Despite several snowstorms associated with cold-air outbreaks, average January temperatures across the contiguous United States weren’t especially cold according to the latest statistics from NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center. Although the average temperature was spot-on freezing—32.0° Fahrenheit—that was still 1.6° Fahrenheit warmer than the twentieth-century January average.
As the whole ocean gets warmer, NOAA scientists must redefine what they consider “average” temperature in the central tropical Pacific, where they keep watch for El Niño and La Niña.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, an estimated 58 percent of the contiguous United States was in some level of drought as of January 29, with an additional 12 percent in the “Abnormally dry” category.
Although 2012 warmth did not top the charts, it was the third warmest “La Niña year” on record.
Extreme Events of 2012: Global to Local Responses
January 9, 2013
Extreme Events of 2012
January 9, 2013
The average temperature for the contiguous United States for 2012 was 55.3° Fahrenheit, which was 3.2° Fahrenheit above the twentieth-century average and 1.0° Fahrenheit above the previous record from 1998.
The Pushy Pacific: Variability and Change in Global Temperature
December 17, 2012
The average global temperature for November 2012 was the fifth warmest November since record keeping began in 1880.
Water Waning into Winter
December 6, 2012