Tag Archives: national

The 20th Warmest Winter in the U.S.

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The winter of 2012-13, in many parts of the United States, feels like it will never end.  Storm after storm has been rolling across the country producing a profusion of significant snow events.    All told, however, this meteorological winter (December-February) was actually warmer than average.

According to NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center, this winter season was the 20th warmest winter on record for the contiguous U.S.  Posting an average temperature of 34.3°F, the country as a whole was 1.9°F above its long-term norm.  For comparison, last winter (2011-12) was the nation’s fourth warmest.

It is interesting to note that eleven of the past fourteen winters in this country have been warmer than average.

 

Winter 2013 Drought Update

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A plethora of winter storms have rolled across the continental U.S. this season, often producing impressive snow events.  Long-term drought, nonetheless, continues to plague many parts of the country.

According to the latest report from the US Drought Monitor, 51% of this nation is in some form of drought. While this number represents improvement for some areas, such as the southeast and mid-west, it is still bad news overall.  The heart of the drought remains in the High Plains, this nation’s agricultural breadbasket.  Conditions of moderate drought or worse cover 91% of the region with 24% suffering under exceptional drought, the worst possible category.

Experts say the High Plains require significant precipitation – at least 12 inches of rain or its snow equivalent – to quench the worst drought the area has seen in more than fifty years.

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Image Credit: U.S. Drought Monitor

Forecasting the Impacts of Federal Budget Cuts

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The government does not control the weather.  It does, however, exercise significant power over scientists’ ability to produce reliable forecasts.

Sequestration, the current budget crisis plaguing Congress, threatens widespread automatic spending cuts for all federal agencies starting March 1st.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s satellite program is one of many facing disruption. The agency’s current polar-orbiting weather satellite, Suomi NPP, is due to retire in 2016.  Without funding to develop and launch a replacement, there will be a significant decline in the amount of data available for the computer models that are used to forecast the weather.  Simply put, less data means less accurate forecasts.  This will be especially important when meteorologists try to determine the path of future life threatening weather events like hurricanes and blizzards.

The sequestration is also expected to cut billions of dollars in federal aid to the victims of Hurricane Sandy and reduce FEMA’s ability to respond to future natural disasters.

Winter Weather and Climate Change

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Large snowstorms, like the recent northeastern Blizzard, can lead some people to question the existence of global warming. According to scientists, however, these intense snowstorms are actually signs of our changing climate.

Significant snow events require both a deep supply of moisture and freezing temperatures.  The cold temperature part of this equation is a natural part of the winter season, which is itself, a result of the tilt of the Earth’s axis.  Here in the northern hemisphere, winter means our half of the planet is tilted away from the sun and therefore receives the least amount of solar energy all year.

While global warming will not change the tilt of the Earth’s axis, it is affecting the moisture content of our atmosphere. Rising levels of greenhouse gases are warming the air, which in turn, allows it to hold more moisture.  As a result, storms are producing more intense precipitation, including heavier than normal snowfall when given the proper conditions.

As global temperatures rise, scientists say we should expect to see more large storms, but less snow overall in the winter season. The window for typical winter weather is also expected to shrink, as spring-like conditions continue to arrive earlier than in the past.

Climate Rally in DC

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“Forward on Climate“, the largest climate rally ever held in this country took place yesterday afternoon in Washington, DC.  The event came just five days after President Obama’s State of the Union Address, in which he called on Congress to take action on climate change.

According to organizers – a variety of environmental groups – an estimated 35,000 concerned citizens from thirty states braved sub-freezing temperatures to rally on the National Mall and march to the White House.  In doing so, they urged lawmakers to reduce U.S. carbon emissions and support renewable energy. Many of the attendees, however, were specifically imploring the President to reject the Keystone XL Pipeline construction proposal.

If approved, the pipeline would carry Canadian tar sand oil across America’s agricultural heartland to refineries along the Gulf Coast. The consequences of a spill in this region would be catastrophic to farming, ranching, and the Ogallala Aquifer – an immense underground supply of freshwater used for drinking and irrigation by millions of people.

