WEEKLY CLIMATE NEWS

12-16 January 2015

DataStreme Earth's Climate Systems will return for Spring 2015 with new Investigations files starting during Preview Week, Monday, 19 January 2015. All the current online website products, including updated issues of Weekly Climate News, will continue to be available throughout the winter break period.

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Approaching coldest time of the year -- This upcoming week is the third week of January, which for many locations across the nation typically marks the coldest week of the year, as indicated by the daily normal high and low temperatures. Usually, those stations located away from the moderating influences of the oceans reach their lowest temperatures during the third week of January, or a roughly one month after the winter solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere receives the fewest hours of daylight and the smallest amounts of solar radiation. During that month, temperatures continue to fall to their lowest typical values as cooling continues. However, the increased length of daylight and increased sunshine during this month begins to warm the ground and overlying atmosphere as normal daily temperatures begin to rise toward their highest levels in mid to late July.
Worldwide GLOBE at Night 2015 Campaign commences -- The series of GLOBE at Night citizen-science campaigns for 2015 will begin with a 10-night campaign that runs from 11 January through 20 January. 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 (Orion in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres) 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. [GLOBE at Night]
Free admission into the National Parks and Forests-- Next Monday, 19 January 2015, has been designated by the National Park Service as a fee-free day in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. This fee waiver will cover entrance and commercial tour fees in many of the national parks and monuments administered by the Park Service. [National Park Service Fee Free Days]

CURRENT CLIMATE STATUS

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Review of national weather and climate for December 2014 and for the calendar year -- Scientists at NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) have released reports based upon their preliminary analysis of temperature and precipitation data collected through the end of December 2014 from across the nation. Based upon the data processed through late last week, they report:

??? December 2014 was cold and slightly dry -- The nationwide average December temperature across the coterminous United States was 2.0 Fahrenheit degrees below the 20th-century (1901-2000) average, making this past month the 21st coldest December since a sufficiently dense national climate observing network was established in 1895. Nearly half the 48 coterminous states (22) reported statewide December temperatures that were either below or much below the long-term "normals." Most of these states were found across the West, the Plains and the Upper Midwest. The statewide December temperatures in Minnesota and North Dakota were within the 10 lowest in 119 years. On the other hand, eight Southeastern and Middle Atlantic States reported above average monthly temperatures, with Florida have the sixth warmest December on record.
The nationwide precipitation total for December across the country was approximately one-tenths of an inch below the 20th century average, placing this past month as the 51st driest November since 1895. The national precipitation total for autumn 2012 was 0.06 inches below the 20th century precipitation average. The states along the Pacific Coast were very dry, with California reporting its second driest December on record, Oregon its third driest and Washington its sixth driest. Several other states across the interior Northwest, the central Rockies and Plains and the lower Mississippi Valley also reported below average December precipitation totals. On the other hand, over 20 states across the northern Rockies, the northern Plains, the Midwest, the Midde-Atlantic and the Southeast had above to much above average December precipitation. States that had December precipitation totals in the top 10 on record were Alabama, Georgia, North Dakota, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. [NOAA/NCDC State of the Climate]"

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/summary-info/national/2014/12
Earlier this week, NOAA released a written narrative about the Climate of 2014 across the USA. It is an interesting read. In summary 2014 was ranked as the 34th warmest across the country, though many Midwestern states reported one of their coldest years. It was the coldest year in Minnesota since 1996. It was also the 3rd consecutive year with below normal tornado activity across the USA, and the fewest tornadoes since 1982.

The NOAA-Climate Prediction Center released an El Nino Update this week which reduced the chances that a true El Nino episode will evolve this winter, dropping the chances to 50-60 percent. Many of the models used now estimate a return to El Nino neutral conditions for much of the year 2015.

