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Another Record Warm Day for NYC

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Today was another record warm day in New York City. The temperature soared to 79°F in Central Park, which is a staggering 31°F above average. The old record of 74°F was set in 2006.

These late spring-like temperatures have brought many New Yorkers out of their winter hibernation. People are wearing shorts and dining alfresco at sidewalk cafes across the city. But, it is still March – a month known for changeable weather patterns in the northeast.

Looking ahead, above average temperatures are expected to stay in place for a while. That said, the long-term outlook for the month is forecasting a few shots of cold air returning to the area during the second half of the month. So, get out and enjoy the warm weather, but don’t put those sweaters and coats away just yet.

A Spring Preview in NYC

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The calendar says March, but it felt more like May in New York City today.

The temperature in Central Park soared to 77°F, setting a new record high for the date. It crushed the old record of 69°F that was set in 2000.

The last time the city saw a temperature in the 70s, oddly enough, was on Christmas Eve. But, that tells you how warm this winter has been. Last year, the first 70°F reading did not show up until April 15th. Our normal high for this time of year is 47°F.

Another record could fall on Thursday if the temperature climbs above 74°F. The forecast high is 76°F.

The primary driver of this unseasonable warmth is El Niño. Acting with global warming as a backdrop, it has produced a large ridge in the jet stream over the eastern part of the country that is allowing warm air from the south to flow further north than it normally would in early March.

Cooler conditions are expected to return by the weekend, but temperatures will still be above average for this point in the season.

Winter 2015-16: Warmest Winter on Record in Contiguous US

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Its official!  Winter 2015-2016 was the warmest ever recorded in the continental US.

The average temperature of the lower 48 states this meteorological winter (Dec-Feb), according to NOAA’s National Centers of Environmental Information, was 36.8°F. That is a whopping 4.6°F above the 20th century average and surpasses the previous record of 36.5°F that was set in the winter of 1999-2000. The considerable warmth in both December 2015 (warmest December on record) and February 2016 (7th warmest February on record) helped boost the season’s overall average.

Across the country, 46 states posted above average seasonal temperatures and no state was cooler than normal. In New England, it was particularly warm with all six states in the region reporting record high temperatures. Alaska – considered separately from the lower 48 by NOAA – saw its second warmest winter on record.

This exceptional warmth, scientists say, was driven by strong El Niño conditions in the Pacific acting on top of continued global warming.

Weather records for the contiguous United States date back to 1895.

Credit: NOAA

Credit: NOAA

January 2016: Warmest January on Record for Planet Earth

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Our global temperature continued its upward trend last month with January 2016 marking the warmest January 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 55.47°F, which is a whopping 1.87°F above the 20th century average. It surpassed the previous record set in January 2007 by 0.29°F. It also marked the second highest departure from average for any month on record, trailing only December 2015 which was 2°F above its long-term norm.

Continuing the trend from 2015 – the warmest year ever recorded – January 2016 was the ninth consecutive month to set a monthly temperature record. It was also the fourteenth consecutive month that the global temperature ranked in the top three for its respective month.

This record warmth, scientists say, was fueled by a combination of continued global warming and El Niño.  Not to discount the strong influence El Niño has on the climate, it should be noted that no other El Niño year has produced temperature anomalies as large as the ones seen recently.

Global temperature records date back to 1880.

Credit: NOAA

Credit: NOAA

Weather Whiplash for NYC

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In any given winter season, a few cold snaps and an occasional warm spell are not that uncommon. This year, however, the temperatures in the northeastern US have been swinging from warm to cold to warm again as if on relentless rollercoaster. This week the region saw another round of this type of weather whiplash, albeit more dramatic than usual.

Here in New York City, the temperature went from a record low of -1°F on Sunday to a high of 54°F on Tuesday. That is a 55° difference in just two days. Our normal high for this time of year is 42°F and our normal low is 29°F.

For the past two winters, multiple extended artic outbreaks courtesy of the polar vortex kept the region colder than average for most of the season. This year, with a strong El Niño in place over the Pacific, warmer than normal conditions have made a strong showing. But, it seems like neither El Niño nor the Polar Vortex has been able to maintain a leading role this winter in the northeast. Rather, they seem to be alternating their appearances leaving us somewhat uncertain as to what will come next.

Dramatic Temperature Swing in NYC this week. Credit: The Weather Gamut

Dramatic Temperature Swing in NYC this week. Credit: The Weather Gamut

Record Cold Valentine’s Day in NYC

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An arctic blast sent NYC into a deep freeze this weekend. With temperatures dipping below 0°F on Sunday, it was the city’s coldest Valentine’s Day in one-hundred years!

According to the NWS, the temperature in Central Park fell to -1°F early Sunday morning. That is a staggering 30°F below average and shattered the previous record of 2°F set in 1916. It was also the first time the city’s temperature dipped below 0°F in 22 years. The high only made it to a frigid 15°F, a new record minimum maximum temperature for the date. When factoring in the wind chill, it felt as cold as -20°F. Our normal high for this time of year is 41°F and our normal low is 29°F.

