From the NOAA National Weather Service Office in Miami comes this year end report:
2010 South Florida Weather Year in Review
Coldest December on Record Concludes Year of Extremes
December 30th, 2010: Temperature and precipitation extremes marked the weather of 2010 across South Florida. A cool and wet January through March was followed by the hottest summer on record, and then concluded with the coldest December on record for the main climate sites in South Florida (details on the above mentioned periods will be included below).
Here are December 2010 temperature averages for select sites (through 7 AM Dec 30th):
* Location of observations for each location have moved since the first year of record, but are representative of the city for record keeping purposes.
** Present Miami Beach and Moore Haven temperature data may not be totally comparable to historical data due to difference in time of daily reports which causes double-reporting of low temperatures.
Complete statistics of the record cold December for all sites above (except Moore Haven) will be provided in Record Reports which will be issued early on Jan 1, 2011.
The main culprit behind the cold temperatures in December 2010 was the same one which caused the cold winter of 2009-2010; a strongly negative North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Arctic Oscillation (AO). When these atmospheric oscillations are in the strong negative phase, they essentially “flip” the weather pattern across North America, with upper-level high pressure and relative warmth over Greenland and Northeastern Canada and upper-level low pressure and cold over the eastern Continental United States, including Florida (Figure 1). This pattern forces the jet stream to plunge south from northern Canada into the southeastern U.S., transporting Arctic air masses into Florida.
A pronounced shift in the ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) phase was noted in 2010, from a strong El Niño, or warm, phase to a borderline strong La Niña, or cold, phase. While this may appear at first glance to be a key contributor to the temperature extremes noted across South Florida during 2010, it is believed that it was the strongly negative NAO and AO, not the ENSO phase, which contributed to the cold temperatures in early and late 2010. A strongly phased NAO/AO operating on shorter time scales can override the longer-term ENSO phase.
As mentioned above, South Florida experienced its hottest summer on record in 2010 (with the exception of Naples which recorded its second hottest recorded summer). Despite the record hot summer, average yearly temperatures at the main climate sites will end up around 1 degree below normal, which will be the coolest calendar year since the early and mid 1980s, and among the top 10 on record (except for Miami). At secondary sites Miami Beach and Moore Haven, it was the coolest year on record (please note caveat below table).
Here are the 2010 temperature averages for the year for the primary climate sites through December 29:
** Present Miami Beach and Moore Haven temperature data may not be totally comparable to historical data due to difference in time of daily reports which causes double-reporting of low temperatures.
Some other interesting 2010 temperature statistics:
– Miami International Airport (MIA) observed 103 days of temperatures at or above 90 degrees, the 4th most on record. The average number of 90+ degree days per year is 51. MIA also had a record 45 days of low temperatures of 80 degrees or higher, besting the previous record of 39 set in 2009. The average number of 80+ degree low temperature days per year is 13. On the other end of the thermometer, MIA had 6 mornings with low temperatures below 40 degrees. This ties the 5th most number of sub-40 degree days on record. The average yearly number of sub-40 degree days is 2.
– Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL) observed 9 days of low temperatures below 40 degrees. This ties the 4th most number of sub-40 degree days on record. The average yearly number of sub-40 degree days is 3.
– Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) observed 106 days of temperatures at or above 90 degrees, the 8th most on record. The average number of 90+ degree days per year is 56. PBI also had a record 34 days of low temperatures of 80 degrees or higher, crushing the previous record of 17 set in 1900 and 2002. The average number of 80+ degree low temperature days per year is 6. On the other end of the thermometer, PBI had 18 mornings with low temperatures below 40 degrees. This easily breaks the previous record of 10 days set in 1920 and 1981. The average yearly number of sub-40 lows at PBI is 3. Six of the 18 days occurred in December, which breaks the previous monthly record for December of 5 set in 1962.
– Naples Regional Airport (APF) observed 125 days of temperatures at or above 90 degrees, the 12th most on record. The average number of 90+ degree days per year is 109. Naples also observed 13 days of low temperatures below 40 degrees. This ties the 5th most number of sub-40 degree days on record. The average yearly number of sub-40 degree days is 3. Eight of the 13 days occurred in December, which breaks the previous monthly record for December of 7 set in 1981.
Full report at NOAA/NWS here:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/mfl/news/2010WxSummary.pdf
h/t to Joe D’Aleo
SEE ALSO:
USA record lows outpace record highs 19 to 1 this week
Update 1/1/11 1:11:11 PM: obligatory Drudge Link screen-cap for Posterity: great way to start 2011!