Tar sand oil is a viscous fossil fuel that is heavier and dirtier than conventional crude oil.  Its extraction process is also extremely energy intensive.  According to a National Resources Defense Council report, the production of one barrel of tar sand oil releases three times the amount of greenhouse gases compared to one barrel of traditional crude.

Environmental groups see the approval of the pipeline as not only sanctifying the production and use of tar sand oil, but also extending this country’s economic reliance on fossil fuels and increasing carbon pollution.

Protesters at the "Forward on Climate" rally in Washington, DC

Activists at the “Forward on Climate” rally in Washington, DC

Image Credit: 350.0rg

State of the Union 2013: Climate Change

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The issue of climate change was front and center last night during President Obama’s State of the Union Address.  He highlighted the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events:

“We can choose to believe that Super-storm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence.  Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science – and act before it’s too late.”

The President also urged Congress to pass legislation that would combat climate change by reducing carbon emissions and further developing cleaner, more sustainable sources of energy.

2012: Warmest Year on Record for U.S.

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Its official!  2012 was the warmest year on record for the contiguous United States.

According to the National Climatic Data Center, the average temperature for the country was 55.3°F, which is 3.2°F above the long-term norm.  It is also a full 1°F above the old record set in 1998.  While a single degree may not sound like much, it is actually a large departure.  Records usually only differ by a tenth of a degree.

As hot as it was last year, this new record does not come as much of a surprise.  2012 brought the United States a record warm spring in addition to its fourth warmest winter, third warmest summer, and an above average autumn.

In terms of precipitation, 2012 was the 15th driest year on record in this country.  The average precipitation total for the lower forty-eight states was 26.57 inches, which is 2.57 below normal.  This lack of rain brought on the worst drought this nation has seen in more than fifty years.  The dry conditions, in turn, helped fuel a destructive wildfire season.  More than nine million acres were charred nationwide this year – the third largest area on record.

While high temperatures and low precipitation dominated, 2012 was also a year of severe weather.  According to the US Climate Extremes Index, 2012 was the second most extreme year on record for this country.  As a whole, the nation experienced eleven natural disasters that each caused at least one billion dollars worth of damage.  These events included hurricanes Sandy and Isaac as well as several tornado outbreaks in the south and mid-west. What a year!

Weather History: 80 Years of Weather at Mt. Washington

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On this date, October 15th, back in 1932, the Mt. Washington Observatory was founded in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Located at 6,288 feet above sea level, this weather station sits on the highest peak in the northeastern United States. Given this unique position, the observatory experiences some of the wildest weather on the planet. With an average annual temperature of only 27.3°F, it is not unusual to see snow in the summit region year round.  The mountain, however, is most famous for its winds. In fact, until recently, it held the record for the fastest wind gust ever recorded, 231 mph in 1934.  The new record of 253 mph was reported on Australia’s Barrow Island in 2010 during Cyclone Olivia.

Having personally made it to the summit of Mt. Washington twice, I can attest to its cold and blustery conditions – even during the summer months. It is a challenging environment, but nonetheless an amazing place.

Cloudy summit of Mt. Washington, NH:  6, 288 feet

Image Credit: The Weather Gamut

Third Hottest Summer for U.S.

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Summer is a season known for high temperatures.  This year, however, they were more extreme than usual across much of the United States.

According to the National Climatic Data Center report released this week, Summer 2012 was the third warmest summer ever recorded in the lower forty-eight states. As a whole, the nation averaged a temperature of 74.4°F, which is 2.3°F above the long-term norm. Only the summers of 1936 (74.6°F) and 2011 (74.5°F) were hotter.

This summer’s exceptional heat follows both a record warm spring and winter.  In fact, 2012 – to date – has been this country’s warmest year on record.

Isaac’s Impact on U.S. Drought

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The worst drought in fifty years has been plaguing America’s agricultural heartland all summer. Earlier this week, however, the soggy remnants of Hurricane Isaac brought some much needed relief to the situation, if only in a small area.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, between two and six inches of rain fell across the Mid-West. As a result, the region’s severe drought status improved from 50% to 45%. While this precipitation was beneficial to area’s soybean crop, which is still maturing, it arrived too late to save the region’s fields of desiccated corn.

To quench this drought completely, experts say another five to fifteen inches of rain is still needed.

Image Credit: US Drought Monitor