Click for source image
No red dots on this map. The map above appears to be representing Weather Service Forecast Office forecast zones, though I’m not absolutely sure since no reference is included with the map. If so, then each of these divisions is an area where a Zone Forecast is issued for. These are what we see as our regular daily forecasts on TV, Newspapers, and Radio. The map above is from NCDC’s research section and was brought to my attention by WUWT commenter “pearlandaggie”.
Update: It turns out they are “climate divisions” see here with thanks to Basil.
The public hasn’t been widely exposed to the map above. The map below is what was in the latest press release.
If we just look at the month of December, the USA still looks cooler than normal or near normal for the most part, with the southeast USA being the exception:
Click for source image
NOAA says in the press release:
South Carolina and Georgia had their sixth and eighth, respectively, warmest December on record.
The first map was not part of the press release, the second one was. I wonder why NOAA chose not to include a yearly map presentation like the first one above from their research section, but only chose to show one for December 2008 even though the title of the press release was:
NOAA: 2008 Temperature for U.S. Near Average, was Coldest Since 1997; Below Average for December
It would seem to me that if you run a press release about the entire year of 2008, you’d put in a map for 2008 also. It’s not like they didn’t have one available.
To their credit, they did include the time series, but as my years of television experience have told me, that isn’t often as easily interpreted by the general public.
Here is what the CONUS temperature time series looks like with 2008 added, as included in the press release:
NOAA says in their press release:
For 2008, the average temperature of 53.0 degrees F was 0.2 degree above the 20th Century average.
In other words; near normal.
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Ed Scott (10:31:20)
The US could replace all its cars and trucks with electric cars powered by wind turbines taking up less than 3 square kilometres […]
REPLY: “wind turbines taking up less than 3 square kilometres”? Doubtful…we have that much area of wind turbines in California alone already.- Anthony
Listening carefully to the flash… he says ‘where they actually touch the ground’. That’s 3 square kilometers of POLE or MAST surface area where the windmills attach to the ground. A bit, um, misleading…
james griffin (11:14:38) :
However today has been very funny as HM Gov ernmebt […]
reaction from the greens has beeb […]
My mid wandered….
Hard time typing with mittens on? 😉 Wishing you a warmer future…
3 sq km per car=1.158 sq mi per car
about 250,000,000 cars in USA
250,000,000 cars x 1.158 sq mi = 289,500,000 sq mi needed for windmills
Total sq mi in USA = 3,536,278 sq mi
3,536,278 sq mi – 289,500,000 sq mi =… Hmmmm i may be missing something here…
“The 2008 globally-averaged temperature is still within the amplitude envelope of higher frequency climate change (e.g., ENSO variations) that is superimposed on the observed warming exactly predicted by Hansen and others starting in 1988 (e.g., see Rahmstorf et al., 2007, Science, v. 316, p. 709)”
I believe this is in the encyclopedia under, “Grasping at straws.”
james griffin (11:16:40) wrote: “PS sorry for all the spelling mistakes…pressed the wrong button…but you know what I meant.”
Now you tell us, James, way after I finished chuckling at your wicked humour…
RICH (11:39:05) :
Some bloggers here claim that capitalism has destroyed our country. I respectfully disagree. We are becoming a socialist nation…
Technically… now that the government has purchased large stakes in many banks and automakers (yeah, they called it a loan, but with a priority security interest? That’s just a fancy buy…):
Our form of government is now what is called Lange Type Socialism. The ‘small bits’ are left to markets, the ‘large bits’ are owned or managed by the government. So I’m sorry, but you are wrong. “Becoming” is the wrong tense. Make it ‘have become’. And if you want to impress the economists in the audience, make it “Lange type”
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_socialism
Lange and Dickinson saw potential problems with bureaucratization in market socialism. According to Dickinson “the attempt to check irresponsibility will tie up managers of socialist enterprises with so much red tape and bureaucratic regulation that they will lose all initiative and independence” Dickinson 1938 p214). In the Economics of Control (1944) Abba Lerner admitted that capital investment would be politicized in market socialism.
Seems to fit…
Mars Farts!
http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre50e6td-us-mars-methane/
I just find it funny that Northeast Nebraska had record cold.
Then again, nothing ever happens in NE Nebraska…so no worries.
Al Gore, NE Nebraska and the Oregon Coast have a message for you: SHUT UP!
“I believe this is in the encyclopedia under, “Grasping at straws.””
I agree, Mike. But this is your one, or possibly two years to get away with it, so I’ll let you have your fun. See you in a significantly warmer (by ~0.2C) next decade.
Man, that 0.2C in ten years is really going to feel good, Rob…
Mike Bryant
The article goes on to say that there would be 73,000 to 144,000 5MW wind turbines needed to power an all-electric US fleet. The article also states .5% of the land area would be needed.
http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2009/january7/power-010709.html
1% land area is 35,000 sq. miles
.5% is 17,500 sq miles
now, if we used a factor of 4 turbines per sq km, that would give us between
That gives us between 18,000 and 36,000 sq. km. – median of 27,000
using 3 gives us between 21000 and 48,000 — median of ~34,000 sq. km
5MW turbines are behemoths with a blade radius of 100+meters, to avoid turbulence and blocking issues, 3 or 4 is probably all you could reasonably fit on a square km,
It seems likely that 30,000 square km is what the article meant to say
Greg (19:31:15) wrote: “In that case, I delare the optimum temperature to be 21degC by night and 35degC by day.”
An excellent example of why men go to war, Greg. Your optimums would kill me (we are having a taste of them in Melbourne). It may be my time of life, but 8-10C at night and 23C day is my dream; and Pamela Gray’s climate is feared…
the CONUS temp map is not accurate and does not conform to the published scientific work of Hansen in “GISS analysis of surface temperature change
J. Hansen, R. Ruedy, J. Glascoe, and M. Sato
NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York”, Figure 6 as has been discussed before here
What I find most interesting about this word “normal” is this: How do we actually know what the “normal” climate is supposed to be? In other words, where is it written that the climate is supposed to be exactly the same every year to be considered “normal”?
We are consistently told that the Arctic region is melting, and yet somehow it is -78 F in Alaska. Somehow an Arctic cold front all the way down in Illinois made yesterday’s high temperature -5 F.
Does 1+1=3? If it is so warm up there, where is all the cold air coming from? I’m no scientist, but I am smart enough to question the obvious and see lies when I see them. Unfortunately, the masses who are edumacated solely by TV don’t understand (or even care).
That first map sure identifies areas of high population growth (red: Boston, NewYork-Phil-Washington megopolis, South Florida, Houston, So Cal) and decline (blue: upper and central midwest) I am sure it is strictly a coincidence though. There is no need to investigate. Maybe people are moving to the red areas because they like it warm? Naah!
RE: the Graph
I thought it was “general consensus” that 1934 was the hottest year on record for the 48 states. Looks like NOAA has adjusted this downward to make 1998 and 2006 warmer.
New record low temps from the weather channel 1/16/2009.
http://www.weather.com/newscenter/topstories/todayinweather.html?from=hp_news
Today in weather
Tim Ballisty, Meteorologist and Renee Willet, Content Manager, weather.com
Jan. 16, 2009 8:58 am ET
Record lows in the 20s, 30s below zero | Inauguration forecast | On this date
8:17 am ET
Several record lows pouring in: TWC meteorologist Mark Ressler has gathered up more and more record lows this morning coming in from the Midwest and Northeast. Like we said in the 7:57 am ET update, there may be even more to come in during the morning.
