NOAA: January Temperature Slightly Above Average for U.S.,
Seventh Warmest January for Global Temperatures
Temperatures for the contiguous United States last month were slightly above the long-term average, based on records going back to 1895, according to a preliminary analysis by scientists at NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. The average January temperature of 31.2 degrees F was 0.4 degree above the 20th Century average.
The combined global land and ocean surface average temperature for January 2009 was the seventh warmest since records began in 1880, according to a preliminary analysis by NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C.
The analyses in NCDC's global reports are based on preliminary data, which are subject to revision. Additional quality control is applied to the data when late reports are received several weeks after the end of the month and as increased scientific methods improve NCDC's processing algorithms.
U.S. Temperature Highlights
January temperatures were below average across much of the eastern United States, while the western half of the nation experienced warmer-than-average temperatures.
California had its sixth warmest January on record. Maine and Michigan had their eighth and ninth coldest January on record, respectively.
Based on NOAA's Residential Energy Demand Temperature Index, the contiguous U.S. temperature-related energy demand was 3.0 percent above average in January.
U.S. Precipitation Highlights
It was the fifth driest January for the contiguous U.S., based on data going back to 1895. Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma experienced their third, fourth, and fifth, respectively, driest January on record.
All but 15 states experienced a drier-than-normal January. It was the ninth driest January on record for California, but wetter than normal for North Dakota and Massachusetts.
At the end of January, 21 percent of the contiguous United States was in moderate-to-exceptional drought, based on the U.S. Drought Monitor. Severe-to-extreme drought conditions continued in the western Carolinas, northeast Georgia, the southern Plains, and parts of California and Hawai'i, with exceptional drought in southern Texas.
About 23 percent of the contiguous United States had moderately-to-extremely wet conditions at the end of January, according to the Palmer Index. Very-to-extremely moist conditions remained across the central U.S. from Nebraska to North Dakota, and Iowa to Illinois, and in New England.
Other U.S. Highlights
A major storm January 26-29 dropped up to 8 inches of snow from eastern Missouri through Ohio, with 12 to 16 inches from southeastern Illinois through central Indiana. At the Indianapolis International Airport, 12.5 inches of snow fell from January 26 - 28, tying as the sixth largest snowstorm for the city.
The January 26-29 storm also produced a large swath of freezing rain, as much as 1.5 inches in some areas. Total ice accumulations greater than one inch were common along a line in Kentucky, from Paducah to Lexington.
In northern Arkansas, the winter storm coated trees and wires with as much as two inches of ice. Up to 4.10 inches of precipitation was measured in Fayetteville.
Heavy rain and higher snow levels caused significant flooding in parts of northwest Oregon. On January 6 and 7, western Washington experienced heavy rain, which triggered record flooding on the Naselle River. Additionally, up to 10 inches of rain fell in parts of the Washington Cascades.
Global Temperature Highlights
The combined global land and ocean surface temperature for January was 54.55 degrees F, 0.95 degree F above the 20th century mean of 53.6 degrees F.
Separately, the global land surface temperature was 38.67 degrees F, 1.67 degrees F above the 20th century mean of 37.0 degrees F, ranking as eighth warmest on record.
The global ocean surface temperature of 61.20 degrees F ranked as seventh warmest on record and was 0.70 degree F above the 20th century mean of 60.5 degrees F.
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." -- Thomas Jefferson
We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology. - Carl Sagan
I believe that every right implies a responsibility, every opportunity an obligation; every possession, a duty. - John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
The Timeline For 21st Century Climate Change Events
Stephen_hawking_climate_change Earlier this year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), reported that there is a 90 percent likelihood that humans are significantly contributing to the change.
Scientist Stephen Hawking described climate as a greater threat to the planet than . Hawking made the remarks earlier this spring as other prominent scientists turned the giant hand of the Doomsday Clock a symbol of the risk of atomic cataclysm closer to midnight. The move marked the fourth time since the end of the Cold War that the clock has ticked forward and Hawking warned that "as citizens of the world, we have a duty to alert the public to the unnecessary risks that we live with every day."
The international panel of scientists predicts the global average temperature could anywhere from 2 to 11 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100 and that sea levels could rise by 2 feet.
A slight increase in Earth's rotation rate could result. Glaciers would disappear completely. Some areas would face intense flooding, while others would experience severe drought, along with many other global shifts.
The following is a predicted timeline for events that will likely occur this century:
2007More of the world's population now lives in cities than in rural areas, which is changing patterns of land use and rainfall patterns. The world population will surpass 6.6 billion.
