SNR Climate Corner

July 2014 Global Temperature Anomalies

2014-08-20T05:50:00.003-07:00

July 2014 Global Temperature Anomalies

Headline: Globe was 4th warmest on record in July 2014.

Data period 1880-2014 (135 years of data).

It was cooler than normal here in the center of the U.S. but it can easily be seen on the following map that most of the globe was painted in red, i.e. warmer than normal.

NOTE a climate summary is located BELOW the map.

LINK to previous 2014 monthly anomaly maps

July 2014 Summary From NCDC:
The average temperature across the world's land and ocean surfaces during July 2014 was 0.64°C (1.15°F) above the 20^th century average, the fourth highest for July on record. The record warmest July occurred in 1998, with a temperature that was 0.73°C (1.31°F) higher than average. Eight of the 10 warmest Julys have occurred within the past 10 years (2002 also ranks among the 10 warmest). Additionally, July 2014 marked the 38^th consecutive July and 353^rd consecutive month with a global temperature above the 20^th century average. The last below-average global temperature for July was July 1976 and the last below-average global temperature for any month was February 1985. With the exception of February (21^st warmest), each month during 2014 to date has ranked among the four warmest compared to its respective month.
The global land surface temperature was the 10^th highest for July in the 135-year period of record, but also the coolest since 2009, at 0.74°C (1.33°F) higher than the 20^th century average. Nine of the 10 warmest July land surface temperatures have occurred during the 21^st century. The highest July temperature occurred in 1998. As shown by the gridded Land & Ocean Temperature Percentiles map above, record warmth was particularly prevalent across parts of northern Europe and a swath of northwestern Africa. Overall, 32 countries across every continent except Antarctica had at least one station reporting a record high temperature for July. The United States and the Russian Federation each had several stations that reported record warm temperatures as well as several stations with record cold temperatures for the month. No other countries had stations that reported a record cold July temperature.

July 2014 Statewide Temperature, Precipitation Rankings

2014-08-15T09:41:00.002-07:00

July 2014 Statewide Temperature and Precipitation Rankings:

Large contrasts occurred across the lower 48 states with top ten coldest July on record in the middle of the country and top ten warmest July out west. As was the case with temperatures, precipitation rankings also showed large contrasts across the lower 48 states in July 2014. There are 120 years in the data record. The following is a summary of the July 2014 climate with two maps showing the rankings after the text.

from NOAA/NCDC

Climate Highlights — July 2014
The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. during July was 73.3°F, 0.3°F below the 20^th century average, ranking near the middle of the 120-year period of record. This was the coolest July for the Lower-48 since 2009. The average maximum (daytime) July temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 85.8°F, 0.9°F below the 20^th century average, while the average minimum (nighttime) July temperature was 60.8°F, 0.2°F above the 20^th century average.
Below-average temperatures stretched from the Midwest, through the Mississippi River Valley, and into parts of the Southeast, where 13 states had one of their 10 coolest Julys on record. Arkansas and Indiana each had their coolest July on record. The Arkansas average temperature was 75.7°F, 4.6°F below the 20^th century average and dipping below the previous record cold July that occurred in 1967. The Indiana average temperature was 69.2°F, 5.3°F below the 20^th century average, slightly cooler than the previous record cold July of 2009. Although most corn producing areas in the Midwest have experienced excellent growing conditions during 2014, in northern areas, from North Dakota to Michigan, a cool and wet 2014 growing season might cause corn crops to not reach full maturation before harvest.
There were more than twice as many record cool temperatures during July (5,508) than record warm temperatures (2,605), with most of the cool temperature records (3,333) being cool daytime temperatures and most of the warm temperature records (1,882) being warm nighttime temperatures.
Above-average temperatures were observed from the Intermountain West to the Pacific Coast. Six states had one of their 10 warmest Julys on record, but no state was record warm for the month. The above-average temperatures, combined with long-term dryness, created ideal wildfire conditions across the West, where numerous large wildfires charred hundreds of thousands of acres during July.
Much of Alaska was warmer than average during July, especially along the western Gulf of Alaska coast and the Alaska Peninsula. Cold Bay had its warmest month of any month on record, with an average temperature of 55.8°F. Above-average precipitation was observed across interior regions of the state and the Alaska Panhandle, where Fairbanks and Juneau both had their second wettest July on record.
The July national precipitation total was 2.55 inches, 0.23 inch below the 20^th century average, marking the 26^th driest July on record.
Precipitation totals were mixed across the country during July. Above-average precipitation was observed in parts of the West, Southwest, Southern Plains, and the Northeast. In the Southern Plains, drought-stricken Wichita Falls, Texas saw its third wettest July on record and wettest since 1950. In the West, enhanced monsoonal flow boosted monthly precipitation totals from New Mexico to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In the Northeast, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire each had one of their 10 wettest Julys on record.
Below-average precipitation was observed across the northern tier of the country, as well as parts of the Central Plains, Midwest, and the Southeast. South Dakota had its sixth driest July, while Alabama had its ninth driest.

State of the Climate Update

2014-07-18T08:55:00.004-07:00

Headline: 2013 State of the Climate Report Released

Update from Ken Dewey, Applied Climate Science, School of Natural Resources, UNL.

From NOAA: On July 17, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the American Meteorological Society released the 2013 State of the Climatereport. The report was led by editors from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center.

The report, a 24-year tradition encompassing the work of 425 authors from 57 countries, uses dozens of climate indicators to track patterns, changes, and trends of the global climate system. These indicators often reflect many thousands of measurements from multiple independent data sets. The report also details cases of unusual and extreme regional events, such as Super Typhoon Haiyan, which devastated portions of Southeast Asia in November 2013.

NOAA Press Release

Link to the full report

Meet the authors

State of the Climate in 2013: Highlights

2013: Author Spotlight
2013: Extreme Events
2013: Earth's Surface Temperature
2013: Super-Typhoon Haiyan
2013: CO₂ Tops 400 ppm at Mauna Loa
2013: Ocean Salinity
2013: Global Sea Level
2013: Ocean Heat Content
2013: Snow in the Northern Hemisphere
2013: Arctic Sea Ice
2013: Glaciers
2013: Sea Surface Temperature
2013: Humidity
2013: Temperature of the Lower Stratosphere

The following image does NOT have any links. It does list the various topics found in the report.

