2020 was the hottest year on record for six major climate sites: Scranton and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Atlantic City, New Jersey; Portland, Maine; Central Park, New York; and Providence, Rhode Island. The warmest temperature observed during the year was 102 degrees F (38.9 degrees C), which was recorded at several locations across the region, including Macon, GA (July 20th), Athens, GA (July 20th), and Norfolk, VA (July 19th, 21st, and 28th). The global mean temperature in 2020 is estimated to have been 1.27 C (2.29 F) above the average temperature of the late 19th century, from 1850-1900, a period often used as a pre-industrial baseline for global temperature targets. A total of 13 tornadoes were spawned by Delta, including an EF-1 tornado that injured 2 people at a homeless shelter in Newton County, GA on October 10th. Global average surface temperature has risen at an average rate of 0.17F per decade since 1901 (see Figure 2), similar to the rate of warming within the contiguous 48 states. A few northern Maine farmers initiated the process to allow for emergency haying and grazing on conservation reserve. Mitchell, NC (19252020) recorded 0.2, 10.2, and 64.2 inches (5, 259, and 1,631 mm) of snowfall during the year, which is 17.9, 12.5, and 13.2 inches (455, 318, and 335 mm) below their long-term averages, respectively. Overall, Earth's average temperature has risen more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1880s. Kahului, Maui also saw its warmest year on record since 1955 at 78.6 F (25.9 C), 2.7 F (1.5 C) above normal beating out the 2019 record of 78.4 F (25.8 C). Rocky Mountain snowpack was below normal at the time of this writing. Hurricane Zeta made landfall near Cocodrie, LA on October 28th, with a wind gust of 91 mph (41 m/s) reported in Mobile, AL. Abnormal dryness appeared briefly in an area from central New Jersey to southeastern Massachusetts in mid-March but eased by months end. Approximately 64 percent of the 168 long-term stations across the region observed annual precipitation totals that were at least 12 inches above average. For the individual nations, it was the second warmest . Much of the western half and eastern third of the CONUS experienced above-average maximum temperatures for the year with Arizona ranking warmest on record. The U.S. Drought Monitor released on July 30 showed 29 percent of the Northeast in a severe or moderate drought and 42 percent was abnormally dry. Eleven of the Northeasts 35 major climate sites set or tied their record for least snowy March. This topped the 12-week stretch in early 2019 with no abnormally dry conditions. The states fire tower network was extended due to increased fire risk. Corn yields were new records in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Kentucky. This led to rapid rises and moderate flooding on some waterways. The coldest temperature observed during winter 2019-20 in Washington, D.C., was 22 degrees F (-6 degrees C) and at Dulles Airport was 15 degrees F (-9 degrees C), which were the warmest minimum temperatures for winter on record. The greatest totals of over 12 inches (30 cm) were reported in northwestern Pennsylvania, with a location in Erie County picking up 22.5 inches (57.2 cm). The last time New York and New England experienced drought conditions was in the summer/fall of 2018. Wildfire activity across Alaska was below average and consumed approximately 181,000 acres in 2020 only 15 percent of the 2010-2019 average. Drought conditions expanded in coverage and intensified rapidly over the next month, with moderate-to-severe drought covering 83 percent of Florida by mid-April. The area of drought in southwestern Florida persisted until early June, while the area of drought in coastal Alabama lasted until late June. The U.S. Drought Monitor released on August 27 showed 37 percent of the Northeast in a severe or moderate drought and 23 percent as abnormally dry. The three largest wildfires in Colorado history occurred during 2020: The Cameron Peak Fire, the East Troublesome Fire and the Pine Gulch Fire each exceeded the acreage burned by the previous record, the 2002 Hayman Fire. In fact, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, had its fourth wettest July day on record with 4.15 inches (105.41 mm) of rain on July 10. It was also just the third to make it as far north as Wisconsin. In addition, about 36,000 homes and businesses in Virginia were without power following the height of the storm. The U.S. Drought Monitor released in June 25 showed 16 percent of the Northeast in a moderate drought and 26 percent was abnormally dry. Although the vast majority of the Midwestern derecho