FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: John Leslie 301-713-2087, ext. 174
Aug. 8, 2008
NOAA: U.S. Temperature Above Normal in July
July 2008 was the 30th warmest July for the contiguous United States, based on records dating back to 1895, according to an analysis by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. The average July temperature—74.9 degrees F—was 0.7 degrees above the 20th century mean, based on preliminary data.
U.S. Temperature Highlights
- July temperatures were generally higher than average across the West and Northeast and below average in the Midwest.
- Five states (Conn., Mass., N.J., R.I. and Utah) were much warmer than average. Rhode Island had its sixth warmest July, and Massachusetts and Utah both had their eighth warmest July, based on statewide data going back to 1895. Six states (Ill., Ind., Ky., Mo., N.M. and W.Va.) were cooler than average.
- Based on NOAA’s Residential Energy Demand Temperature Index, contiguous U.S. temperature-related energy demand was approximately three percent above average in July.
U.S. Precipitation Highlights
- An average of 2.90 inches of precipitation fell across the contiguous United States in July, which is near the 20th century average of 2.76 inches.
- Seven states (Ill., Mass., Mo., N.H., N.Y., R.I. and Vt.) were much wetter than average, with Vermont having its third wettest July on record. Massachusetts and New Hampshire had their fifth wettest July.
- Idaho and Louisiana were much drier than average, with Idaho having its sixth driest July on record and Louisiana its seventh driest July.
- The lack of significant rainfall across the Southeast had little impact on drought conditions. At the end of July, 59 percent of the region was classified in moderate-to-exceptional drought, based on the U.S. Drought Monitor. For the contiguous U.S., about 28 percent of the nation was in moderate to exceptional drought.
Midwest Flooding
- Heavy rains fell across parts of the Midwest again in July, continuing a trend that began last October. An area from central Iowa through northeastern Missouri and western Illinois accumulated more than twice the normal July rainfall. At Long Branch Reservoir in north central Missouri, 18.64 inches fell – more than three times the normal amount. The heavy rains triggered widespread flash flooding in Missouri and Iowa. Mark Twain Lake in Missouri reached a record of 640.36 feet above mean sea level on July 30. Illinois and Missouri had their wettest January to July on record.
Wildfires
- Continued dry conditions in July across northern and central California hindered efforts to contain a dozen large wildfires. Large fires also developed last month in other states, including Texas, Oklahoma, and North Carolina. From January 1st to July 31st, 53,796 wildfires have burned more than 3.5 million acres of the United States, according to statistics from the National Interagency Fire Center. This activity is close to the 1999-2008 average and well below the year-to-date extent of the past two years.
Other Events
- A rare EF-2 tornado struck in New Hampshire on July 24 and claimed one life and injured several others.
- Hurricane Bertha formed in the tropical Atlantic on July 3, and while not making landfall, was the longest-lived, pre-August Atlantic tropical cyclone on record. It became extratropical on July 20. The same day, Hurricane Dolly developed in the Caribbean Sea and made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane at South Padre Island, Texas on July 22. Dolly is the most intense tropical cyclone to make U.S. landfall since Hurricane Wilma in 2005.
- Heavy rain from Tropical Storm Dolly brought relief from drought across parts of the Southwest and in southern Texas. However, up to eight inches of rain fell within 36 hours over parts of southern New Mexico, resulting in many flash floods, which claimed one life, and brought total property damage estimates of around $1.5 billion.
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.
On the Web:
NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov
NCDC July 2008 analysis: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2008/jul/jul08.html
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It positively bristles with righteousness.
Wow. 30th. That’s….er…..uh……(yawn) not very politically correct for the weather. I am sure Hansen would like to adjust that figure.
I love this:
NOAA. The prophet of Gaia.
“NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources. ”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA… sorry couldn’t contain myself.
30th warmest? Is that within 1 sigma of the mean? Don’t we call that average?
I find the temperature readings hard to believe. This has been the coolest sumer in So Cal that I can remember and I have hardly had to use the AC. Interesting to say the least…
UAH came in 0.048°C above the 20th century bench mark for world temps. The NCDC came in 0.7°F above the 20th century mean for the lower 48 states.
1) what happens if AK and HI are added to the mix?