Calendar year of 2013 was slightly warm but wet in some parts of the US -- The preliminary average temperature for the coterminous United States during the recently concluded 2013 was 52.4 degrees Fahrenheit, which was slightly (0.3 Fahrenheit degrees) above the 20th-century average. As the 37th warmest year since 1895, the calendar year of 2013 was relatively cool as compared with the previous year of 2012, which marked the warmest calendar year since relatively reliable climate records began. Many of the states across the Mississippi Valley and the Southeast experienced below average annual temperatures, while states across the West and in the Northeast had above average statewide temperatures. California tied for the 12th warmest year on record.
The nationwide average precipitation across the 48 coterminous states for 2013 was 31.17 inches, which was slightly more than two inches above the 20th century average, or equivalently, the 21st wettest year on record since 1895. While the majority of states to the east of the Rockies had above to much above annual precipitation totals, the five Western States had below to much below annual precipitation. North Dakota and Michigan had their wettest years on record, while California experienced its driest calendar year in 119 years. [NOAA/NCDC State of the Climate] Additional preliminary information concerning significant weather and climate events during 2013 are also available. [NOAA/NCDC 2013 US Annual Report]
NOTE: A description is provided of the climatological rankings employed by NCDC for their monthly, seasonal and annual maps. [NOAA/NCDC]

Updated El Niño outlook released -- Late last week forecasters at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center released their monthly El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Diagnostic Discussion in which they still maintained their El Niño watch, lowering the odds of an El Niño event during the remainder of this upcoming Northern Hemisphere winter (Jan through February) to between 50 and 60 percent.
-- fix They envision that an El Niño event that could emerge late this winter would likely be weak and the eplaced by a last into the Northern hemisphere spring (March through May) 2015. A description of the forecasters' reasoning for the slightly reduced probability levels is provided. [NOAA Climate Prediction Center]
Extreme weather/climate events in US during 2014 -- Last week NOAA's National Climatic Data Center reported that eight weather and climate disaster events occurred during 2014 that each produced at least $1 billion in losses. These events included five severe thunderstorm/tornado outbreaks, one major flood event and the major drought and heat wave across the Western United States. Furthermore, these seven events appear to have caused 109 deaths. Note that the seven "billion-dollar" events in 2014 were less than the 11 weather and climate extreme events that occurred during 2012 and claimed 349 lives. [NOAA NCDC News]
" In 2014, there were 8 weather and climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each across the United States. These events included a drought event, a flooding event, 5 severe storm events, and a winter storm event. Overall, these events resulted in the deaths of 53 people and had significant economic effects on the areas impacted. Further cost data and figures on individual events in 2014 will be announced in mid-2015."
-check -- Annual national drought report for 2014 -- The National Climate Data Center has posted its 2014 annual drought report online. This report describes how the areas experiencing drought and wet conditions changed throughout the last calendar year. Using the Palmer Drought Severity Index (a commonly used indicator of drought conditions), approximately 61 percent of the area of the coterminous United States experienced moderate to exceptional drought conditions at the start of January 2013. By the end of December 2013, the size of the moderate to extreme drought was approximately 18 percent of the coterminous United States, while the area with severely to extremely wet conditions had shrunk to 18 percent of the area. Additional drought information is also available on the December 2013 online drought report.

CLIMATE FORECASTS

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CLIMATE AND THE BIOSPHERE

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CLIMATE FORCING

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CLIMATE AND SOCIETY

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Check -- New advances in climate science made by NOAA Climate Program Office in 2013 -- NOAA's Climate Program Office (CPO) recently identified some of the advances made by this office in climate observation, research, modeling, and decision support activities for society. In terms of observing the climate system, CPO helped in the preparation of the "2012 State of the Climate" report that identified the calendar year of 2012 as being one of the 10 warmest years on record globally and the annual "Arctic Report Card" was released indicating that the Arctic basin had slightly lower temperatures during the 2013 summer. The CPO also helped fund the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 5th Assessment Report on "The Physical Science Basis" that was released in September 2013. [NOAA Climate Program Office News]
Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Historical Events:

12 January 1912...The morning low temperature of 47 degrees below zero at Washta, IA established a state record for the Hawkeye State. (The Weather Channel) (This record was tied in February 1996 at Elkader).
12 January 1981...The temperature fell to 35 degrees below zero at Chester, MA, setting an all-time record low temperature for the Bay State. (NCDC)
12 January 1985...A record "snowstorm of the century" struck portions of western and south central Texas. The palm trees of San Antonio were blanketed with up to thirteen and a half inches of snow, more snow than was ever previously received in an entire winter season. Del Rio measured 5.5 inches, which was also their most snow ever in 24 hours as well as for any season. (Weather Channel) (Storm Data) (Intellicast)
13 January 1862...The "Noachian flood of California" created a vast sea in the Sacramento Valley. San Francisco had a January rainfall total of 24.36 inches. (Intellicast)
13 January 1871...The mercury plunged to 41 degrees Fahrenheit at Key West, FL, the lowest reading ever at this farthest south location in the contiguous US. The mark was tied on 12 January 1993. (The Weather Doctor)
13 January 1888...The mercury plunged to 65 degrees below zero at Fort Keogh, located near Miles City, MT. The reading stood as the all-time lowest temperature record for the continental U.S. for sixty-six years. (David Ludlum)
13 January.1912...The temperature at Oakland, MD plunged to 40 degrees below zero to establish a state record. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987)
14 January 1863...The greatest snowstorm of record for Cincinnati, OH commenced, and a day later twenty inches of snow covered the ground. That total has remained far above the modern day record for Cincinnati of eleven inches of snow in one storm. (David Ludlum)
14 January 1863...The greatest snowstorm of record for Cincinnati, OH commenced, and a day later twenty inches of snow covered the ground. That total has remained far above the modern day record for Cincinnati of eleven inches of snow in one storm. (David Ludlum)
14 January 1972...A 24-hour temperature for the United States occurred at Loma, MT when the temperature rose from 54 degrees below zero at 9 AM on the 14th to 49 degrees on the 15th, which represented a 103-Fahrenheit degree temperature change in 24-hours. This record was not acknowledged until 2002, when it was recognized due to recommendation of the National Climate Extremes Committee. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
14 January 1979...Chicago, IL was in the midst of their second heaviest snow of record as, in thirty hours, the city was buried under 20.7 inches of snow. The twenty-nine inch snow cover following the storm was an all-time record for Chicago. (David Ludlum)
15 January 1952...A six-day snowstorm was in progress in the western U.S. The storm produced 44 inches of snow at Marlette Lake, NV, 52 inches at Sun Valley, ID and 149 inches at Tahoe CA, establishing single storm records for each of those three states. In addition, 24-hour snowfall totals of 22 inches at the University of Nevada and 26 inches at Arco, ID established records for those two states. The streamliner, City of San Francisco was snowbound in the Sierra Nevada Range, near Donner Summit. (David Ludlum)
15 January 1988...A small storm over the Atlantic Ocean produced heavy snow along the coast of North Carolina. The five inch total at Wilmington, NC was their third highest for any storm in January in 117 years of records. (National Weather Summary)
16 January 1881...The temperature at Markree Castle (County Sligo) fell to 2 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit), Ireland's lowest temperature of record. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
16 January 1889...The temperature at Cloncurry, Queensland reached 128 degrees F, the highest ever reported in Australia. (The Weather Doctor)
16 January 1881...The temperature at Markree Castle (County Sligo) fell to 2 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit), Ireland's lowest temperature of record. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
16 January 1889...The temperature at Cloncurry, Queensland reached 128 degrees F, the highest ever reported in Australia. (The Weather Doctor)
17 January 1893...The mercury dipped to 17 degrees below zero at Millsboro, DE to establish a state record. (The Weather Channel)
17 January 1972...A single storm unloaded 77.5 inches of snow at Summit, MT to establish a state record. (The Weather Channel)
17 January 1988...A Pacific storm battered the southern coast of California. Los Angeles reported an all-time record low barometric pressure reading of 29.25 inches. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
18 January 1930...The record low temperature for the state of Oregon was set at Seneca when the thermometer dipped to 54 degrees below zero. (Intellicast)
18 January 1943...The record low temperature for the state of Oklahoma was set at Watts when the mercury dipped to 27 degrees below zero. The record low temperature for the state of Idaho was set at Island Park Dam when the temperature fell to 60 degrees below zero. (Intellicast)
18 January 1957...The record low temperature for the state of Massachusetts was set at Birch Hill Dam when the mercury fell to 35 degrees below zero. This record was tied in January 1981. (Intellicast)
18 January 1977...The record low temperature for the state of South Carolina was set near Long Creek when the mercury plunged to 20 degrees below zero. (Intellicast)
18-22 January 1978...The Atlantic's first-ever January subtropical storm with tropical characteristics since records began in 1871 organized 1500 miles east-northeast of Puerto Rico. The storm finally dissipated on the 22nd approximately 200 miles north of Puerto Rico. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
18-27 January 1980...Tropical Cyclone Hyacinthe produced of rainfall over the 10-day period at Commerson, La Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean to set the global mark for rainfall from a tropical cyclone during a 10-day period. The same storm dumped 127.6 inches of rain in just 72 hours at Grand-Ilet, La Reunion Island. (The Weather Doctor)

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