WEEKLY CLIMATE NEWS

21-25 July 2014

DataStreme Earth Climate System will return for Fall 2014 with new Investigations files starting during Preview Week, Monday, 25 August 2014. All the current online website products will continue to be available throughout the summer break period.

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Key findings from 2013 State of the Climate report released this week -- During this past week NOAA scientists and their colleagues released a 232-page State of the Climate in 2013 report.
This peer-reviewed study compiled by 425 scientists from 57 countries examines trends in temperature and precipitation, extreme weather and climate events, increases in greenhouse gas concentrations and changes in the polar sea ice around the world in 2013. The study also is published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. [NOAA News]
Peak in the annual temperature curves -- This upcoming week is the fourth full week of July, which for many locations across the nation typically marks the warmest 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 highest temperatures during the third to fourth week of July, or a roughly one month after the summer solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere receives the most hours of daylight and the largest amounts of solar radiation. During July, temperatures continue to rise to their highest typical values as radiational heating continues. However, the length of daylight and the amount of sunshine during this month begin decrease and the normal daily temperatures will begin to fall toward their lowest levels in mid to late January.
Zenithal Sun -- Residents of Hawaii's Big Island will experience a noontime sun that would be directly overhead during this week (22-23 Jul). This occurrence of a zenithal sun is one of the two times during the year when the noontime sun is directly overhead to residents of Hilo and elsewhere on the Big Island. The other time when the Big Island experienced a zenithal sun was in mid May [US Naval Observatory, Data Services]

CURRENT CLIMATE STATUS

National weather and climate reviewed for June 2014 -- Scientists at the NOAA National Climatic Data Center recently reported on their analysis of preliminary weather data collected during the month of June 2014. They found:

The monthly temperature averaged across the coterminous United States for that month was 69.6 degrees Fahrenheit, which was 1.1 Fahrenheit degrees above the 20th-century (1901-2000) average. Consequently, this past June was the 33rd warmest June since 1895 when comprehensive climate records became available nationwide.
Most of the states to the east of the Mississippi River and across the Southwest experienced above average June temperatures. California and Arizona had statewide temperatures that ranked eleventh highest in the 120 year period of record. On the other hand, Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming had much below average June temperatures, ranking in the lowest third of June temperatures.
The nationwide average precipitation for June 2014 was 3.62 inches, which was 0.69 inches above the 20th-century average, making that month the sixth wettest June in 120 years.
States across the Southwest, Southeast and southern New England had below average precipitation, with Arizona reporting its third driest June since 1895. Conversely, states across the Mississippi Valley, the central Plains and around the Great Lakes had above average precipitation. Minnesota had its wettest June on record, while the nearby states of Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Illinois had statewide June precipitation totals that ranked within the top ten in 120 years. [NOAA National Climatic Data Center]

June national drought report -- The National Climate Data Center has posted its June 2014 drought report online. Using the Palmer Drought Severity Index, approximately 21 percent of the coterminous United States experienced severe to extreme drought conditions at the end of June, while 10 percent of the area had severely to extremely wet conditions.

CURRENT CLIMATE MONITORING

Aura atmospheric chemistry satellite marks its 10th anniversary -- Last week NASA Goddard Space Flight Center marked the 10th anniversary of its Aura satellite, a spacecraft that contains four onboard instruments that measure several climate agents found in the Earth's atmosphere. These climate agents include greenhouse gases such as ozone and water vapor, clouds and airborne dust particles or aerosols. The data collected by this satellite have been organized into global datasets that are available to scientists for use in climate models. The Aura spacecraft was launched into near polar orbit in July 2004 and is flying in formation with other Earth observing satellites called the "A-Train." [NOAA News]
New Orbiting Carbon Observatory satellite will help studies of the past -- Scientists are beginning to use atmospheric carbon dioxide data collected by sensors onboard NASA's recently launched Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, to understand processes that control the amount of the greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Chemical transport models are then employed to work backward into the past in an attempt to determine the sources of the carbon dioxide. [NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory]
Volatiles emitted by trees monitored from space -- Scientists have generated a global map showing the concentration of formaldehyde gas in the atmosphere during September 2013 from data collected by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) onboard NASA's Aura satellite. The formaldehyde is produced from volatile organic compounds and hydrocarbons such as isoprene that have been emitted by forests. [NASA Earth Observatory]
Following an airborne experiment to study aerosols and hurricanes -- A blog is being posted that will follow the progress of LARGE (Langley Aerosol Research Group Experiment), a field campaign during the current Atlantic hurricane season involving scientists from NASA's Langley Research Center using NOAA aircraft to collect atmospheric data for a variety of separate experiments involving tropical cyclones. One of the experiments involves the study of the chemical, optical and physical properties of atmospheric aerosols and how these aerosols could impact hurricanes. [NASA Earth Observatory]
An All-Hazards Monitor -- This Web portal provides the user information from NOAA on current environmental events that may pose as hazards such as tropical weather, fire weather, marine weather, severe weather, drought and floods. [NOAAWatch]