June 2014 Statewide Rankings

2014-07-17T07:04:00.000-07:00

The Contiguous U.S. had its 6th wettest and 33rd warmest (88th coldest) June on record (120 years of data, 1895-2014).

Nebraska had near normal average June temperatures but a top 5 wettest June on record. Much of the upper Midwest and Plains had a very wet month during June 2014. The drought in the SW U.S. continued unabated.

MAPS: See the statewide temperature and precipitation rankings maps below the text.

From NCDC/NOAA:

Climate Highlights — June
The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. during June was 69.6°F, 1.1°F above the 20^th century average, ranking as the 33^rd warmest June in the 120-year period of record. The average maximum (daytime) June temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 81.8°F, 0.4°F above the 20^th century average, while the average minimum (nighttime) June temperature was 57.4°F, 1.7°F above the 20^th century average, tying as the 10^th warmest June minimum temperature.
Above-average June temperatures were observed along the East Coast and into the Midwest. The Southwest was also warmer than average, where Arizona and California both had their 11^th warmest June on record. No state had a top 10 warm June.
Near-average June temperatures were observed from the central Gulf Coast, through the Central Plains, and into the Northwest. Below-average temperatures were observed in the Northern Rockies and parts of the Northern Plains. No state had a top 10 cool June.
Interestingly, in much of the Lower Mississippi Valley and mid-South, afternoon temperatures were below average, while nighttime temperatures were much above average. This likely reflects a relatively wet and cloudy summer month acting to moderate both afternoon and overnight temperatures.
The June national precipitation total was 3.62 inches, 0.69 inch above the 20^th century average, marking the sixth wettest June on record, and the wettest since 1989.
A significant portion of the contiguous U.S. — parts of the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and the Great Plains — had above-average precipitation during June. Eight states had one of their 10 wettest Junes on record, with Minnesota being record wet for the month. The 7.75 inches of precipitation averaged across Minnesota was 3.64 inches above the 20^th century average, marking the wettest month of any month for the state, surpassing July 1897 and June 1914 when 7.32 inches of precipitation was observed. In Canton, South Dakota, 19.65 inches of precipitation fell during June, setting a new record among all months for any location in the state, according to the South Dakota State Climatologist.
Below-average June precipitation was observed in the Southwest, across parts of the coastal Southeast, and southern New England. Arizona tied its third driest June on record, with 0.01 inch of precipitation, 0.28 inch below the 20^th century average; only June 1916 and 1951 were drier.
Alaska was much wetter than average during June with a statewide precipitation total 53 percent above the 1971-2000 average, the second wettest June for the state. The wettest June occurred in 1980 when the monthly precipitation was 74 percent above average. Juneau and Fairbanks each had their wettest June on record, while Anchorage had its second wettest.
According to the July 1 U.S. Drought Monitor report, 34.0 percent of the contiguous U.S. was in drought, down about 3.3 percent compared to the beginning of June.

Beneficial rain improved drought conditions by one to three categories across parts of the Midwest and the Central and Southern Plains. Nebraska, which had its fourth wettest June, saw dramatic drought improvement.
Warm and dry conditions in parts of the West led to scattered locations experiencing worsening drought conditions. In California, the percent area of the state experiencing exceptional drought, the worst category, expanded to 36.5 percent, up over 11 percent since early June. In the East, abnormally dry conditions expanded in the Tennessee River Valley and southern New England.

Based on NOAA's Residential Energy Demand Temperature Index (REDTI), the contiguous U.S. temperature-related energy demand during June was 33 percent above average and the 25^th highest in the 1895-2014 period of record.
There were more record cool high temperature records (676) than record warm high temperature records (391), but warm nighttime temperatures dominated with more record warm low temperatures (1257) than record cold low temperatures (344). When aggregated together, there were more than one and a half times as many record warm daily highs and lows (1648) as record cold daily highs and lows (1020).

Lake Mead Drops to Record Low Elevation

2014-07-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

Headline: Persistent drought lowers Lake Mead to record low elevation.

Lake Mead at Hoover Dam, July 2014.
Photo © Ken Dewey, Applied Climate Science, SNR, UNL.

The red line labeled "A" shows the "bathtub ring", i.e., the height of the water when the Lake is at capacity. The red line with the label "B" shows the height of the water level on December 21, 2012. The red line with the label "C" shows the height of the water level on July 11, 2014 (1081.77 feet or 147.23 feet below capacity)..

The white "bathtub ring" is the result of exposing rocks that were at one time under the water and collecting mineral deposits. A clear glass, for example, dipped in water and then allowed to dry will have mineral deposit "spots" on the glass.

The Bureau of Reclamation noted that Lake Mead, the reservoir created by Hoover Dam, reached its lowest water level since the lake’s initial filling in the 1930s.

Lake Mead elevation as of July 11, 2014 was 1081.77 feet, which is 147.23 feet below capacity.
Lake Mead was dedicated in 1935 and began filling up that year. Note that the elevation in July 1935 and 1936 (see table: Table of historical Lake Mead Levels.) was only 928.40 feet and 1020.40 feet. Because Lake Mead was in the process of filling up in 1935-36, the actual record minimum elevation following the initial fill up of the Lake occurred on July 11, 2014. The level of the lake could continue to fall below the July 11, 2014 elevations.

It took 19 years after the 1964 low point for Lake Mead to fill up again.

For more information, check out our full report at: Lake Mead 2014

Lake Mead at Hoover Dam, July 2014.
Photo © Ken Dewey, Applied Climate Science, SNR, UNL.

May 2014 Climate Summary, Lincoln, NE

2014-06-02T07:24:00.001-07:00

Headline: May 2014 was warmer than normal and wetter than normal for Lincoln, NE.

TEMPERATURES:
The highest temperature observed in Lincoln, NE in May 2014 was a record high of 98F on May 7. This was also the earliest ever recorded temperature of 98F in the 128 year (1887-2014) data record for Lincoln.

Just nine days later, on May 16, the temperature fell to the coldest temperature of the month 30F, which was also a record low for the date. This is also the latest in the Spring to have a temperature this cold with temperature data extending 128 years (1887-2014).

May 2014 averaged 65.2F or 2.9 degrees F ABOVE normal ended the 6 month string (October 2013-March 2014) of monthly temperatures averaging below normal.

PRECIPITATION:
The May 2014 precipitation total in Lincoln, NE was 5.26 inches, or 0.97 inches ABOVE normal.

The May 2014 precipitation of 5.26 inches was also more than the first four months combined (Jan. 0.24in + Feb 0.62in +Mar 0.13 in + Apr 3.50 in= 4.49 inches).

The Year to date January 1 - May 31, 2014 precipitation total of 9.75 inches is 1.56 inches below the normal for this time period of 10.34 inches.

The cold season snowfall season officially ended in May with a 2013-14 seasonal snowfall total of only 18.2 inches which is well BELOW the normal of 25.9 inches.

OBSERVED COMPARED TO NORMAL TEMPERATURES GRAPH:
The following graph shows the Lincoln, NE, May 2014 daily high and low temperatures compared to normal daily highs and lows. The red line is the average high and the blue line is the average low. The top of each vertical bar is the observed high temperature and the bottom of the vertical bar is the observed low temperature for each day.

NOTE: The May 2014statistics are located below the graph.

Here are the Lincoln, NE, summary statistics for May 2014.

TEMPERATURE:
May 2014 Temperature Statistics:
Average High Temperature 78.2 F (4.0 degrees ABOVE Normal)
Average Low Temperature 52.2F (1.7 degrees ABOVE Normal)
Mean Temperature 65.2 F (2.9 degrees ABOVE Normal)
Note: Mean temperature = the average of all the highs and lows
Number of days ABOVE Normal = 21

Number of Days BELOW Normal = 8
Number of Days exactly Normal = 2
Highest temperature 98 on May 7
Lowest temperature 30 F on may 16
Record low 30F on May 16
Record high 98F on May 7
PRECIPITATION:
May 2014 Precipitation Statistics:
Total precipitation 5.26 inches (0.97 inches ABOVE Normal)
Heaviest precipitation 2.96 inches on May 11
Daily record precipitaion of 2.96 inches May 11, Old May 11 record was 1.33 inches

Normal January 1 - May 31 precipitation = 10.34 inches
Observed Total precipitation January 1 - May 31, 2014 = 9.75 inches
January 1 - April 30, 2014 precipitation deficit = 0.59 inches

Record Summer Heat in early May

2014-05-08T08:12:00.000-07:00

Headline: May 7, 2014 Was Record Breaker in Lincoln, NE

The high temperature in Lincoln of 98F on May 7, 2014 was a record high for the date.
The old record was 96F set in 1934.
There are 128 years of data in the data archive.
The 98F was also the hottest for so early in the season.

The following map shows the observed high temperatures on May 7, 2014.
Note that southeastern Nebraska was hotter than the desert southwest cities of Phoenix and Tucson.

More text and analysis are located below the temperature map >>>>>>>>>>>>

The state highest temperature on May 7, 2014 was 99F set in Tekama, Nebraska (southeastern Nebraska).
Omaha's high temperature of 96F was also a record for the date. Their old record was 95F set in 1966

This was the first observed temperature of 90F or higher for the year in Lincoln Nebraska and it was 10 days earlier than the average..

Climatology of first 90F or higher for Lincoln, NE
Earliest: March 22
Latest: June 29
Average: May 17

The following graph shows the day of the year of the occurrence of the first 90F or higher temperature in Lincoln for the 128 year period 1887-2014

The following graph shows the day of the year of the occurrence of the first 90F or higher temperature in Lincoln for the 128 year period 1887-2014 AND it has a trend line (in red) for the last 40 years.
(1974-2014). Although there is year to year variability there is a downward trend (earlier in the year) in the date of first 90F or higher for Lincoln. The trend line shows a trend of 40 days earlier for the first 90F or higher (Day 153 to Day 113) in Lincoln, NE

April 2014 Lincoln, NE, Climate Summary

2014-05-01T12:56:00.004-07:00

Headline: April 2014 was warmer than normal and wetter than normal for Lincoln, NE.

The highest temperature observed in Lincoln, NE in April 2014 was a near record high of 85F on April 12 (the record for that day is 86F). Just three days later, on April 15, the temperature fell to the coldest temperature of the month 19F which was also a record low for the date. This is also the latest in the Spring to have a temperature this cold with temperature data extending from 1887-2014, 128 years.

April 2014 averaged 1.1 degrees F ABOVE normal ended the 6 month string (October 2013-March 2014) of monthly temperatures averaging below normal.

The April 2014 precipitation total in Lincoln, NE was 3.50 inches, or 0.79 inches ABOVE normal.

The April 2014 precipitation of 3.50 inches was also more than the first three months combined (Jan. 0.24in + Feb 0.62in +Mar 0.13 in = 0.99 inches).

The Year to date January 1 - April 30, 2014 precipitation total of 4.49 inches is 1.56 inches below the normal for this time period of 6.05 inches.
Lincoln saw one minor snowfall of 0.5 inches on April 13, 2014. How unusual was this? During the past 115 years, there has been measurable snowfall during April in Lincoln 54 times and no measurable snowfall 61 times. So although perhaps unwelcome, the April 15 snowfall wasn't all that unusual. The seasonal snowfall total as of the end of April is only 18.2 inches which is well BELOW the normal of 25.9 inches.
The following graph shows the Lincoln, NE, April 2014 daily high and low temperatures compared to normal daily highs and lows. The red line is the average high and the blue line is the average low. The top of each vertical bar is the observed high temperature and the bottom of the vertical bar is the observed low temperature for each day.

NOTE: The April 2014statistics are located below the graph.

Here are the Lincoln, NE, summary statistics for April 2014.

TEMPERATURE:
April 2014 Temperature Statistics:
Average High Temperature 66.2 F (1.9 degrees ABOVE Normal)
Average Low Temperature 39.3F (0.5 degrees ABOVE Normal)
Mean Temperature 52.7 F (1.1 degrees ABOVE Normal)
Note: Mean temperature = the average of all the highs and lows
Number of Days ABOVE Normal = 16
Number of Days BELOW Normal = 12
Number of Days exactly Normal = 2
Highest temperature 85F on April 12
Lowest temperature 19 F on April 15
Record cold daytime 19F on April 15
PRECIPITATION:
April 2014 Precipitation Statistics:
Total precipitation 3.50 inches (0.79 inches ABOVE Normal)
Heaviest precipitation 1.14 inches on April 13
Snowfall total 0.5 inches (0.9 inches BELOW Normal)

Normal January 1 - April 30 precipitation = 6.05 inches
Total precipitation January 1 - April 30, 2014 = 4.49 inches
January 1 - April 30, 2014 precipitation deficit = 1.56 inches

The following photo is a Lincoln, NE, garden Center the morning of April 14.
A Lincoln garden center with tender plants exposed to the snow and subfreezing temperatures.

January1-March 31, 2014 Statewide Temperature, Precipitation Rankings

2014-04-17T09:14:00.001-07:00

Headline: January 1-March 31, 2014: Has it been one of the coldest and wettest starts to a year?

The perception by many people is that this year to date is one of the coldest on record.

And, with the numerous snowfalls to our east during this time period, many also assume that this must be one of our wettest starts for a year in the 120 year (1895-2014) U.S. data archives.

The following two maps
January 1-March 31, 2014 Statewide Temperature Rankings
January 1-March 31, 2014 Statewide Precipitation Rankings

illustrate that facts can be quite differenct from perceived reality.

Text continues below the two maps.

While the Midwest, Great Lakes states down to the gulf and over across the Ohio River valley suffered through an unusually cold winter much of the western U.S. was warmer than normal. In fact, California and Arizona had their warmest January 1-March 31 on record.

It is fascinating to look back over the first three months and to see how many snowstorms were featured on the national news reports yet the country as a whole averaged below normal precipitation. Note that none of the Great Lakes states had a wetter thna normal January 1-March 31 time period. The area of greatest concern right now is the region of the Plains and southwest that are top ten driest starts to the year.

The NOAA/NCDC highlights are listed below>>>>>>>>>>

For the first three months of 2014, below-average temperatures were widespread in the eastern U.S. Twelve states, from the Upper Midwest to the Southeast, had three-month temperatures that ranked among the 10 coldest on record. The largest cold departures from average occurred across the Great Lakes region due to persistently below-average daily temperatures. No state had its coldest January-March on record.
The West was warmer than average during January-March. Nevada, Oregon, and Utah each had one of their 10 warmest on record. Arizona and California were record warm for the period, with temperatures 5.2°F and 5.6°F above average, respectively.
Collectively during the year-to-date period, the average contiguous U.S. temperature was 34.4°F, 0.8°F below the 20^th century average. This marked the 41^st coldest January-March on record and the coldest since 1985.
Alaska had its third warmest January-March on record, behind only those of 1981 and 2001, with an average temperature 6.3°F above the 1971-2000 average.
January-March precipitation averaged across the contiguous U.S. was 5.90 inches, 1.06 inches below average, marking the 14^th driest such period on record and driest since 2009.
The Central and Southern Plains and Southwest were much drier than average during the first quarter. Seven states, from Arizona to Missouri, had three-month precipitation totals ranking among the 10 driest on record. The northern Rockies and Northwest were wetter than average, where Montana had its eighth wettest January-March.
Beneficial rains reduced drought coverage across Hawaii during the first quarter, with 14.4 percent of the islands in moderate to extreme drought at the end of March compared to 49.5 percent of the state at the beginning of the year. Extreme drought (D3) persisted through March on central Molokai, where low water levels in the Kualapuu Reservoir have forced mandatory irrigation restrictions.

March 2014 Statewide Temperature & Precipitation Rankings

2014-04-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

March 2014 U.S. Climate Summary

March 2014 temperatures for Nebraska averaged near normal with much be,low normal temperatures to our northeast and much above normal temperatures to our southwest. The March 2014 precipitation in Nebraska was well below normal (ranked 11th driest on record out of 120 years of data, 1895-2014).

The U.S. Climate Highlights are below the two maps.

Climate Highlights — March 2014 From NOAA/NCDC

Below-average temperatures dominated the eastern half of the contiguous U.S. during March. The largest departures from average occurred across the Great Lakes and Northeast, where nine states had temperatures that ranked among their 10 coldest on record. The persistent cold resulted in nearly two-thirds of the Great Lakes remaining frozen into early April.

Vermont had its coldest March on record, with a statewide temperature of 18.3°F, 8.9°F below average. The previous coldest March in Vermont occurred in 1916 when the monthly average temperature was 18.6°F.

Maine and New Hampshire each had their second coldest March on record, while Michigan and New York had their fifth coldest. Massachusetts and Wisconsin had their eighth coldest March, Connecticut its ninth coldest, and Pennsylvania its 10th coldest.

Most locations from the Rockies westward had above-average March temperatures. California had its ninth warmest March, with a statewide temperature 4.7°F above average. No state was record warm for March.

The Northern Rockies and Pacific Northwest were much wetter than average during March, with Montana and Washington having their third wettest and sixth wettest March on record, respectively. Conversely, much of the central U.S. and Midwest was drier than average. Kansas, Iowa, and Illinois each had a top 10 dry March.

On March 22nd, a large landslide impacted the Stillaguamish Valley near the town of Oso, Wash., causing at least 30 fatalities. Washington's Climate Division 3, in which the landslide occurred, observed its wettest March on record. Its 8.67 inches of precipitation during March was more than twice the monthly average.

According to the April 1 U.S. Drought Monitor report, 38.4 percent of the contiguous U.S. was in drought, up from 35.9 percent at the beginning of March. Beneficial precipitation fell in California during March, but did little to improve drought conditions — 23.5 percent of the state remained in the worst classification of drought ("exceptional"). Drought conditions intensified across parts of the Central and Southern Plains and expanded into parts of the Southeast.

According to NOAA data analyzed by the Rutgers Global Snow Lab, March snow cover extent across the contiguous U.S. was the 22nd largest in the 48-year period of record at 845,000 square miles, about 104,000 square miles above the 1981-2010 average. Above-average snow cover was observed across the Northern Plains and Rockies, Midwest and Northeast where numerous storms brought heavy snowfall during the month. Below-average snow cover was observed for most of the West and southern Rockies due to season-long snow deficits.

Spring: the battle between winter and summer in Nebraska

2014-04-14T13:20:00.002-07:00

I have been asked by several news sources today "how can it be so warm (85F) in Lincoln on Saturday April 12 yet the next evening Sunday April 13 it is snowing and temperatures are near freezing"? I was also asked several times today "isn't an April snowfall in Lincoln extremely rare"? And I have also been asked today "why is this April so very cold across the U.S.?

April Snowfalls not all that uncommon:

First of all here are some interesting April snowfall facts for Lincoln.

Lincoln April snowfalls: 115 years of data
54 Aprils had measurable snowfall (47% of the years) and
61 Aprils had no measurable snowfall (53% of the years)

So, an April snowfall is NOT all that unusual.
The odds of an April snowfall increase as you go west in Nebraska with an almost 60% climatological chance of measurable snow in April in western Nebraska.

