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Archive for the ‘US Precipitation’ Category

Latest of East Coast Snowstorms

Posted by feww on January 22, 2011

Latest in a Series of East Coast Snowstorms – GOES East Satellite Image


Original Caption: New York City woke up to 5 more inches [12.5cm] of snow this morning, adding to already record-setting accumulations this winter. As the storm moves off the eastern seaboard it is expected to leave 7-12 inches [17.5-30cm] more in coastal New England, with Maine expecting the brunt of accumulation throughout the rest of the day. This image was taken by GOES East at 16:45UTC [January 21, 2011.]  Source: NOAA. Click image to enlarge. High Resolution Version


Click Image to enlarge. Update image. (24-Hr FE ED).
Click HERE to Animate Image. (Source: SSEC/Wisc-Uni)

National Snow Analysis [January 21, 2011]

Area Covered By Snow: 56.0%
Area Covered Last Month: 46.0%
Snow Depth
Average: 16.9 cm
Minimum: 0.0 cm
Maximum: 2413.4 cm
Std. Dev.: 31.5 cm
Snow Water Equivalent
Average: 3.7 cm
Minimum: 0.0 cm
Maximum: 1131.5 cm
Std. Dev.: 8.5 cm

Snow Cover Animations:

Click Below for 31 Day Animations

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Posted in NY snow storm, snow in the US, snow news, US Precipitation, US Snow Cover | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

U.S. Drought Outlook

Posted by feww on November 26, 2010

2011: The Year of Extremes


Click image to enlarge. Source: NWS/NOAA

Latest Seasonal Assessment – Drought continued to slowly expand and locally intensify in a broad area across the southern and southeastern states, the lower Mississippi Valley, and the lower Ohio Valley northward through Indiana and southern Michigan. Based on the Seasonal Outlook for December 2010 – January 2011, which relies primarily on climate anomalies typically observed during La Niña episodes, drought persistence and broad expansion is expected from central and southern Texas eastward along and near the Gulf Coast through the southern Atlantic Seaboard. Chances for drought improvement increase away from the coastal plains, with some improvement forecast across the upper South, and broad-scale improvement expected from southern portions of the middle Mississippi Valley through the lower Ohio Valley and points north. As in areas farther east, the drought region in northeastern Arizona is forecast to persist and expand, covering large sections of the southern Four Corners region by the end of February. The recently-expanded drought across the central High Plains is also expected to persist through this period, which is their driest time of year climatologically. Farther west, limited drought improvement is expected across central Nevada, but more substantial improvement seems likely in western Wyoming and across the drought region in northeast California, southern Oregon, and adjacent areas. In Hawaii, the seasonal increase in rainfall and a modest tilt of the odds toward a wetter than normal winter season should bring limited improvement to the areas affected by drought, but the large, long-term precipitation shortages recorded in these areas will likely preclude any widespread, substantial improvement by the end of the period.  Source of Forecast: NWS/ CPC

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April had 195 reported tornadoes

Posted by feww on May 8, 2010

U.S. April Weather Was Hot and Dry

April Saw Above-Normal Temperatures and Below-Normal Precipitation: NOAA

According to NOAA’s State of the Climate report, the April 2010 average temperature for the contiguous United States was 54.3 degrees F, some 2.3 degrees F above the long-term (1901-2000) average  making it the 14th warmest April on record. The average precipitation was 2.18 inches, or 0.25 inch below the long-term average.

NOAA monthly analysis is prepared by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, NC.

U.S. Temperature Highlights


Source: NOAA. Click image to enlarge.

  • Above-normal temperatures caused by warm and dry weather from high-pressure areas experienced by most states east of the Rocky Mountains. Only California, Nevada and Oregon experienced cooler-than-average temperatures last month.
  • Northeast and the East North Central Region: Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan experienced their second warmest April ever.
  • Central climate region: West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri had their  fourth warmest April for that region. [link to regional map]
  • Northeast: Illinois Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Jersey had their warmest April on record. I
  • A total of 31 states experienced above-normal temperatures.
  • February to April period: The record warmest in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
  • January to April period: Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire had their warmest year-to-date on record. “Conversely, Florida had its coolest, while South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas’ average temperature ranked among their 10 coolest.”
  • “The cooler-than-normal temperatures that prevailed during the latter part of the winter season in the south and southeast were still evident in the three-month (February-April) period. Florida had its coolest such period, while Louisiana and Alabama had their sixth coolest, Georgia its seventh coolest and both Mississippi and Texas their eighth coolest February-April.”

U.S. Precipitation Highlights


Source: NOAA. Click image to enlarge.