impacted areas to the east of the region, it is worth noting that this was an incredibly devastating storm that caused an estimated $7.5 billion in damage, according to NOAAs U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters event database. Wind gusts of 40 mph (18 m/s) to 80 mph (36 m/s) damaged buildings and downed trees and wires, leading to power outages. Meanwhile, northern locations received heavy snow, with the greatest totals of more than 12 inches (30 cm) in New York and northern New England. The most up-to-date temperature and precipitation data is available through Climate at a Glance. NOAA Climate.gov maps from our Data Snapshots collection, based on data from NCEI. There were three months (January, February, and September) where every state was wetter than normal and one month (November) where every state was drier than normal. The spatial extent of drought increased slightly from 18% at the beginning of the year to 19% at the end of the year. The highest thunderstorm wind gust recorded during the year was 84 mph (38 m/s), which was measured near Mountain Lake, VA as a squall line moved through southwestern Virginia on April 8th. Numerous trees and branches were felled due to a combination of strong winds, drought stress, and being fully leafed. The year 2020 proved to be a warm year for the Southern Region. Caribou, Maine, had its hottest June on record, all-time hottest day, longest stretch of days with a high of at least 80 degrees F (27 degrees C), and greatest number of June days with a high of at least 80 degrees F (27 degrees C). A total of 22 tornadoes were spawned by Isaias, including a rare EF-3 tornado that caused 2 fatalities and 14 injuries in Bertie County, NC on August 4th. On August 7, just a few days after Isaias' excessive rainfall, strong storms produced heavy rain and more flash flooding in southeastern parts of the region. The daily range of reported temperatures (gray bars) and 24-hour highs (red ticks) and lows (blue ticks), placed over the daily average high (faint red line) and low (faint blue line) temperature, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. There were road closures, some evacuations, and reports of water in houses. Some parts of New York and New England also saw 0.25 to 0.50 inches (6 to 13 mm) of ice accumulation. On the northern side of the city, Frankford Creek reached moderate flood stage for the second time in a week. These six regions differ spatially from the nine climatic regions of the National Climatic Data Center. Flash flooding due to heavy rain occurred again in parts of Maryland, Delaware, southeastern Pennsylvania, and New Jersey on August 12 and 13. Find out how to read the year to date and temperature/precip plots. Only Junes of 2015 (fourth warmest), 2016 (second warmest), 2019 (warmest), and 2020 (third warmest) were warmer and had a global temperature departure above +0.90C (+1.62F). The U.S. The 8.59.5 feet (2.62.9 meters) of storm surge destroyed many sand dunes and sea turtle nests in Oak Island, NC. Some areas of the region, especially western and southern Colorado, had departures over 2.0 degrees F (1.1 degrees C), which led to many locations ranking in the top 10 warmest years on record. Multiple residences were destroyed by this fire, and many residents were told to evacuate the area. In addition, Highlands was only 3.44 inches (87 mm) short of exceeding the highest annual precipitation total ever recorded in North Carolina, which occurred just two years ago on Mt. Texas experienced its third-warmest March on record, Louisiana and Mississippi experienced their fourth-warmest March on record, Oklahoma experienced its tenth-warmest March on record, and the region as a whole experienced its sixth-warmest March on record. There were at least 60 injuries and 4 deaths attributed to the storm system. By the end of 2020, 79% of the West was in drought and 22% of the region in exceptional drought (D4). The most costly events of the year include: Hurricane Laura, the Western wildfires and the Midwest derecho. This years drought could reduce next years growth of red oak and white pine trees in New Hampshire. For the West Coast fires, the exceptionally dry winter followed by a dry and hot summer and autumn were the main climate contributing factors. In addition, Interstate 81 near Binghamton, New York, was shut down for several hours due to disabled vehicles. Preliminary reports indicate Hurricane Laura generated a storm surge over 17 feet (5.18 meters) above ground level, which would be the largest surge on record for Louisiana. Earth's global average surface temperature in 2020 statistically tied with 2016 as the hottest year on