The 2013-14 Lincoln Snowfall is well below normal:
Seasonal 2013-14 snowfall total for Lincoln so far is 18.2 inches and the normal is 27.5 inches. So this winter has actually been 9.3 inches BELOW normal.

So far this month, most of the US is warmer than normal.

The April 1-13 map (below) shows that much of the U.S. (48 states) is (yellow to orange) warmer than normal for the month. The concept here is what we may be experiencing locally is not necessarily indicative of the rest of the U.S.

Why do we experience these large temperature contrasts in Winter and Spring?
It was 85F on Saturday in Lincoln, one degree below a record high. We are on the 50-yard line of the football field of weather and there is always going to be a contrast here with cold air to our north and warm air to our south battling it out for supremacy. If you lived in Florida it will always be warm. If you live up in Canada it will always be cold. We are in the middle.

Check this out: Lincoln Temperature extremes the last few months

Dec. 2013 highest and lowest temperatures   65F and -10F
Jan. 2014 highest and lowest temperatures    66F and -11F
Feb. 2014 highest and lowest temperatures   69F and -13F
Mar. 2014 highest and lowest temperatures   78 F and -7F
Apr. 2014 highest and lowest temperatures    85F and 25F

Yes it will get cold again later this week since winter is not dead yet. Cold air will return on Thursday and then summer will push north again warming us for the weekend,. Eventually, soon, summer will be strong enough to hold back winter weather until next fall when they battle it out again.

Do you remember last May 2013?

On May 1-2, 2013 it snowed in Lincoln and the temperature fell to 31F then it rapidly warmed to 73F.
May 1-2, 2013 2.7 inches of snow
May7, 2013, 73F

But even more dramatic was the record low of 31F on May 12 and two days later it was a record warm day of 100F.

May 2013:
May 12, 2013 Record Low 31F

May 14, 2013 Record High of 100F

March 2014 Lincoln Climate Summary

2014-04-02T06:34:00.000-07:00

Headline: March 2014 was cooler than normal and much drier than normal for Lincoln, NE.

The highest temperature observed in Lincoln, NE in March 2014 was 78 F on March 10, 2014. The lowest temperature observed in Lincoln, NE in March 2014 was -7F on March 3, 2014.
The high temperature on March 2 was only 5F which is the coldest high temperature observed for that date as well as the coldest observed daytime high for any day in March (1887-2014). The high of 5F on March 2 was 41 degrees BELOW the normal for the date of 46F. A record high of 78F was set a few days later on March 10. March 2014 was the 6th month in a row of below normal temperatures for Lincoln. This is the longest stretch of monthly temperatures below normal since November 1992 through November 1993 with 13 months in a row averaging below normal.

The March 2014 precipitation total in Lincoln, NE was 0.13 inches, or 1.80 inches below normal. This was ranked the 5th lowest March precipitation on record out of 128 years of data (1887-2014). Year to date January 1 -March 31 precipitation normal is 3.34 inches, observed January 1-March 31, 2014 is only 0.99 inches or 2.35 inches below normal.

Top Ten Driest Months of March (1887-2014)

Driest Year	Amount in Inches	Rank
1994	0.06	1
1929	0.08	2
1910	0.10	3
1968	0.11	4
2014	0.13	5
1988	0.13	5
1918	0.14	7
1936	0.18	8
2009	0.18	8
1989	0.24	10

Lincoln saw two minor snowfalls during the March 2014, March 1 with 0.6 inches and March 18 with 0.1 inches. This 0.7 inches is 4.1 inches below the normal March total of 4.8 inches. The Winter 2013-14 snowfall total as of the end of March 2014 is only 17.7 inches

The following graph shows the Lincoln, NE, March 2014 daily high and low temperatures compared to normal daily highs and lows. NOTE: The March 2014statistics are located below the graph.

Here are the Lincoln, NE, summary statistics for March 2014.

TEMPERATURE:
March 2014 Temperature Statistics:
Average High Temperature 52.1 F (0.2 degrees BELOW Normal)
Average Low Temperature 22.2F (5.7 degrees BELOW Normal)
Mean Temperature 37.1 F (3.0 degrees BELOW Normal)
Note: Mean temperature = the average of all the highs and lows
Number of days ABOVE Normal = 15
Number of Days BELOW Normal = 15
Number of Days exactly Normal = 1
Highest temperature 78F on March 10
Lowest temperature -7 F on March 3
Record cold daytime high, 5F on March 2
Record high temperature of 78F on March 10

PRECIPITATION:
March 2014 Precipitation Statistics:
Total precipitation 0.13 inches (1.80 inches BELOW Normal)
Heaviest precipitation 0.07 inches on March 27
Snowfall total 0.7 inches (4.8 inches BELOW Normal)

Normal January 1 - March 31 precipitation = 3.34 inches
Total precipitation January 1 - March 31 2014 = 0.99 inches
January 1 - March 31, 2014 precipitation deficit = 2.35 inches

February 2014 Global Avg. Temperature Above Normal

2014-03-20T13:06:00.003-07:00

Did February 2014 seem much colder than normal to you?

It sure did if you lived in the Midwest out into the Great Plains of Canada and the U.S. At least we weren't alone, check out the "big blue blob" over central Asia!

Overall the Global average land and water temperature for February 2014 was warmer than normal (ranked 21st warmest out of 135 years of data (1880-2014) despite the much colder than normal conditions in parts of North America and Central Asia.

The February 2014 Global Highlights from NCDC are listed below the map.