  • Below average precipitation in most areas east of the Mississippi River.  West Coast was wet, and the Northwest higher than normal precipitation.
  • “Many Mid-Atlantic states observed much-below-normal precipitation. Both Louisiana and South Carolina experienced their sixth driest April. It was also abnormally dry in Connecticut (eight), North Carolina (ninth), Virginia (ninth) and Maryland (tenth). Conversely, it was Oregon’s tenth-wettest April on record.”
  • Michigan saw its second driest January to April period on record. “The year-to-date period was also the seventh driest for Wisconsin and Kentucky and the eighth driest for Louisiana.”

Other Highlights

  • North American snow cover extent was the lowest on record for April since 1966. “It was also the largest negative anomaly, meaning distance below long term average, on record for any month.”
  • “NCDC’s Climate Extremes Index (CEI) for January-April was about 6 percent higher than the historical average for that time period. The CEI measures the occurrence of several types of climate extremes (like record or near-record warmth, dry spells, or rainy periods). Factors contributing to this year’s value: a very large footprint (three times larger than average) of extreme wetness and twice the average area with warm minimum temperatures.”
  • NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center reported 195 tornadoes in April. Subject to confirmation, “it would be the eighth highest number of April tornadoes.”
  • “The most significant tornado of the month, which was rated EF-4 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, devastated areas near Yazoo City, Miss. According to a preliminary analysis by the National Weather Service, the tornado’s path was 149 miles long and stretched from extreme northeastern Louisiana to northeastern Mississippi. The damage path was up to 1¾ miles wide at points.” [More than a dozen people were killed by the tornado.]
  • The U.S. Drought Monitor said 9 percent of the United States was affected by drought on April 27.

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    Serial No 1,696. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by Google/the authorities in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).


    Posted in US Precipitation, US Snow Cover, US temperature, US tornadoes, US weather | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

    U.S. Warmer, Drier in March

    Posted by feww on April 11, 2010

    Despite the appearances ‘U.S. Averaged Warmer-than-Normal, Drier-than-Normal in March’

    According to NOAA’s State of the Climate report the March 2010 average temperature for the contiguous United States was warmer than average.

    Thirteen states recorded an average temperature that was among their 10 warmest ever for March:

    • Rhode Island experienced its warmest March on record;
    • Maine its second warmest for the month
    • New Hampshire its third warmest

    Again, despite the appearances, average precipitation for the U.S. was below normal, but heavy rainfall in parts of the Northeast set March records.

    NOAA’s monthly temperature analysis are based on data recorded since 1895.

    U.S. Temperature Highlights


    Source: National Climatic Data Center/ NESDIS/NOAA. Click image to enlarge.

    Temperature Highlights for March 2010

    • March temperature average across the contiguous United States was 44.4 degrees F, some 1.9 degrees F above the long-term average. “However, several storms developed along the Atlantic Coast, bringing below-normal temperatures to the South and Southeast, while bringing warm and wet weather to the Northeast and Midwest regions (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin).”
    • Thirteen states averaged temperature among their 10 warmest for March.
    • Gulf Coast states, New Mexico, Georgia and South Carolina experienced cooler-than-normal temperatures. Florida recorded its fourth coolest March.
    • January-March period
      • Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire: Warmest ever
      • Florida: Coldest ever
      • Louisiana: Second coldest
      • Mississippi and Alabama : Third coldest

    U.S. Precipitation Highlights


    Source: National Climatic Data Center/ NESDIS/NOAA. Click image to enlarge.

    Precipitation Highlights for March 2010

    • Average March precipitation  across the contiguous United States fell below the long-term mean (LTM). The month’s national average fell 0.24 inches below the LTM of 2.16 inches. “The Northeast was above-normal, while much of the interior United States was below-normal. All other regions were near normal.”
    • January – March period
      • Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Jersey:  Wettest on record
      • Delaware: Second wettest on record
      • Vermont:  Fifth wettest
      • Twenty other states:  Precipitation ranked among the top 10 wettest.
      • Michigan:  Driest ever January-March period
      • Wisconsin: Fourth driest
      • Montana and Wyoming: Sixth driest.

    Other Highlights

    • The preliminary tornado count for March was 36 – joint  4th quietest March since reliable records began in 1950,  NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center said.
    • Mid-March ice coverage over the Great Lakes was at a record low, covering only 3.5 percent of the Lakes’ surface, the Canadian Ice Service said.The average ice extent for the period was estimated at 31 percent of the Lakes’ surface. The records started in 1973.
    • Drought on March 30 covered about 9.0 percent of the United States, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.


    Click image to enlarge.

    Serial No  1,560. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by the authorities/Google in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).

    Posted in precipitation, temperature, US Drought, US Precipitation, US temperature | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »