Tag Archives: heat

A Warm Thanksgiving Holiday for NYC

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With a high temperature of 60°F in Central Park, the Thanksgiving holiday was unusually warm here in New York City this year.  However, it was not a record breaker.  That honor belongs to Thanksgiving Day 1925 when the temperature reached 72°F. That said, it was a far cry from the chilly high of 38°F that we experienced last year on Turkey Day. Our normal high for this time of year is 50°F.

Below is a chart based on NWS data listing the top ten warmest and coldest Thanksgiving Days in NYC history.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Source: NWS

Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, so the exact date varies from year to year. Source: NWS

October 2015: Warmest October on Record for Planet Earth

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Our global temperature continued its upward trend last month with October 2015 marking the warmest October ever recorded for the entire planet.

According to the State of the Climate report by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Earth’s combined average temperature for the month – over both land and sea surfaces – was 58.86°F, which is a whopping 1.76°F above the 20th century average. It surpassed the previous record set in October 2014 by 0.36°F. It also marked the highest departure from average for any month on record, eclipsing the previous record set just last month. October was also the sixth consecutive month this year to break a monthly temperature record.

Although strong El Niño conditions – a natural climate phenomena that boosts oceanic and atmospheric temperatures – helped fuel October’s record warmth, it does not tell the whole story. The long-term trend of human-caused climate change was also a key factor. NOAA reports that fourteen of the fifteen warmest years on record have occurred since 2000 and they were not all El Niño years.

While heat dominated most of the planet last month, some places were particularly warm, including most of Australia and North America. Here in the contiguous United States, with an average temperature of 57.4°F, it was our fourth warmest October on record and the warmest since 1963.

Year to date, the first ten months of 2015 were the warmest of any year on record. This strengthens the likelihood that 2015 will surpass 2014 as the Earth’s warmest year ever recorded. Global temperature records date back to 1880.

Credit: NOAA

Credit: NOAA

September 2015: Warmest September on Record for Planet Earth

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Our global temperature continued its upward trend last month with September 2015 marking the warmest September ever recorded for the entire planet.

According to a report by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Earth’s combined average temperature for the month – over both land and sea surfaces – was 60.62°F, which is 1.62°F above the 20th century average. It surpassed the previous record set just last year by 0.19°F and marked the highest departure from average for any month on record. September was also the fifth consecutive month this year to break a monthly temperature record.

Although strong El Niño conditions – a natural climate phenomena that boosts oceanic and atmospheric temperatures – helped fuel September’s record warmth, it does not tell the whole story. The long-term trend of human-caused climate change was also a key factor. NOAA reports that fourteen of the fifteen warmest years on record have occurred since 2000 and they were not all El Niño years. This September, the globally averaged sea surface temperature was 1.46°F above the 20th century average of 61.1°F.  That is the highest temperature departure for any September on record. And, as NOAA points out, “This departure from average is also 0.45°F higher than the global ocean temperature for September 1997, when the last strong El Niño occurred.”

While heat dominated most of the planet last month, some places were particularly warm, including most of North America. Here in the contiguous United States, it was our second warmest September on record. With a monthly temperature of 68.5°F, which is 3.7°F above the long-term norm, only September 1998 was warmer. In fact, most of the lower forty-eight states experienced exceptionally warm conditions and nine  – Connecticut, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Utah, and Wisconsin – were record warm.

Year to date, the first nine months of 2015 were the warmest of any year on record. That puts 2015 well on track to becoming Earth’s warmest year ever recorded. Global temperature records date back to 1880.

Credit: NOAA/NCEI

Credit: NOAA/NCEI

NYC Monthly Summary: September 2015

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Summer-like weather extended well into September in New York City this year. With an average temperature of 74.6°F, it was the city’s warmest September on record! It surpassed the previous record set in 1961 by 1.1°F.

Overall, we had twenty-seven out of thirty days with high temperatures above average. Six of those days posted readings in the 90s, including September 8th when the mercury soared to 97°F in Central Park, marking a new record high for the date. Typically, we only see one 90-degree day during September in NYC. Historically, our average temperature for the month is 68°F.