record, continuing a long-term warming trend due to human activities. Several notable widespread wind events occurred in the Northeast this year. Drought was largely absent across the Southeast region due to extensive periods of above-average precipitation during the year, but an episode of moderate-to-severe (D1D2) drought did impact much of Florida and coastal Alabama from spring through early summer. Conditions improved in eastern New York but worsened in western New York and the western half of Pennsylvania. Another widespread wind event occurred on November 15. By the middle of May, the coverage in drought was significantly reduced across Florida, but areas of severe drought remained in southwestern Florida and coastal Alabama. In addition, there was one fatality in Margate City, New Jersey, due to a rip current. Drought stress also caused leaves to change color and drop earlier than usual in parts of the Northeast. On January 13th, a microburst damaged a school in Sampson County, NC. Precipitation was drier than normal across all six states. Holly National Weather Service forecast area. Use of irrigation was widespread; however, in some locations it was expensive or water supplies ran low or dried up. This resulted in many locations ranking among the top 10 snowiest Septembers and Octobers on record. More than 10,000 residents of Midland were evacuated in less than 12 hours with no loss of life. Drought conditions continued to worsen across much of the region during the fall as precipitation deficits mounted. Record dryness (dating back to 1949) was also observed in Tucson, Arizona with 4.17 in (105.92 mm, 36% of normal) falling throughout the year. Several nights of frost and freezing temperatures during the month caused some grass damage in pastures across northern and central Florida, while low-lying areas of pastures in southern Florida sustained flooding. Nevada and Utah ranked driest on record for 2020 with two additional western states ranking second driest. Alamosa, Colorado: New daily records for maximum and minimum temperature set in the same day (92.0 degrees F/33.3 degrees C and 37.0 degrees F/2.8 degrees C), July 10 (period of record 1906-2021), Rapid City, South Dakota: Earliest hard freeze (28.0 degrees F/-2.2 degrees C) on record, September 9 (period of record 1942-2021), Pueblo, Colorado: Most number of 90.0 degrees F (32.2 degrees C) days on record for a single year, 99 days (period of record 1888-2021), Denver, Colorado: Highest September temperature on record at 101.0 degrees F (38.3 degrees C), September 5 (period of record 1872-2021), Laramie, Wyoming: Lowest October temperature on record at -26.0 degrees F (-32.2 degrees C), October 27 (period of record 1948-2021). In many fields in southern Alabama, Hurricane Sally blew down the cotton crop when bolls had yet to open. Winter outlook 2020-2021: a look back | NOAA Climate.gov The solar day over the course of the year 2021. Preliminary damage estimates in Delaware exceeded $20 million. The precursor disturbance to Tropical Storm Bertha caused a significant multi-day rainfall event across southern Florida, with accumulations of more than 8 inches in several locations. The tornadoes and wind gusts caused structural damage and downed numerous trees. 2022 Year-to-Date Temperatures Versus Previous Years | January 2022 Overall, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year the region experienced a slight decrease in the total area of at least abnormally dry conditions. Most of the islands saw below normal precipitation with the exception of Kauai and some of southern Hawaii. In early May, Binghamton, New York; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Kennedy Airport, New York; and LaGuardia Airport, New York recorded their coldest May temperature on record. Below-average temperatures occurred across parts of the Southeast Interior region. These fires burned thousands of acres of forest and rangeland, caused evacuations, closed roads, and impacted air quality. Bellingham, Washington recorded 41.36 in (1050.54 mm, 115% of normal) making it the sixth wettest year since 1949. Drought conditions expanded or intensified across much of the western U.S. and southern to central High Plains throughout 2020 with persistent above-average temperatures and precipitation deficits in place across much of the West. Climate data on this page is PRELIMINARY (unofficial). Dry conditions prevented farmers from planting crops, and for those that were planted, moisture stress led to slowed growth and reduced yields. On the 11th, Sarasota-Bradenton, FL (19112020) observed its wettest November day on record, with 6.41 inches (163 mm) of rainfall. Although