2) Despite the difference between °C and °F, there seems to be no agreement between the data sets. Is the US anomalously hotter than the rest of the world or is the data biased?
3) when will the US get metric?
A press release.
Wonderful.
No science here. Filled with talking points for the talking heads operating under the guidance of, “If it bleeds, it leads.” (yet another yawn)
The AGW sayers of sooth said the warming monsters were on a ten year break. This new development should be worth a new hockey stick. Expected values Vs empirical data.
This should prove conclusively an inverted trend and the world will now warm for ten years followed by catastrophic cooling which will result in a 27 foot drop in sea levels and a new glacer covering Canada.
Everybody panic!
The 30th warmest July? Big deal. Since gloom and doom prognosticators say that all the oil reserves in the world will be used up in approximately 50 years, why do we even worry about more gloom and doom predications from basically the same group of people that in 50 years the planet might be in crisis due to CO2 based global warming? If in the future there is no oil, how can we keep increasing the level of man-made CO2. I know this incredibly silly logic but is it anymore ridiculous than the whole global warming hype? I just don’t get it.
Translated: We know everything of the past and the future for every aspect of your environment, and we will control it as we deem necessary.
I don’t have the words to express my contempt for that expression. Scientists should know better.
Hoping not to sound too naive, but aren’t the NOAA US temperaturee averages calculated using SURFACE STATIONS?
The statistic is thus somewhat meaningless.
Did they mention that it was also cooler this July than the 3 previous?
Pieter,
The US was scheduled to convert to metric in the early 1980’s. The election of Reagan in 1980 resulted in that being canceled and no politician has since dared to counter the wisdom of his decision.
Having lived many years in Canada (now in US) I developed a skill that has served me well. I nearly always think in metric and automatically translate back and forth. The results are sometimes a few grams/ounces or degrees off, but that doesn’t matter for most day to day stuff.
Story in New Scientist Environment
Humans cause climate change, US body accepts
http://environment.newscientist.com/article/mg19926683.300-humans-cause-climate-change-us-body-accepts.html
“US Climate Change Science Program has issued a report concluding that computer models do effectively simulate climate”
This news release, from a governmental agency, is pure propoganda. It’s intent is to promote global warming fear.
What is most disconcerting is that I suspect the authors honestly believe that they are reporting honest news.
Are we becoming the next Soviet Union?
Oh Boy!!!
Bill Marsh,
Great point, cooler this July than the three previous, surely that is newsworthy.
Mike
NOAA must be really getting very dizzy from all that spinning… LOL
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.
Look at IPCC better than NOAA :
IPCC make predictions until 2300 :
http://www.ipcc.ch/meetings/session28/doc8.pdf
The expert meeting included presentations focused on needs for scenarios as seen from a policymaking perspective, a review of past IPCC scenarios, overviews of evolving plans in the research community, needs and opportunities for scenarios on two different time scales (“near term”—to 2035, and “long term”—to 2100, extended to 2300 for some applications)…
(emphasis is mine)
Let’s imagine a prediction made en 1707 (Queen Ann) about us and our way of life.
0.7 degrees above the 20th century mean, Like, WOW. That must mean that is was colder than recently.
What is it with these people?
They must maintain the fiction, the hysteria. 30th warmest in 113 years, that’s about average I’d say. Talk about grasping for straws.
Hey NOAA, which were coolest and where do they rank as coolest?
Enquiring minds want to know.
Mike
I meant which STATES were coolest and where did they rank on the coolness scale for last month.
A rare EF-2 tornado struck in New Hampshire on July 24 and claimed one life and injured several others
Well, that’s a bit gratuitous. I presume they meant rare for New Hampshire. All of the states have experienced at least one F2 tornado since 1950 to 2005 with the exception of Nevada. The states bordering NH have all experienced more than NH. The ones in Mass. are all along the NH border. The total number of F2’s 1950 to 2005 has been 7850.
http://www.hprcc.unl.edu/nebraska/F2tornadoes-us1950-2005.html
Also, see the note at the bottom of the side panel.
If this were an isolated example it wouldn’t be so bad but this type of reporting is becoming more prevalent. It’s sickening to witness. You really have to wonder why so many stoop so low.
Satististics don’t lie but you can lie with statistics.
In Sam Kinison’s screaming voice: It’s called SUMMER!!!!!