary climate including changes not only in air temperature, as well as changes in precipitation patterns and glaciers. [NOAA Climate.gov News & Features]

CLIMATE FORECASTS

New Seasonal Climate Outlooks for this summer and early fall issued -- Near the end of last week, forecasters at the NOAA Climate Prediction Center (CPC) released their new national Three-Month (Seasonal) Climate Outlooks for July through September 2015, corresponding to the last two months of the meteorological summer season (in the Northern Hemisphere) and the first month of meteorological autumn. Specific details of their outlooks include:
- Temperature and precipitation outlooks -- According to their temperature outlook, states along the West Coast along with some sections of the Intermountain West should experience a high chance of above average temperatures for these three upcoming months. The Atlantic Seaboard also appeared to have a good chance for having above average temperatures. On the other hand, sections of the southern and central Plains, together with adjacent areas of the lower and middle Mississippi Valley could have a better than even chance of below average temperatures running through the end of September. Their outlook indicates that the remainder of the nation would have nearly equal chances of warmer or cooler than normal conditions.
  Their precipitation outlook calls for better than even chances of dry conditions for the summer and early autumn of 2015 along the western and central Gulf Coast, running across the Southeastern and the Middle Atlantic States. Conversely, the outlook would suggest a good chance of a wet summer across the southern and central Rockies, along with the southern high Plains that include the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles. The rest of the 48 contiguous states should have equal chances of below and above average summer-early fall precipitation.
  A summary of the prognostic discussion of the 3-month outlook for non-technical users is available from CPC. These forecasts were based in part that an El Niño event with above average sea surface temperatures across the equatorial Pacific is currently developing and should continue to strengthen through the end of summer and through late fall.. A description is also provided as how to read these 3-class, 3-month Outlook maps.
- Seasonal Drought Outlook released -- The forecasters at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center also released their US Seasonal Drought Outlook last week that would run from late-June through September 2015. Their outlook would call for persistence or development of drought conditions across the western quarter of the nation, extending from the Great Basin and Intermountain West to the Pacific Coast. Sections of the Carolinas and southeast Georgia could also see development of drought. Several areas across the Southwest, the Ohio Valley and the Northeast could experience some improvement in drought conditions Some of these areas could have drought conditions removed. Note: a Seasonal Drought Outlook Discussion is included describing the forecasters' confidence.
Average "dead zone" predicted for this summer in Gulf of Mexico ....-- Scientists with NOAA's National Ocean Service, the US Geological Survey and several academic research institutions issued a joint news release last week that reports the researchers predicting the size of the Gulf of Mexico's hypoxic zone (also known as the "dead zone") for this upcoming summer 2015 to be approximately the same as the average size over the last several years. The dead zone in the Gulf waters holds very little oxygen and is the result of excessive nutrient pollution. The current outlook incorporates the statistics generated by four hypoxia models for the first time. [NOAA National Ocean Service News]

CLIMATE AND THE BIOSPHERE

Arctic Ocean off Alaska rapidly becoming more corrosive to marine life -- Researchers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have determined that the surface waters of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off the northern coast of Alaska are becoming more acidic over the last decade. This research team had collected water temperature, salinity and dissolved carbon during month-long expeditions to these waters in 2011 and 2012 onboard the US Coast Guard Cutter Healy. The increased acidity appears to be the result of increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide that are being absorbed by the surface waters. The continued decline of calcium carbonate (in the ocean waters known as aragonite) may impact the ability of tiny shelled animals to exist in these waters. Therefore, the researchers warn that the acidity of the waters of the Arctic Ocean off Alaska could reach levels that would threaten the ability of marine animals to build and maintain their shells by 2030. They also foresee the Bering Sea to the west of Alaska could reach this level of acidity by 2044. [NOAA Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research News]

CLIMATE AND SOCIETY

US Climate Resilience Toolkit gets Presidential recognition -- During a visit to NOAA's National Hurricane Center just before the beginning of the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season, President Barack Obama specifically mentioned the "Climate Resilience Toolkit" when discussing the importance of making the nation's communities more resilient to a changing climate. This online toolkit, which represents a key part to his Climate Action Plan, was developed through a partnership between various federal agencies and organizations with the goal of making this toolkit a vital resource for decision-makers looking to take action and boost their climate resilience. [NOAA Climate Program Office News]
Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Historical Events:

22 June 1947...Heavy rains deluged Holt, MO as a foot of rain fell in 42 minutes, still a world's record rainfall rate for the fastest foot of rain accumulation. (The Weather Doctor)
22 June 1987...Thunderstorms in New York State produced 5.01 inches of rain in 24 hours at Buffalo, an all-time record for that location.
The temperature at Fairbanks, AK soared to 92 degrees, establishing a record for the date. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
22 June 1988...Tucson, AZ reported an all-time record high of 114 degrees, surpassing the previous record of 112 degrees established a day earlier. Highs of 98 degrees at Pittsburgh, PA and 100 degrees at Baltimore, MD tied records for the month of June. (The National Weather Summary)
22 June 2003...The largest recorded hailstone in the United States fell on Aurora, NE. The diameter of this hailstone was 7 inches, and its circumference was 18.75 inches. (Northern Indiana NWSFO) The National Weather Service reported this hailstone was the largest ever documented in the U.S. by size, but the second largest hailstone by weight.
The mercury peaked at 95 degrees in the northern community of Moosonee, Ontario, the hottest June day ever recorded here. (The Weather Doctor)
23 June 1902...The temperature at Volcano Springs, CA soared to 129 degrees to set a June record high temperature for the U.S. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders)
23 June 1982...The temperature fell to all-time record low of 117 degrees below zero for Antarctica's South Pole Weather Station. (The Weather Doctor)
24 June 1946...Mellen, WI received 11.72 inches of rain, setting a 24-hour maximum precipitation record for the Badger State. (NCDC)
24 June 1972...Rainier Park Ranger Station in Washington State had 4.4 inches of snow on this day. This turned out to be the last snowfall for the 1971-72 season and brought the seasonal total to 1122 inches -- a new single season snowfall record for the U.S. (Intellicast)
24 June 1988...Forty-three cities reported record high temperatures for the date. Valentine, NE reported an all-time record high of 110 degrees, and highs of 102 degrees at Casper, WY, 103 degrees at Reno, NV, and 106 degrees at Winnemucca, NV were records for the month of June. Highs of 98 degrees at Logan, UT and 109 degrees at Rapid City, SD equaled June records. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
25 June 1925...The mercury hit 101 degrees at Portland, OR, their earliest 100 degree reading of record. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders)
25 June 1953...The temperature at Anchorage, AK soared to 86 degrees, their highest reading of record. (The Weather Channel)
25 June 1988...Fifty-two cities in the central and eastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Highs of 100 degrees at Erie, PA and 104 degrees at Cleveland, OH established all- time records for those two locations. Highs of 101 degrees at Flint, MI, 105 degrees at Chicago, IL, and 106 degrees at Fort Wayne, IN equaled all-time records. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
Southwestern Ontario experienced a heat wave as the mercury soared to 104.4 degrees in Windsor and 100.8 degrees in London, the hottest day ever recorded in these cities. (The Weather Doctor)
26 June 1931...The temperature soared to 92 degrees at Anchorage, AK, the highest reading of record to date for that city. (The Weather Doctor)
27 June 1915...The temperature at Fort Yukon, AK soared to 100 degrees to establish a state record. (The Weather Channel)
27 June 1988...The afternoon high of 107 degrees at Bismarck, ND was a record for the month of June, and Pensacola, FL equaled their June record with a reading of 101 degrees. Temperatures in the Great Lakes Region and the Ohio Valley dipped into the 40s. (The National Weather Summary)
27 June 1994...The temperature reached 122 degrees at the Waste Isolation Treatment Plant east of Carlsbad, NM to set the state high temperature record for New Mexico. In Oklahoma, the temperature at the mesonet station near Tipton reached 120 degrees, setting an all-time record for the Sooner State. (NCDC) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
28 June 1892...The temperature at Orogrande, UT soared to 116 degrees to establish a record for the Beehive State. This record was broken by one degree in July 1985. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders)
28 June 1954...The temperature at Camden, SC reached 111 degrees to establish an all-time high temperature record for the Palmetto State. (NCDC)
28 June 1960...The maximum 24-hour precipitation record for the Bluegrass State was established at Dunmor, KY when 10.40 inches fell. (NCDC)
28 June 1976...Temperature reached 96 degrees in Southampton, England's Mayflower Park for the highest temperature ever in June in England. (The Weather Doctor)
28 June 1980...The temperature at Wichita Falls, TX soared to 117 degrees, their highest reading of record. Daily highs were 110 degrees or above between the 24^th of June and the 3^rd of July. (The Weather Channel)
28 June 1994...Laughlin, NV reached 125 degrees, the state's all-time record high temperature. (Intellicast) The temperature at Monahans, TX reached 120 degrees to set a new high temperature record for the Lone Star State. (NCDC)

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