2008Global oil production will peak between 2008 and 2018. Once Hubbert's Peak is reached, global oil production will begin an irreversible decline, possibly triggering a global recession, food shortages and conflict between nations over dwindling oil supplies.
2020Flash floods will very likely increase across all parts of Europe.
Less rainfall could reduce agriculture yields by up to 50 percent in some parts of the world.
World population will reach 7.6 billion people.
2030Up to 18 percent of the world's coral reefs will likely be lost as a result of climate change and other environmental stresses. In Asian coastal waters, the coral loss could reach 30 percent.
World population will reach 8.3 billion people.
Warming temperatures will cause temperate glaciers on equatorial mountains in Africa to disappear.
In developing countries, the urban population will more than double.
2040The Arctic Sea could be ice-free in the summer, and winter ice depth may shrink drastically. However, some researchers argue that the region could still have summer ice up until between 2060 and 2105.
2050Small alpine glaciers will very likely disappear completely, and large glaciers will shrink by 30 to 70 percent. Austrian scientist Roland Psenner of the University of Innsbruck says this is a conservative estimate, and the small alpine glaciers could be gone as soon as 2037.
In Australia, there will likely be an additional 3,200 to 5,200 heat-related deaths per year. The hardest hit will be people over the age of 65. An extra 500 to 1,000 people will die of heat-related deaths in New York City per year. In the United Kingdom, the opposite will occur, and cold-related deaths will outpace heat-related ones.
World population reaches 9.4 billion people.
Crop yields could increase by up to 20 percent in East and Southeast Asia, while decreasing by up to 30 percent in Central and South Asia. Similar shifts in crop yields may occur on other continents.
As biodiversity hotspots are more threatened, a quarter of the world's plant and vertebrate animal species could face extinction.
2070As glaciers disappear and areas affected by drought increase, electricity production for the world's existing hydropower stations will decrease. Hardest hit will be Europe, where hydropower potential is expected to decline on average by 6 percent; around the Mediterranean, the decrease could be up to 50 percent.
2080While some parts of the world dry out, others will be inundated. Up to 100 million people could experience coastal flooding each year. Most at risk are densely populated and low-lying areas that are less able to adapt to rising sea levels and areas which already face other challenges such as tropical storms.
Between 1.1 and 3.2 billion people will experience water shortages and up to 600 million will go hungry.
Sea levels could rise around New York City by more than three feet, potentially causing extensive flooding around the city.
2085The risk of dengue fever from climate change is estimated to increase to 3.5 billion people.
2100A combination of global warming and other factors will push many ecosystems to the limit, forcing them to exceed their natural ability to adapt to climate change.
Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels will be much higher than anytime during the past 650,000 years.
Ocean pH levels will very likely decrease by as much as 0.5 pH units, the lowest it's been in the last 20 million years. The ability of marine organisms such as corals, crabs and oysters to form shells or exoskeletons could be impaired.
Thawing permafrost and other factors will make Earth's land a net source of carbon emissions, meaning it will emit more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than it absorbs.
New climate zones appear on up to 39 percent of the world's land surface, radically transforming the planet.
Nearly up to one third of all species of plants and land animals-more than a million total-could be driven to extinction.
The IPCC reports warn that current "conservation practices are generally ill-prepared for climate change and effective adaptation responses are likely to be costly to implement."
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." -- Thomas Jefferson
We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology. - Carl Sagan
I believe that every right implies a responsibility, every opportunity an obligation; every possession, a duty. - John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
J2, it doesn't really matter if the earth is heating or cooling. That has been goi8ng on in cycles for as long as the earth has stood.
And if the heating and cooling is due to cyclical change, man can do nothing about it.
Scientifically, there is no way of knowing until the earth overheats or we all freeze to death then forensicaloly we put the pieces together.
That is when we can seek the truth and know for certain the cause.
2000
Top of Page Global Temperatures
Global temperatures in 2000 were 0.39C (0.7F) above the long-term (1880-1999) average*, the sixth warmest year on record (see graph above). The only years warmer were 1998, 1997, 1995, 1990 and 1999. Land temperatures were 0.59C (1.1F) above average and ocean temperatures 0.30C (0.5F) above the 1880-1999 mean. A strong La Nina at the beginning of 2000 weakened during July and August, but was still evident at year's end. Cooler than normal temperatures throughout the eastern equatorial Pacific held down temperatures in the tropics. But temperatures in the non-tropical Northern Hemisphere continued to average near record levels. Temperatures north of 20N were the third warmest on record, 0.69C above average. Annual anomalies in excess of 1.0C (1.8F) were widespread across Canada, Scandinavia, and much of Eastern Europe and the Balkans.