Maine
• Caribou: -37 [-27 in 1984]
• Houlton: -36 [-26 in 2004]
• Bangor: -25 [-20 in 1994]
New Hampshire
• Concord: -24 [-19 in 1984]
Vermont
• Burlington: -21 [-20 in 1920]
• Montpelier: -25 [-21 in 1994]
Iowa
• Waterloo: -34** [-26 in 1977]
• Ottumwa :-20 [-19 in 1977]
• Mason City: -31 [-25 in 1977]
• Dubuque: -30 [-30 in 1888]
• Cedar Rapids: -27 [-23 in 1982]
• Spencer: -28 [-26 in 1977]
Minnesota
• St. Cloud: -34 [-31 in 1977]
Illinois
• Moline: -29 [-23 in 1888]
• Rockford: -25 [-24 in 1982]
• Peoria: -21 [-20 in 1977]
Michigan
• Detroit: -15 [-14 in 1972]
**ties coldest temp on record 3/1/1962
7:57 am ET
Breaking subzero record lows: It’s becoming a broken record when talking about broken record lows. With the arctic air mass in place, cities are reaching down low for new records as temps tumble into the 20s and 30s below zero.
Here’s a list of new record lows already set this morning. There will be more to come in this morning so check back to see the updates.
City: New Record [Old Record]
• Caribou, ME: -33 [-27 in 1984]
• Houlton, ME: -33 [-26 in 2004]
• Waterloo, IA: -34** [-26 in 1977]
• St. Cloud, MN: -33 [-31 in 1977]
• Montpelier, VT: -24 [-21 in 1994]
**ties coldest temp on record 3/1/1962
E.M. Smith,
I fear that you are correct, although I am reluctant in admitting what we ‘have become’.
We are witnessing the crash and burn of the modern Roman Empire, with flames stoked by greed and corruption. Global socialism is right around the corner, with help from a uniting cause (environmentalism) linking us all.
I had to get up at 2:00am to fire up and connect our generator because we lost power up here in New Hampshire. I have expensive equipment which contains water and would freeze, expand and cause extensive damage.
Pulling a generator through over a foot of snow, with -10 degree temperatures, in pajamas… sucks. And I live closer to the equator than the north pole.
Is it time to move south or should I hold out for “hope” that we just might get a little global warming?
Indiana boy sticks tongue to metal lamppost.
Double-Dog Dare Works Again
(Warming Earth doesn’t help!)
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977564859&grpId=3659174697245380&nav=Groupspace
Anthony, did you ever report on one of these stories?
REPLY: Why would I? – Anthony
We set another all time record, -33, eclipsing -31 in 1977 for last night. Maine seems to have set lowest temp ever in BearCreek? -50 is the claim.
I know, it’s just weather.
Igloo construction class begins at noon.
Bring a shovel. And warm work gloves.
Hot coffee will be provided.
E.M.Smith (20:07:28) :
Ditto here on being prepared and all that. Somebody makes a little “tooth ache kit” that includes oil of clove, along with some “stuff” to fill in for fillings that have fallen out. We used that, along with ambesol and OTC pain medicine until we could get to a dentist and get a commercial antibiotic. These things never happen at convenient times: we were on vacation 700 miles from home, it was December 30th, when all this started.
For myself, I’ve managed to kill a few tooth infections with Dr. Tichenor’s straight. Not for the faint hearted. Dr. Tichenor’s is not easy to find, so I keep some extra stored in my “preparedness pantry.” Along with some 190 proof Everclear. The latter is not even allowed for sale in nanny states.
Well, back to the sun.
The carbon tax list should include taxes on livestock, esp. cows. Another omission was beer, whisky and sodas.
A question. Isn’t the temperature recorded on a thermometer a proxy for heat?
I recall being stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, in an area comprised of a meadow, where the temperature reache ninety odd degrees in the summer. Our unit was sent to Camp Irwin, Cal., which we were told was six miles from Death Valley, where the tempeCanratures were frequently over 110 degrees. We suffered from the heat at Riley but not at Irwin. No humidity there.
In a cubic meter of atmosphere, it seems to me more heat is contained in a humid atmosphere than a dry one. Temperature measurement fails to account for that. Can someone tell me why this is wrong?
Sorry about the error in spelling ‘temperatures’ above.
NOAA US has trended up relative to NASA US – I just did a post on this http://www.climateaudit.org/?p=4852