Global temperature highlights: February

The combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces for February 2014 tied with 2001 as the 21st highest for February at 54.64°F (12.51°C), or 0.74°F (0.41°C), above the 20th century average of 53.9°F (12.1°C). The margin of error associated with this temperature is +/- 0.22°F (0.12°C).
The February global land temperature tied with 1943 as the 44th highest for February on record and the coolest since February 1994, at 0.56°F (0.31°C) above the 20th century average of 37.8°F (3.2°C). The margin of error is +/- 0.58°F (0.32°C).
The Northern Hemisphere land areas between 30°N and 60°N were 0.52°F (0.29°C) below average, tying with 1957 as the 60th coolest (76th warmest) for February on record and the coolest departures from average for land regions in the world during the month. The last February that was colder in this region occurred just two years ago in 2012. That month was 0.74°F (0.41°C) below average, ranking as 50th coolest (86th warmest) for February and was primarily due to cooler-than-average temperatures over most of Eurasia and northern Africa.
Some national temperature highlights include:

In Scandinavia, many areas of Finland observed February temperatures 11°-14° F (6°-8°C) above average, with some regions in the north more than 16°F (9°C) above average. For central and northern Finland, it was the second warmest February in the 115-year period of record, behind only 1990. The February temperature for Norway was 11.0°F (6.0°C) higher than the 1981-2010 average, the second warmest February on record, also behind 1990.
The nationally-averaged temperature for Germany was 6.1°F (3.4°C) above the 1981-2010 average, marking the sixth warmest February since records began in 1881.
In Canada, many regions in Ontario observed February temperatures among their 10 coldest on record and coldest in more than 30 years, with departures more than -9°F (-5°C) at some few stations.

For the ocean, the February global sea surface temperature was 0.81°F (0.45°C) above the 20th century average of 60.6°F (15.9°C), the seventh highest for February on record and warmest February since 2010, when El Niño conditions were present. The margin of error is +/- 0.07°F (0.04°C). The Northern Hemisphere oceans outside the tropics (20°N-90°N) were record warm on average for February.
Neither El Niño nor La Niña conditions were present across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean during February 2014. According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, there is about a 50 percent chance that El Niño conditions will develop during Northern Hemisphere summer or fall 2014.

Global Meteorological Winter (Dec. 1-Feb.28) WARMER than normal

2014-03-20T10:52:00.002-07:00

Meteorological Winter (December 1 - February 28)
Global data set: 1880-2014, 135 years of data.

Land and water combined: 8th warmest on record
Land only, 10th warmest on record

The region with the most most below normal temperatures was the Midwest into Canada including Nebraska. See the highlights below the map.

Global temperature highlights: December-February

The combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces for December-February was the eighth highest on record for this period, at 1.03°F (0.57°C) above the 20th century average of 53.8°F (12.1°C). The margin of error associated with this temperature is +/- 0.18°F (0.10°C).
The global land temperature was the 10th highest for December-February on record and highest for the period since 2009, at 1.57°F (0.87°C) above the 20th century average of 46.4°F (8.1°C). The margin of error is +/- 0.40°F (0.22°C).
The Southern Hemisphere middle latitude land areas were record warm for austral summer. The Northern Hemisphere land areas ranked as 11th warmest, with some sharp north-south patterns in the polar jet stream that contributed to below-average temperatures in some regions and above-average temperatures in others.

Summer 2013/14 was warmer than average for Australia, with a nationally-averaged temperature that was 0.81°F (0.45°C) above the 1961-1990 average. This marks the 15th warmest summer for the country since records began in 1910 and is cooler compared with last year's record-setting summer that was 2.59°F (1.44°C) above average. This summer, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia all observed summer temperatures among their eight warmest on record, while the Northern Territory had its 28th coldest (77th warmest) average summer temperature on record.
Austria observed its second warmest winter in the country's 247-year period of record, behind only the winter of 2006/07, at 4.9°F (2.7°C) above the 1981-2010 average. Switzerland had its third warmest winter since national records began in 1864, while winter 2013/14 in the Netherlands tied with 1990 for its second warmest since national records began in 1901.
In northern Europe, Denmark reported its fifth warmest winter for 2013/14 since records began in 1874, at 6.7°F (3.7°C) above average.
The United States, conversely, had its 34th coldest winter in its 119-year period of record, at 1.0°F (0.6°C) below average, the coldest winter since 2009/10.

For the ocean, the December-February global sea surface temperature was 0.83°F (0.46°C), above the 20th century average of 60.7°F (16.0°C), tying with 2005 as the sixth highest for December-February on record. The margin of error is +/- 0.07°F (0.04°C). Similar to February, the average Northern Hemisphere ocean surface temperature outside the tropics (20°N-90°N) was also record warm for the winter season.

Lincoln, NE, January Max Temperature 1887-2014

2014-01-20T17:51:00.001-08:00

January 19, 2014 saw a new record high of 66F in Lincoln, NE breaking the old record of 65F set over 100 years ago in 1895.

This raises an interesting question.... how common is it to have temperatures this warm in January? And is there any trend in the frequency of these warm January temperatures?

Lincoln daily temperature data extend from January 1887 to January 2014. The following graph shows the warmest temperature during each January during this 128 year time period.

The 66F observed on January 19, 2014 is not the warmest recorded January temperature in Lincoln, NE. The warmest January temperature observed in Lincoln during this time period is 73F set on January 10,1990.

There were 12 months of January which hit 66F or higher since 1981 (34 years) however,
only 9 months of January hit 66F or higher during the period 1887-1980 (94 years).

1981-2014 Percent of Januaries that saw at least 66F or higher = 12/34 = 35.3 %
1887-1980 Percent of Januaries that saw at least 66F or higher = 9/94 = 9.6%

Clearly the probability of having a January temperature of 66F or higher is greater during the more recent time period.

Breaking this down by 20 year time periods for the highest temperature observed in each January:
20 Years     Frequency 66F or Higher

1995-2014     6
1975-1994     6
1955-1974     1
1935-1954     3
1915-1934     4
1905-1924     0

Year 2013 U.S. Statewide Temperature and Precipitation Rankings

2014-01-16T06:50:00.003-08:00

Year 2013 Climate Summary: Statewide Temperature and Precipitation rankings

Nebraska was cooler than normal in 2013 with a ranking of 37th coldest (out of 119 years) on record. However, when the entire map is analyzed, the 48 states region averaged above normal with a ranking of 37th warmest on record.

Nebraska averaged near normal precipitation in 2013 with a ranking of 76th wettest out of 119 years (or conversely, 44th driest). It was a year of extreme contrasts with California experiencing its driest year on record and North Dakota and Michigan experiencing their wettest years on record.. All of the southeastern states experienced their top ten wettest years on record.

The NOAA/NCDC summary of year 2013 for the states can be found below the two maps.