This extended period of warmth was produced by a persistent ridge in the jet stream over the eastern US. It allowed warm air from the south to flow further north than it normally would at this time of year.

In terms of precipitation, September was unusually dry and marked the third consecutive month that NYC received below average rainfall.  In all, we received 3.28 inches of rain, which is one inch below normal. The vast majority of this modest total fell on two separate days in the form of intense downpours. In fact, September 10th set a new daily rainfall record with 1.58 inches measured in Central Park. Nonetheless, despite these soakers, NYC remains in a moderate drought according the latest report (9/29) from the US Drought Monitor.

Sept_Temps

Sept_Rain

Warmest August and Warmest Summer on Record for Planet Earth

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Our global temperature continued its upward trend last month with August 2015 not only marking the warmest August on record, but also closing out the warmest meteorological summer ever recorded for the entire planet.

According to a report by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Earth’s combined average temperature for August – over both land and sea surfaces – was 61.68°F, which is 1.58°F above the 20th century average. It surpassed the previous record set just last year by 0.16°F and was the sixth month this year to break a monthly temperature record. It also marked the 366th consecutive month that our global temperature was above its long-term norm.

Rising ocean temperatures compounded by El Niño conditions in the tropical Pacific helped fuel August’s record warmth. The globally averaged sea surface temperature for the month was 1.40°F above the 20th century average, which makes it the highest temperature on record for any month. The previous record was set in July 2015.

The three-month period of June, July and August – known as the meteorological summer in the northern hemisphere – was also a record breaker! NOAA reports that Earth’s combined average temperature for the season – over both land and sea surfaces – was 1.53°F above the 20th century average.  That is 0.20°F above the previous record that was set last summer.

While heat dominated most of the planet from June to August, some places were particularly warm, including much of Europe. Austria, France, and Switzerland each experienced their second warmest summer on record and Germany posted its third warmest. Even the southern hemisphere, where it was austral winter, saw warmer than usual conditions. Argentina experienced its warmest winter since national record keeping began there in 1961.

Here in the contiguous US, the summer of 2015 was our 12th warmest on record. While some of the central states saw average to below average temperatures, many of the western states were exceptionally warm. In fact, Oregon and Washington each experienced their warmest summer on record.

Year to date, the first eight months of 2015 were the warmest of any year on record. That puts 2015 on track to becoming Earth’s warmest year ever recorded. Global temperature records date back to 1880.

Credit: NOAA

Credit: NOAA

2015 YTD

2015 is well on its way to becoming Earth’s warmest year on record. Credit: NOAA

NYC Monthly Summary: August 2015

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It was hot in New York City this August. Everyday produced a high temperature above 80°F and eight days saw the mercury climb to 90°F or higher, which is twice the average number for August. Additionally, the month brought the city its first official heat wave in two years. With overnight lows also running mostly above normal, the city’s mean temperature for the month was 79°F, which is 3.8°F above average. This makes August 2015 the city’s 3rd warmest August on record.

On the precipitation side of things, August was very dry in the Big Apple. All told, the city received a mere 2.35 inches of rain in Central Park, which is 2.09 inches below average. On the latest report (8/25) from the US Drought Monitor, the NYC area is listed as “abnormally dry”.

Aug_temps

Pyrocumulus Cloud Forms Over Wildfire in Kings Canyon National Park

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Fueled by drought, wildfires have been blazing across the American West all summer.   Sixteen are currently burning in California alone. While hiking in Kings Canyon National Park in the state’s rugged Sierra Nevada Mountains recently, I crossed paths with the “Rough Fire” and saw it produce a billowing pyrocumulus cloud.

Pyrocumulus clouds form when intense heat at the surface – usually from a wildfire or volcanic eruption – causes air to rise rapidly. As it travels upward, water vapor in the air condenses into droplets and forms a cloud. Filled with ash and smoke, the swelling cloud generally appears more grey than white.

Ignited by lightning over three weeks ago, the Rough Fire continues to spread and has even caused parts of Kings Canyon National Park to close. According to the NPS, smoke from the massive fire has also impacted the air quality in and around the park. To date, the fire has charred close to 50,000 acres and is only 17% contained.

Pyrocumulus cloud rising over California's Rough Fire in Sierra National Forest and Kings Canyon National Park. August 2015. Credit: The Weather Gamut.

Pyrocumulus cloud rising over California’s Rough Fire in Sierra National Forest and Kings Canyon National Park, August 2015. Credit: The Weather Gamut.

July 2015: Warmest Month on Record for Planet Earth

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Our global temperature continued its upward trend last month with July 2015 marking not only the warmest July on record, but the warmest month ever recorded for the entire planet.

According to a report by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Earth’s combined average temperature for the month – over both land and sea surfaces – was 61.86°F, which is 1.46°F above the 20th century average. It surpassed the previous record set in 1998, which was also an El Niño year, by 0.14°F.

July 2015 also marked the 39th consecutive July that our global temperature was above its long-term norm. NOAA says that July – which is climatologically the planet’s warmest month – has been getting hotter over the years. Records show that the temperature for the month is currently increasing at an average rate of 1.17°F per century.

For the oceans, the globally averaged sea surface temperature for the month was 1.35°F above the 20th century average of 61.5°F.  That is the highest departure on record for any month. According to NOAA, the ten highest monthly departures from average for ocean temperatures have all occurred since April 2014.

While heat dominated most of the planet in July, some places were particularly warm. Heat waves in Europe pushed temperatures to record levels across the region. In fact, it was the warmest July on record for both Austria and Spain. Here in the contiguous US, temperatures were slightly warmer than average, but no state set a new record high. This difference highlights the fact that climate change is a complex global phenomenon that involves much more than what is happening in our own backyards.

Year to date, the first seven months of 2015 were the warmest of any year on record. Global temperature records date back to 1880.

Credit: NOAA

Credit: NOAA

First Heat Wave in NYC Since 2013

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It’s official! We’re having a heat wave in New York City.

While we have hit the 90°F mark a few times already this summer, this is the first real heat wave of the season. Actually, it is the first official heat wave in the Big Apple since 2013.

The threshold for what constitutes a heat wave varies by region, but here in the NYC area it is defined as three consecutive days with temperatures reaching 90°F or higher. In Central Park, the temperature reached 92°F on Saturday, 93°F on Sunday, and today it climbed to 95°F – tying the record high for the date.

When factoring in the high levels of humidity these past few days, the heat index felt like it was near 100°F. While these conditions are oppressive, they can also be dangerous. Both a heat advisory and air quality alerts were issued for the city.

For most of the summer, temperatures have been running slightly above average in NYC, but it is interesting to note that there has not been much extreme heat. To date, we have only had ten days with readings at or above 90°F. On average, we typically see fifteen for the season.

The Hottest Days of Summer Vary By Region

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For the continental U.S. as a whole, the hottest part of summer arrives in mid to late July. On the regional level, however, there are significant differences in the timing of the hottest part of the season.

Based on historical averages, NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) produced a map showing how the warmest days of summer vary across the country. The desert southwest, for example, is an early bloomer in terms of heat.  It’s warmest days typically arrive in June.  By early July, the North American Monsoon – a seasonal shift in wind direction – kicks in and helps keep the region relatively cool and rainy through September.

In parts of the south central states, a persistent area of high pressure typically builds over the region in August. This limits cloud formation and dries out the soil, which helps to send temperatures skyrocketing.

On the other far end of the spectrum, temperatures along the west coast do not peak until September. This lag is the result of hot air rising over interior deserts and cool Pacific air flowing in-land.  By September, this upper-level wind pattern usually weakens and allows warm air to flow toward the coast.

While the NCEI map is derived from long-term climate averages, it is important to note that short-term variability can cause the date of peak temperatures to vary in any given year.

summer-heat

Credit: NOAA/NCEI