drought has impacted parts of the region in recent years, such as the 2017 Northern Plains drought, this is the most expansive drought in the region since 2012-2013. For instance, in late September, topsoil and subsoil were very dry for 80 to 100 percent of Maine, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. In addition, a 55-mph (25-m/s) wind gust reported at Gainesville Regional Airport, FL was the highest gust observed during the month of December since records began in 1973, breaking the old record of 46 mph (21 m/s) set on December 24, 2014. These economic ramifications occur for several reasons, which include higher. For instance, one Rhode Island farm lost 90 percent of its saplings and another farm did not open for the holiday season. Warm and dry conditions led to drought development in California and Nevada and major drought intensification in the Four Corners states during Calendar Year 2020. The result was strong wind gusts for the entire Northeast and a major late season snowstorm for parts of Maine and New Hampshire from April 9 to 10. 2020 Tied for Warmest Year on Record, NASA Analysis Shows In addition, snow fell across portions of West Virginia, western Maryland, western Pennsylvania, and western New York. Low streamflow and warm water temperatures prompted several states to take actions to protect aquatic species. Temperatures rebounded in the summer, with most states in the High Plains ranking in the top 15 warmest summers on record. Soil moisture conditions in the fall and early winter are important for the High Plains region because, as soils freeze, available moisture is locked in place until spring. Much of New England saw an unusually high number of fires or atypical fire behavior, with fires burning deeper and taking longer to extinguish. Twenty-five fatalities and at least 166 injuries were caused by tornadoes during the year. From an agricultural perspective, drought caused many impacts, especially for livestock and winter wheat producers. Every state experienced a warmer than normal winter, with every state experiencing a top-20 warmest winter on record while Tennessee experienced its sixth-warmest winter on record. Annual precipitation totals ranged from 12 to more than 20 inches (305 to more than 508 mm) above average in these areas. The Midwest was completely free of drought from January through May of 2020. The June 2021 global surface temperature was the fifth highest for June in the 142-year record at 0.88C (1.58F) above the 20th century average. For several other locations in the Northeast, the storms daily or two-day snow total ranked among the ten greatest for December or any month on record. Climate Change: Global Temperature | NOAA Climate.gov Five of the six largest wildfires in California history also occurred during 2020. Precipitation ranged from 87 percent of normal in Connecticut and Massachusetts to 126 percent of normal in Delaware, which had its seventh wettest year. Over time, the "normal" annual U.S. temperature has grown warmer, and the "normal . According to the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM), drought coverage expanded throughout much of 2020 with a minimum CONUS extent of 9.6 percent occurring on February 18 and maximum coverage of approximately 50 percent on December 22. Add to Cart . The wettest locations were found across much of Virginia, the Carolinas, Alabama, northern and central Georgia, the western half of the Florida Panhandle, southeastern Florida, and Puerto Rico. For the year, there were areas in all six states that averaged between 1 to 2 degrees F (0.56 to 1.11 degrees C) above normal, while parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee averaged 2 to 3 degrees F (1.11 to 1.67 degrees C) above normal. On April 13th, the strongest tornado of the year across the Southeast region occurred in Hampton County, SC. Water restrictions were in place for hundreds of locations in New England, as well as some locations in New York and Pennsylvania. One particularly notable event was severe flash flooding in the northern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 6. Parts of northwestern Iowa remained in extreme drought as the year came to an end. Fire risk was elevated in the region this summer and fall. The severe weather season got off to a very slow start this year, with only 10 tornado watches issued nationally during May. Tropical Storm Isaias, the Atlantic Oceans earliest "I" named tropical system on record, produced extreme rainfall, tornadoes, and damaging winds in the Northeast on August 4. Annual 2020 National Climate Report | National Centers for
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