CLIMATE MODELING

New climate model indicates Australia's long-term decline in precipitation is due to human-induced climate change -- Simulations run on the new high-resolution climate model developed at NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory shows Australia's long-term rainfall decline since the 1970s appears to be due to human-caused climate change. In the future, this new climate model will be employed to improve regional climate predictions across the US. [NOAA News]

CLIMATE IMPACTS ON THE BIOSPHERE

Browning of the Golden State -- Comparison of natural color images made from data collected by the MODIS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite in July 2011 and in June 2014 show the "browning" of California, the "Golden State," due to the worsening drought that has caused normally green vegetation to dry and shrivel or even disappear due to wildfire. Minimal snowpack remains across the Sierras. According to the US Drought Monitor, California is under severe drought conditions. [NASA Earth Observatory]
Field campaign to probe carbon cycle and ocean ecology commences -- During the last week NASA's Ship-Aircraft Bio-Optical Research (SABOR) experiment started in an effort to advance space-based capabilities for monitoring microscopic plants such as phytoplankton that form the base of the marine food chain. This coordinated ship and aircraft observation campaign will be conducted for three weeks over the waters off the Atlantic coast of the United States. [NOAA News]

CLIMATE FORECASTS

New Seasonal Climate Outlooks for late 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 new three-month seasonal national climate outlooks for August through October 2014, corresponding to the last month month of the meteorological summer season (in the Northern Hemisphere) and the first two months of meteorological autumn. Specific details of their outlooks include:
- Temperature and precipitation outlooks -- According to their temperature outlook, the northern Plains and sections of the Upper Midwest centered on Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa should experience a high chance of below average temperatures for these three upcoming months. In contrast, states along the West Coast and into the Intermountain West and across sections of the Southeast extending from the Gulf Coast to the Middle Atlantic, were given a better than even chance for above average temperatures running through the end of October. 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 late summer and early autumn of 2014 along the western and central Gulf Coast. However, a large area of the Southwest, the southern Rockies and the southern Plains centered on the Four Corners area (AZ, UT, CO and NM) was considered to have a good chance of a wet three month span. The rest of the 48 contiguous states should have equal chances of below and above average summer 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 the ENSO-neutral conditions (ENSO = El Niño/Southern Oscillation) with neither El Niño nor La Niña conditions should be replaced by an El Niño event by the beginning of autumn. A description is also provided as how to read these 3-class, 3-month Outlook maps.
- Seasonal Drought Outlook -- The forecasters at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center also released their US Seasonal Drought Outlook last week that would run from late-July through October 2014. Their outlook would call for persistence or development of drought conditions along the West Coast and the Intermountain West that would include California, Oregon, Washington and sections of Idaho, Nevada and Arizona. In addition, large sections of Texas could also find a continuation or development of drought conditions However, some areas of the southern and central Plains could experience some improvement in drought conditions, including sections of the central Plains, the southern Rockies, the Colorado Plateau and the Four Corners area. Some of these areas could have drought conditions removed. Note: a Seasonal Drought Outlook Discussion is included describing the forecasters' confidence.

CLIMATE AND SOCIETY

Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Historical Events:

21 July 1911...The temperature at Painter, WY dipped to 10 degrees to equal the record low for July for the continental U.S. (The Weather Channel)
21 July 1930...The record high temperature for Delaware was set with 110 degrees at Millsboro. (Intellicast)
21 July 1934...The temperature reached 109 degrees at Cincinnati, OH to cap their hottest summer of record. The state record for Ohio was established that day with a reading of 113 degrees near the town of Gallipolis. (David Ludlum)
21 July 1983...The temperature at Vostok, Antarctic (elevation 11,220 ft) fell to 129 degrees below zero, establishing the all time lowest temperature ever recorded at a surface station on earth, as well as for the Antarctic continent. (NCDC)
21 July 1991...Windsor Locks, CT hit 101 degrees, the third day in a row with temperatures over 100 degrees. Providence RI reached 102 degrees, their second day of 100-degree readings, very rare for this location. (Intellicast)
22 July 1926...The temperature at Troy, NY reached 108 degrees to set a high temperature record for the Empire State. The record high temperature for Connecticut was set at Waterbury with 105 degrees; this record for the Nutmeg State was broken by one degree in July 1995 at the same city. (Intellicast)
22 July 1972...Fort Ripley, MN received 10.84 inches of rain, to establish a new 24-hour maximum precipitation record for the Gopher State. (NCDC)
22 July 1987...Barrow, AK received 1.38 inches in 24 hours on the 21^st and 22^nd, an all-time record for that location. The previous record was the 1.00 inch water equivalent in a 15 inch all-time record snowfall of 26 October 1926. The average annual precipitation for Barrow is just 4.75 inches. (The National Weather Summary) (The Weather Channel) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
23 July 1923...Sheridan, WY was drenched with 4.41 inches of rain, an all-time 24-hour record for that location. (22^nd-23^rd) (The Weather Channel)
23 July 1987...Thunderstorms produced a record ten inches of rain in six and a half-hours at Minneapolis, MN, including 5.26 inches in two hours. Flash flooding claimed two lives and caused 21.3 million dollars damage. Streets in Minneapolis became rushing rivers, parking lots became lakes, and storm sewers spouted like geysers. A tornado hit Maple Grove, MN causing five million dollars damage. Baseball size hail was reported at Olivia, MN. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
24 July 1928...Wahluke, WA hit a high temperature of 118 degrees, which tied a record high for the state. In August 1961, this all time state record high was tied at Ice Harbor Dam. (Intellicast)
24 July 1936...Record high temperature for Kansas was tied at 121 degrees near Alton. The record high for Nebraska was also tied at Minden with 118 degrees.
24 July 1942...The temperature at Las Vegas, NV hit 117 degrees to set an all- time record for that location. (The Weather Channel)
24 July 1952...The temperature at Louisville, GA soared to 112 degrees to establish a state record. This record for the Peach State was tied in August 1983. (The Weather Channel) (NCDC)
24-25 July 1979...Claudette, a weak tropical storm, deluged southeastern Texas with torrential rains. The Houston suburb of Alvin received 43.00 inches, a 24-hour precipitation record for not only the Lone Star State, but for the U.S. Freeport reported a total of 30 inches. Total damage from flooding was over $400 million. (Intellicast) (David Ludlum) (NCDC) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
25 July 1979...Tropical Storm Claudette produced phenomenal rainfall totals in southeast Texas. Thirty to forty inches fell in 24 hours around Alvin. Freeport reported a total of 30 inches. Total damage from flooding was over $400 million. (Intellicast)
25 July 1987...Sixteen cities in the eastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Beckley, WV equaled their all-time record high of 91 degrees, established just the previous day. It marked their fourth day in a row of 90-degree heat, after hitting 90 degrees just twice in the previous 25 years of records. The water temperature of Lake Erie at Buffalo, NY reached 79 degrees, the warmest reading in 52 years of records. (The National Weather Summary)
26 July 1943...Tishomingo, OK baked in the heat as the mercury soared to 121 degrees, a Sooner State record high temperature. (The Weather Channel)
26 July 1960...The temperature at Salt Lake City, UT hit 107 degrees, an all-time record high for that location. (The Weather Channel)
27 July 1897...Jewell, MD received 14.75 inches of rain, which was a 24-hour rainfall record for Maryland. (NCDC)
27 July 1939...The temperature at Lewiston, ID hit 117 degrees to establish an all-time record high for that location. (The Weather Channel)
27-28 July 1984...Unprecedented rainfall fell at Alvsbyn in Sweden (approximately 62 miles south of the Arctic Circle), which was remarkable for such a northern location that is at about the same latitude as Fort Yukon, AK. On the 26^th, 5.51 inches fell and on the 27^th, an additional 5.63 inches were recorded. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
27 July 1989...Thunderstorms produced locally heavy rains in the southwestern U.S. Yuma, AZ experienced their most severe thunderstorm of record. Strong thunderstorm winds, with unofficial gusts as high as 95 mph, reduced visibility to near zero in blowing dust and sand. Yuma got nearly as much rain in one hour as is normally received in an entire year. The storm total of 2.55 inches of rain was a record 24-hour total for July. Property damage due to flash flooding and high winds was in the millions. (Storm Data)

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