LINK TO THE December 2013 Statewide Temperature and Precipitation Rankings

From NOAA/NCDC >>>>>

In 2013, the contiguous United States (CONUS) average temperature of 52.4°F was 0.3°F above the 20^th century average, and tied with 1980 as the 37^th warmest year in the 119-year period of record. The 2013 annual temperature marked the coolest year for the nation since 2009. The 2013 CONUS average temperature was 2.9°F cooler than the 2012 average temperature, which was the warmest year on record for the nation. Since 1895, when national temperature records began, the CONUS has observed a long-term temperature increase of about 0.13°F per decade. Precipitation averaged across the CONUS in 2013 was 31.17 inches, 2.03 inches above the 20^th century average. This marked the 21^st wettest year on record for the nation and the wettest since 2009. Compared to 2012, which was the 18^th driest year on record, the CONUS was 4.50 inches wetter in 2013. Over the 119-year period of record, precipitation across the CONUS increased at an average rate of 0.17 inch per decade.
On a statewide and seasonal level, 2013 was a year of precipitation extremes, with temperature extremes being more muted than the previous year. Above-average temperatures during 2013 were observed in parts of the West, Northeast, and in Florida. No state had annual temperatures that ranked among the ten warmest. California tied its 12^th warmest year with a statewide average temperature of 60.3°F, 1.4°F above average. Below-average annual temperatureswere observed from the Northern Plains, through the Central Plains and Midwest, and into the Southeast. No state had annual temperatures that ranked among the ten coolest. Despite no state having a record warm or cool year, numerous locations across California and Florida had their warmest year on record, while numerous locations across the Plains and Mid-South had their coolest year on record. A map of those stations is available here. Based on NOAA's Residential Energy Demand Temperature Index (REDTI), the contiguous U.S. temperature-related energy demand during 2013 was 7 percent above average and ranked as the 49^th lowest in the 1895-2013 period of record. On a local level during 2013, approximately 26,100 daily warm temperature records were tied or broken (10,100 warm daily maximum records and 16,000 warm daily minimum records); while approximately 28,800 daily cool temperature records were tied or broken (16,900 cool daily maximum records and 11,900 cool daily minimum records).
Overall, much of the CONUS was wetter than average for the year, particularly east of the Rockies. The largest precipitation departures from average were observed in the Northern Plains, the Upper Midwest, and the Southeast. In total 10 states had annual precipitation totals that ranked among the ten wettest years on record. Michigan had its wettest year on record with 40.12 inches of precipitation, 8.9 inches above average. This bested the previous record wet year of 1985 by 0.64 inch. North Dakota also had its wettest year on record with 24.54 inches of precipitation, 7.18 inches above average. This bested the previous record wet year of 2010 by 0.29 inch. In contrast, portions of the West were dry. California had its driest calendar year on record with 7.38 inches of precipitation, 15.13 inches below average. This was 2.42 inches below the previous record dry year of 1898. By the end of 2013, 27.6 percent of California was in Severe Drought. To the north, Oregon had its fourth driest year, while Idaho had its 12^th driest. Numerous locations across the Southeast, Midwest, Northern Plains, and Rockies experienced their wettest year on record, while locations in California, Idaho, and Washington had their driest. A map of those stations is available here. In term of drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, conditions improved across much of the southeastern and central U.S. during 2013, but deteriorated in the Far West and Northeast. At the end of 2013, about 31.0 percent of the contiguous U.S. was experiencing drought, down from 61.1 percent at the beginning of the year.

December 2013 Statewide Temperature and Precipitation Rankings

2014-01-15T12:08:00.000-08:00

December 2013 U.S. Climate Summary.

Nebraska averaged below normal temperatures and below normal precipitation during December 2013.

NOTE: There are two maps following the NOAA/NCDC summary.

From NOAA/NCDC

U.S. Climate Highlights — December
2013The average contiguous U.S. temperature for December was 30.9°F, 2.0°F below the 20^th century average. This was the 21^st coldest December on record for the nation and the coldest since 2009.
Below-average temperatures were widespread across the West, the Plains States, and the Upper Midwest. Minnesota had its eighth coldest December on record with an average temperature of 5.8°F, 8.8°F below average. North Dakota tied its 9^th coldest December with an average temperature of 4.5°F, 8.4°F below average.
Above-average temperatures were observed across parts of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Florida had its sixth warmest December with a statewide average temperature of 64.6°F, 5.0°F above average.
The national precipitation total during December was 2.17 inches, 0.06 inch below the 20^th century average, ranking near the median value in the 119-year period of record.
Above-average precipitation was observed in the Northern Plains and Rockies, the Southeast, the Mid-Atlantic and the Midwest. Alabama, Georgia, North Dakota, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia, each had December precipitation totals that ranked among the ten wettest on record.
Below-average precipitation was observed in the Central Plains and the West Coast. California had its second driest December on record, punctuating the driest calendar year on record for the state. Oregon had its third driest December, while Washington had its sixth driest.
According to the December 31^st U.S. Drought Monitor report, the national drought footprint changed little during the month with drought conditions impacting approximately 31.0 percent of the contiguous United States. Abnormally dry conditions expanded in the Northwest, and improved across the Southeast.
Several snow storms impacted the Intermountain West, Northern Plains, Midwest and Northeast during December. According to the Rutgers Global Snow Lab, the December snow cover extent for the contiguous U.S. was 1.5 million square miles, which was 317,000 square miles above the 1981-2010 average. This ranked as the eighth largest December snow cover extent on record, and the largest since December 2009.
Based on NOAA's Residential Energy Demand Temperature Index (REDTI), the contiguous U.S. temperature-related energy demand during December was 15 percent above average and the 41^st highest in the 1895-2013 period of record.

LINK to the Year 2013 Statewide Temperature and Precipitation Rankings

Year 2013 Temperature and Precipitation Anomalies

2014-01-03T08:33:00.001-08:00

The following maps cover the time period of January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2013.

There are two sets of maps,
SET #1 for precipitation in the conterminous U.S. and the High Plains Region
SET #2 temperature for the conterminous U.S. and the High Plains Region.

SET #1:
U.S. and High Plains Total Precipitation in inches
U.S. and High Plains Precipitation Departure from Normal in inches
U.S. and High Plains Percent of Normal precipitation

SET #2:
U.S. and High Plains Average temperature (F)
U.S. and High Plains Temperature departure from normal (F)

U.S. Total Precipitation in inches

High Plains Total Precipitation in inches

U.S. Departure from Normal precipitation in inches

High Plains Departure from Normal precipitation in inches

U.S. Percent of Normal precipitation

U.S. Average Temperature

High Plains Average Temperature

U.S. Temperature Departure from Normal

High Plains Temperature Departure from Normal

RELATED LINKS:
Lincoln Weather and Climate
December 2013 Lincoln, NE, daily climate data
Lincoln, NE Year 2013 Climate Statistics

High Plains Regional Climate Center

Lincoln, NE, Year 2013 Climate Statistics

2014-01-02T11:12:00.001-08:00

Lincoln, Nebraska Climate Statistics, Year 2013

The Red Line is the normal high and the blue line is the normal low.
The top of each vertical bar is the high for the day and the bottom of each vertical bar is the low for the day.