Discover more from Watts Up With That?
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
So UHI pumps the High and the low. Then they say it was a year of extremes. My guess is that if the UHI was factored out no new “record high” but certainly new record low. But that is how AGW reports, always include the bias so they can claim climate disruption or something.
“Some other interesting 2010 temperature statistics:”
and all warming extremes on airports.
pat says:
December 30, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Maybe David Moron of Coca Cola should have given one of those poor starving polar bears a comforting hug. Kill 2 birds with one stone.
If I was CEO of Coke, I’d sack that Moron. Warmer climate means more cold drinks sales. Coke should be supporting sceptics.
Back on topic, I would have thought extreme weather events is what we’d expect in a regime change.
Record low temperatures in such diverse environments as Florida, Scandanavia and the UK certainly take a lot of explaining in terms of global warming….
One would think that the AGW proponents would have the sense to hold their fire for a few months, and hope that things start warming up again so all this can be dismissed as “just weather.”
But no. They just can’t help themselves…….
latitude says: December 30, 2010 at 3:13 pm
This I can testify….I planted tomato seeds three months ago – over 90 days – I should be eating tomatoes right now….the plants are only about 6 inch tall, it’s been too cold for them to grow
How odd. I’d have expected them to grow much better due to the CO2 fertilization effect. Perhaps more than one factor is involved. Have you checked any tree rings for correlation?
Let’s don’t forget record lows in Cancun.
=================================================
Werner Brozek says:
December 30, 2010 at 4:07 pm
“NOAA on Miami Florida: Coldest December on Record”
In other places, we are ominously told of how the CO2 is at the highest level in 800,000 years. So exactly what would be different if we had drastically cut our CO2 emissions at a huge expense and the CO2 was 30 ppm lower?
======================================================
Obviously we would have frozen to death………….
We’re supposed to lower CO2 because it makes us too hot…
….now that we know that elevated CO2 levels can also make us too cold
…what the hell do we do now!
Facts! I do not believe in global warming, but…they predicted extremes, one for them. Now, when all he extremes are on the low side…we win…
terrybixler says:
December 30, 2010 at 4:09 pm
“So UHI pumps the High and the low. Then they say it was a year of extremes. My guess is that if the UHI was factored out no new “record high” but certainly new record low.”
Hansen has thermometers in all of chicago’s cemeteries. They are boiling hot.*
*Think Kennedy v. Nixon, 1960.
So let see 2010. We have
South America: one of the coldest winters on record snow fall in the Amazon jungle loss of life, loss of cattle and crops
Australia and New Zealand both having cold winters and early snow fall,parts of Australia having cold and wet summer.Oh and NZ temp record found be falsified and no warming for the last 50 years!!
Parts of North Western Europe having early and extreme cold and snow, Monglia and China having extreme cold
parts of the USA having cool and wet summer now having extreme snow events,
frost in southern USA.record low hurricane season……
whats the old saying..if looks like a duck,walks like a duck, sounds like a duck…it’s a duck…
lots of folks saying it cold this year!!
Palm Beach International should have been colder back in 1888 because I don’t think they paved the runways until the 1930’s.
Miami International records go back to 1895, another community looking forward to the Wright Brothers.
Twenty-five years from now, after the warming has resumed, will we look back at all the ‘global warming is responsible for the cooling’ nonsense and laugh, or will the next generation just recycle the hysteria?
…”departure from normal”… Who decided what “normal” is?
Obviously, it’s all Climate GISS-ruption!
Denver Colorado has had a relatively mild late fall, with temps in the 40’s and 50’s in December. Not unusual, as I recall several winters over the last 60 years that have been like that.
This morning a cold front swept through with snow and rapidly falling temps. It is currently 6.7 deg F in Broomfield and has been falling at about 1-2 deg F per hour since mid-day. It will probably hit 0 deg F or lower tonight, so it is busy balancing out the numbers as we speak. It will be interesting to see if during our typical coldest part of the winter (Mid January to mid February) we get into the serious sub-zero temperature range as we did in the 1960’s when at this same location temperatures dipped down near -30 deg F in January.
Lots of folks are going to lose water pipes and engine blocks tonight, as it has been a while since we had a sharp temperature drop like this, with no warning for the uninitiated to get things winterized.