*The 1880-1999 average combined land and ocean annual temperature is 13.9C (56.9F), the annually averaged land temperature for the same period is 8.5F (47.3F), and the long-term annually averaged sea surface temperature is 16.1C (60.9F).
2001
Global Temperatures
Global temperatures in 2001 were 0.51°C (0.92°F)* above the long-term (1880-2000) average**, which places 2001 as the second warmest year on record. The only warmer year was 1998 in which a strong El Niño contributed to higher global temperatures. Land temperatures were 0.75°C (1.35°F)* above average and ocean temperatures 0.40°C (0.72°F)* above the 1880-2000 mean. This ranks them as 2nd and 3rd warmest on record respectively.
A weak La Niña persisted into early 2001 in the tropical Pacific but neutral ENSO conditions developed and were maintained throughout the latter half of the year. Near-normal or weak positive anomalies (El Niño) conditions are expected to persist through the early part of 2002.
The Northern Hemisphere temperature continues to average near record levels in 2001 at 0.60°C (1.08°F) above the long-term average. The Southern Hemisphere also reflects the globally warmer conditions, with a positive anomaly of 0.43°C (0.77°F).
Annual anomalies in excess of 1.0°C (1.8°F) were widespread across North America and much of Europe and the Middle East.
2002
Top of Page Global Temperatures
Global temperatures in 2002 were 0.56°C (1.01°F)* above the long-term (1880-2001) average**, which places 2002 as the second warmest year on record. The only warmer year was 1998 in which a strong El Niño contributed to higher global temperatures. Land temperatures were 0.87°C (1.57°F)* above average and ocean temperatures 0.42°C (0.76°F)* above the 1880-2001 mean. Both land and ocean temperature ranks as second warmest on record.
Global Blended Temperatures for 2002
larger image
The map of temperature anomalies (above right) contains data from an in-situ and satellite blended data set of land and ocean temperatures. The period of record for this data set is 1988 to the present, a relatively warm period compared to the base period used in the creation of the land only map of temperature anomalies below. Some minor differences result from the differences in base periods and data that are used to construct the two maps.
Neutral ENSO conditions at the beginning of 2002 gave way to a strengthening El Niño episode during late boreal summer and continuing into early winter. Moderate positive anomalies of equatorial Pacific sea surface temperatures (El Niño conditions) are expected to persist through the early part of 2003.
The Northern Hemisphere temperature averaged near record levels in 2002 at 0.63°C (1.13°F) above the long-term average. The Southern Hemisphere also reflected the globally warmer conditions, with a positive anomaly near 0.46°C (0.83°F).
2003
Major Highlights
NOAA REPORTS 2003 WAS MARKED BY CONTRASTING CONDITIONS ACROSS THE U.S. WHILE GLOBAL TEMPERATURES REMAIN HIGH
The 2003 climate in the United States was wetter and cooler-than-average in the East, warmer and drier-than-average in the West, while drought conditions persisted, or worsened, throughout much of the central and western regions, according to scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations (NOAA) National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. Working from the worlds largest statistical weather database, the scientists concluded that 2003 ranked as the second warmest year on record for the globe, which tied 2002. NOAA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
U.S. Temperatures
The average temperature for the contiguous United States in 2003 was 53.7° F (12.1° C). Much of 2003 was marked by near-average to cooler-than-average temperatures in the East and much higher-than-average temperatures in the western half of the nation. Ten western states were much warmer than average, including New Mexico, which had its warmest year on record. Six states east of the Mississippi River were significantly cooler than average, with average to below average conditions in the Eastern part of the country with the exception of Florida, which was above average. Temperatures in Alaska were above the 1971-2000 average in all four seasons, and 2003 ranked as one of the five warmest years since the beginning of Alaska statewide records in 1918.
2004
# Global Conditions
# The average global temperature anomaly for combined land and ocean surfaces from January-December 2004 (based on preliminary data) was 0.97 F (0.54 C) above the 1880-2003 long-term mean, making 2004 the 4th warmest year since 1880 (the beginning of reliable instrumental records). Averaged over the year, land surface temperatures were anomalously warm throughout western North America, southern and western Asia and Europe. Boreal fall (September-November) as well as November were warmest on record for combined land and ocean surfaces.