As cold as it was on Sunday, it was not the coldest day the Big Apple has ever experienced. That dubious honor belongs to February 9, 1934, when the temperature fell to a brutal -15°F.

A weakened Polar Vortex and deep dip in the jet stream drove this weekend’s record cold conditions. But, temperatures are expected to rebound to above average levels by Tuesday. So, it seems this winter’s weather rollercoaster will continue moving forward.

A frosty heart. Credit: Baltimore Sun/AP

A frosty heart for a record cold Valentine’s Day. Credit: Baltimore Sun/AP

Blizzard of 2016: Fourth Most Powerful Snowstorm on Record in Northeast

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The blizzard that slammed a large section of the northeastern US, including NYC, last weekend was one of the most powerful winter storms to hit the region in decades.

According to NOAA, the storm was given a value of 7.66 on the Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale (NESIS). That is considered a category 4 or “crippling” snow event.  It was also the 4th most powerful winter storm to impact the northeast since 1950.

Covering 434,000 square miles across 26 states, the storm impacted more than 102 million people. Of those, approximately 24 million people saw more than 20 inches of snow.

The region’s strongest storm on record was the so called “Super-Storm” of March 1993.

Source: NCEI

Source: NCEI

Source: NOAA

Source: NOAA

Blizzard of 2016: The Second Biggest Snowstorm on Record for NYC

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A massive winter storm slammed the eastern United States this weekend. With some areas getting more than two feet of snow, records fell across the region.

Here in New York City, a whopping 26.8 inches of snow was measured in Central Park – the city’s second highest storm total since record keeping began in 1869. This storm, according to the NWS, was only one-tenth of an inch shy of tying the city’s all time record of 26.9 inches set in February 2006.

To put this event into perspective, consider that, on average, NYC normally sees 7 inches of snow during the month of January and 25.8 inches for the entire winter season.

The cause of this historic event involved a few key players.  First, an area of low pressure moved up the east coast funneling in relatively warm and humid air from the southeast. At the same time, an area of high pressure to the north pushed cold air south. When the two air masses met, the warmer air was forced to rise and cool. Since cool air holds less moisture than warm air, the moisture was wrung out of the atmosphere as precipitation – snow, in this case. While developing as a classic nor’easter, this storm gained an extra boost of both energy and moisture from a warmer than normal Atlantic Ocean. Sea surface temperatures off the coast have been running about 5°F to 6°F above average for this time of year.

The pressure differences between the low and high also produced powerful winds. In Central Park, wind gusts peaked at 42 mph.

Dramatically ending the region’s so-called snow drought and impacting tens of millions of people, this storm garnered a great deal of media attention. Known by a few different names – The Blizzard of 2016, Winter Storm Jonas, and Snowzilla – this storm will not be forgotten anytime soon, regardless of its moniker.

Credit: NWS/NOAA

Three of the city’s top five snow producing storms have occurred in the past ten years. Credit: NWS/NOAA

2015: Warmest Year on Record for Planet Earth

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Its official!  2015 was the warmest year ever recorded on this planet.

According to a report by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Earth’s combined average temperature for the year – over both land and sea surfaces – was 58.62°F. That is a staggering 1.62°F above the 20th century average. It smashed the previous annual record set just last year by 0.29°F – the largest margin on record. 2015 also marked the 39th consecutive year that our annual global temperature was above its long-term norm.

While a strong El Niño –a periodic natural climate phenomenon – influenced this 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 fifteen of the sixteen warmest years on record have occurred this century and they were not all El Niño years.

Although heat dominated most of the planet in 2015, some places were particularly warm, including North America. Here in the contiguous US, with an annual temperature of 54.4°F, which is 2.4°F above average, it was our second warmest year on record. Only 2012 was warmer in the lower forty-eight states.

Overall, having back-to-back record warm years is a somewhat rare event. But, as greenhouse gases – the main drivers of global warming – continue to spew into the atmosphere, our average global temperature will continue to rise and records will likely continue to fall. Global temperature records date back to 1880.

WarmestYears

Sixteen Warmest Years on Record (1880–2015). Credit: NOAA.

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2015: Warmest Year on Record. Credit: NOAA

December 2015: Warmest December on Record for Planet Earth

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Like most of the US, including here in NYC, temperatures across the globe soared last month. In fact, December 2015 was Earth’s warmest December on record.

According to the latest report from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, the planet’s combined average temperature for the month – over both land and sea surfaces – was 56°F, which is a whopping 2°F above the 20th century average. It also marked the highest departure from average for any month on record, surpassing the previous record set this past October. Moreover, it was the 8th consecutive month this year to break a global temperature record.

Closer to home, the continental US was also record warm this December. Twenty-nine states – mostly in the east – reported record high temperatures for the month.

With December closing out the year, 2015 is now ranked as the warmest year this planet has seen since record keeping began in 1880.

Credit: NOAA

Credit: NOAA