Larry
It looks like we in Ottawa are going to have our warmest New Year’s day since some time. Good!
What is interesting is that the warmists have given up on their “weather is not climate” mantra in favour of the new and risky “COLD IS WARM” stance. Now that all weather is proof of global warming, they cannot revert to their previous position.
Wasn’t there a hot-shot meeting in Lisbon this September ; Ecotretas has the details http://ecotretas.blogspot.com/2010/10/climategate-secret-meeting_22.html in English, where all the top-notch super-duper climate scientists got together to discuss various issues. Pehaps this change of tack is a result of that meeting, figuring that the new, and irrefutable, argument avoids any embarassement that might be caused by future cold periods.
In the recently released “State of the Climate Report” by NIWA (New Zealand), the authors point out that IPO (interdecadal pacific oscillation) has gone negative (2000 – present) meaning that La Ninas should dominate for the next twenty to thirty years and point out this is the opposite of that predicted by increased GHG. It looks like it is appearing in tandem with the negative NAO of the northern hemisphere. The last negative phase was from 1950-1980 similar to the negative phase of the NAO. This would seem to link NAO and ENSO globally.
http://www.niwa.co.nz/our-science/climate/publications
“Mike McMillan says:
December 30, 2010 at 5:11 pm
Palm Beach International should have been colder back in 1888 because I don’t think they paved the runways until the 1930′s.”
Wright Brothers, Kitty Hawk, 1903, probably not much going on until after that point.
A bit OT, but the UAH/MSU is going to plummet for December?
On “Our ABC” here in Queensland, the weather girl stated, amongst all the news about the rains and floods, December has been quite cool with temperatures across the state being 5 to 7 degrees ( C ) below normal.
Again today, at 1:15 PM, it is now only 27 c and I’m in the tropics, normally it would be over 30, maybe even 35.
It has been cool here for months, where is our summer ??
So the cool is not only in the northern hemisphere.
CodeTech says:
December 30, 2010 at 3:42 pm
“Yeah, the whole “warming” farce is a hard sell in the areas that didn’t see much warm.”
It is a manufactured crisis for the green, liberal, urban electorate. They don’t see nature except for holiday trips and UHI makes them believe the planet is warming. They are also the first ones to believe the planet is overpopulated. No wonder when you live in a matchbox sized apartment.
I think it’s a good time to start selling them the EM pollution scare now. Now that they all have wireless gizmos they are ripe for that step. Make’em feel guilty. Your iphone is killing the trees, that kinda thing. AGW already gets a little blue in the face.
brad says:
December 30, 2010 at 4:49 pm
“Facts! I do not believe in global warming, but…they predicted extremes, one for them. Now, when all he extremes are on the low side…we win…”
They didn’t predict any cold extreme until well after the fact (last years extreme cold in Mongolia for instance).
Anything is possible says:
December 30, 2010 at 4:16 pm
“Record low temperatures in such diverse environments as Florida, Scandanavia and the UK certainly take a lot of explaining in terms of global warming….”
It’s far, far more than that. Nonoy Oplas from Manila reports:
http://funwithgovernment.blogspot.com/2010/12/global-warming-hits-asia.html
It is puzzling that the cold Miami temps are explained by cold Canadian Arctic air and yet so much of Eastern Canada is unseasonably mild. How does the cold air get there without cooling everything in between?
I live directly on Tampa Bay, and we’ve had snow before, and ice before, and miserable, freezing temperatures before. I don’t see anything unusual about this winter. Some winters are milder and some are harsher. Same with the summers.
What I can say with absolute certainty is that the sea water level has not risen even an inch in my entire life here. I can walk over to the water and look at the markers put there thirty years ago, fifty years ago, and seventy years ago. No change. This is what made me suspicious of AGW in the first place.
If you go go Key West and look at the water markers there for the southernmost tip of the US, you will discover that there has been no sea level rise in more than a century. Imagine that.
People screaming about this winter being unusual are just a bunch of drama queens. There is no such thing as a “correct” temperature, and James Hansen needs to realize that his romanticized childhood summers and winters are not the ideals to which the rest of the world must eternally conform.
It’s all a matter of relying on your primary skill set. In this case, it’s tailoring parameters (plugs) to make superficially passable hindcasts.
steve from rockwood;
The center of the country is frigid; the Arctic air is sagging down the core of the continent. The edges are “spared”. Though LA might dispute that!