2005
Top of Page Global Temperatures
The 2005 global temperature was statistically indistinguishable from the standing record set in 1998. One data set, in use at NCDC since the late 1990s, produced a global annual temperature for 2005 that was slightly below 1998 (below left). An improved data set, which incorporates innovative algorithms that better account for factors such as changes in spatial coverage and evolving observing methods, results in 2005 being slightly warmer than 1998. (below right)
Top of Page Temperature Trends
During the past century, global surface temperatures have increased at a rate near 0.6°C/century (1.1°F/century) but this trend has increased to a rate of 1.8°C/century (3.2°F/century) during the past 25 to 30 years. There have been two sustained periods of warming, one beginning around 1910 and ending around 1945, and the most recent beginning about 1976. Temperatures during the latter period of warming have increased at a rate comparable to the rates of warming projected to occur during the next century with continued increases of anthropogenic greenhouse gases.
2006
Major Highlights
2006 2nd Warmest Year on Record for US
General Warming Trend, El Niño Contribute to Milder Winter Temps
This report was updated on May 1, 2007 to reflect revised statistics for the 2006 annual average temperature for the contiguous U.S. based on updates of preliminary data available in January 2007 as well as changes resulting from the switch from Version 1 to Version 2 of the U.S. Historical Climatology Network (USHCN) data set.
A more detailed discussion about how temperature trends are calculated and why differences can occur is available.
In an update to the 2006 average annual temperature for the contiguous U.S., NCDC scientists report that 2006 was the 2nd warmest year on record and nearly identical to the record set in 1998. Seven months in 2006 were much warmer than average, including December, which ended as the eighth warmest December since records began in 1895.
Using final quality controlled data from the recently completed USHCN Version 2 data set, the 2006 average annual temperature for the contiguous U.S. was the 2nd warmest on record. The 2006 annual average temperature was 54.9°F, 2.1°F (1.2°C) above the 20th Century mean and 0.08°F (0.04°C) cooler than 1998.
Major Highlights
NOAA: 2007 a Top Ten Warm Year for U.S. and Globe
The year 2007 the 10th warmest year for the contiguous U.S., since national records began in 1895, according to preliminary data from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. The year was marked by exceptional drought in the U.S. Southeast and the West, which helped fuel another extremely active wildfire season. The year also brought outbreaks of cold air, and killer heat waves and floods. Meanwhile, the global surface temperature for 2007 was the fifth warmest since records began in 1880.
U.S. Temperatures
The average U.S. temperature for 2007 was 54.2°F; 1.4°F warmer than the 20th century mean of 52.8°F. NCDC originally estimated in mid-December that 2007 would end as the eighth warmest on record, but below-average temperatures in areas of the country last month lowered the annual ranking. For Alaska, 2007 was the 15th warmest year since statewide records began in 1918.
Six of the 10 warmest years on record for the contiguous U.S. have occurred since 1998, part of a three decade period in which mean temperatures for the contiguous U.S. have risen at a rate near 0.6°F per decade.
2008
Major Highlights
NOAA: 2008 Global Temperature Ties as 8th Warmest on Record
The year 2008 tied with 2001 as the eighth warmest year on record for the Earth, based on the combined average of worldwide land and ocean surface temperatures through December, according to a preliminary analysis by NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. For December alone, the month also ranked as the eighth warmest globally, for the combined land and ocean surface temperature. The assessment is based on records dating back to 1880.
The analyses in NCDC's global reports are based on preliminary data, which are subject to revision. Additional quality control is applied to the data when late reports are received several weeks after the end of the month and as increased scientific methods improve NCDC's processing algorithms.
NCDC's ranking of 2008 as the eighth warmest year compares to a ranking of ninth warmest based on an analysis by NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. The NOAA and NASA analyses differ slightly in methodology, but both use data from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center - the federal government's official source for climate data.
Global Temperature Highlights - 2008
The combined global land and ocean surface temperature from January-December was 0.88 degree F (0.49 degree C) above the 20th Century average of 57.0 degrees F (13.9 degrees C). Since 1880, the annual combined global land and ocean surface temperature has increased at a rate of 0.09 degree F (0.05 degree C) / decade. This rate has increased to 0.29 degree F (0.16 degree C) / decade over the past 30 years.
----all data from your government potese, most of it covering years while your political faction was in power. so there is the truth about the global temp, its not cooling potese, like all else your sources tell you, cooling is a lie. you have the truth, be free potese.----
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." -- Thomas Jefferson
We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology. - Carl Sagan
I believe that every right implies a responsibility, every opportunity an obligation; every possession, a duty. - John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
What potese, speechless at seeing you've been lied too? The entire century thus far is above average in warmth. And its not from the well known and charted natural cycles.
any thoughts.
ooops that was stupid, asking potese or any mushskull fingerpuppet empty echochamber head kneejerk wingnut for a thought.
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." -- Thomas Jefferson
We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology. - Carl Sagan
I believe that every right implies a responsibility, every opportunity an obligation; every possession, a duty. - John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