All data in this table are from the National Weather Service and HPRCC data archives.


Period of Record	127 years (1887-2013)

Year 2013 Avg. Temperature	50.2 F (-0.9)
Normal Annual Avg. Temperature	51.1 F
Warmest (All Years) Ann. Avg. and year	55.7 F in 1934 and 1931
Coldest (All Years) Ann. Avg. and year	47.8 F in 1978

Year 2013 Warmest Temperature	100 F, May 14; Aug. 30; Sept. 9
Year 2013 Warmest night time low	76 F, June 21; July 13
Year 2013 Warmest Daily Average (high+low/2)	87 F, Sept. 9; June 21; July 9
Warmest Temperature ALL years	115 F, July 25, 1936

Year 2013 Coldest Temperature	-10 F, December 9
Year 2013 Coldest Day time high	+12 F, December 7
Year 2013 Coldest Daily Average (high+low/2)	+ 3F, December 9
Coldest Temperature (All years)	-33 F, Jan. 12, 1974

Year 2013 Number of days < 0 F Year 2012	7 days
Most & Year (All Years)	35 in 1978 and 1979
Least & Year (All Years)	0 in 1931 & 1987
Normal	11 days

Year 2013 Number of days > 90 F	41
Most & Year (All Years)	82 days in 1936
Least & Year (All Years)	7 days in 1889
Normal	42 days

Year 2012 Number of days > 100 F	3 days
Most & Year (All Years)	41 days in 1936
Normal	5 days

Day most below normal year 2013	December 7 and 9 25 degrees below normal
Day most above normal year 2013	September 27 19 degrees above normal

Year 2013 Number of Days exactly normal	15 days
Year 2013 Number of Days above normal	157 days
Year 2013 Number of Days below normal	193 days

Year 2013 Largest temperature change within the same calendar day	47 degrees: Oct. 27; Dec. 27 (25F to 72F) & ( 15F to 62F)

Year 2013 Smallest temperature change within the same calendar day	4 degrees: February 21 (20F to 24F)

Year 2013 Largest temperature rise from one day to the next	54 degrees: 31F to 85F (May 12-13) 46F to 100F (May 13-14)

Year 2013 Largest temperature rise within a week	69 degrees: 31F to 100 (May 12-14)

Year 2013 Largest temperature drop from one day to the next	57 degrees: 60 F to 3 F (December 28-29)

Year 2013 Largest temperature drop within a week	75 degrees: 65F to -10F (December 2-9)

Year 2013 Precipitation Total	26.71 inches (2.22 inches BELOW normal)
Normal Precipitation Total	28.93 inches
Year 2013 Wettest Day	3.32 inches, May 27
Most Annual Precipitation (All Years)	45.15 inches 1965
Least Annual Precipitation (All Years)	14.09 inches 1936

Year 2013 Snowfall Total	28.3 inches
Year 2013 Snowiest Day	5.5 inches, March 10
Year 2013 Deepest Snow Depth	6.0 inches, March 11
Most Annual Snowfall (All Years)	55.2 inches 1983
Least Annual Snowfall (All Years)	7.0 inches 1946

Monthly Windiest Day (peak wind speed)
January 2013 Windiest Day (peak wind speed)	41 mph: Jan 11
February 2013 Windiest Day (peak wind speed)	49 mph: Feb 10
March 2013 Windiest Day (peak wind speed)	47 mph: March 30
April 2013 Windiest Day (peak wind speed)	43 mph: April 18
May 2013 Windiest Day (peak wind speed)	55 mph: May 29
June 2013 Windiest Day (peak wind speed)	52 mph: June 8
July 2013 Windiest Day (peak wind speed)	44 mph: July 23
August 2013 Windiest Day (peak wind speed)	46 mph: Aug 21
September 2013 Windiest Day (peak wind speed)	43 mph: Sept 26
October 2013 Windiest Day (peak wind speed)	39 mph: Oct 14
November 2013 Windiest Day (peak wind speed)	48 mph: Nov 3
December 2013 Windiest Day (peak wind speed)	45 mph: Dec 29
Year 2013 Windiest Day (peak wind speed)	45 mph: May 29

Lincoln, NE, Year 2013
Number of days above, below and exactly normal temperature

Month	B	A	N
JAN	17	14	0
FEB	12	16	0
MAR	22	9	0
APR	19	9	2
MAY	14	15	2
JUNE	14	13	3
JULY	17	13	1
AUG	16	14	1
SEPT	6	21	3
OCT	21	8	2
NOV	16	14	0
DEC	19	11	1
Total	193	157	15

RELATED LINKS:
Lincoln Weather and Climate
Lincoln's Snowfall climatology
December 2013 Lincoln, NE, daily climate data
December 2013 Photo Gallery
Lincoln, NE, December 2013 Climate Summary Lincoln's 2013 Climate Summary created by the NWS

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December 2013 Lincoln, NE, Climate Summary

2014-01-02T07:31:00.001-08:00

Headline: December 2013 was cooler than normal and drier than normal for Lincoln, NE.

The highest temperature observed in Lincoln, NE, in December 2013 was 65 F on December 2, 2013. Unusually warm temperatures returned toward the end of the month with highs of 60F and 62F on December 27-28, 2013. The lowest temperature for the month of December 2013 in Lincoln, NE, was -10F on December 9, 2013.

The December 2013 precipitation total in Lincoln, NE was only 0.22 inches or 0.73 inches below normal. The total January 1 through December 31, 2013 precipitation in Lincoln was 26.71 inches or 2.22 inches below the normal annual total of 28.93 inches. See the table below the graph for the Year 2013 precipitation totals.
Lincoln, NE, had five days with measurable snowfall in December 2013 with the largest amount 5.2 inches on December 8, 2013.

The following graph shows the Lincoln, NE, December 2013 daily high and low temperatures compared to normal daily highs and lows.

NOTE: The December 2013 statistics are located below the graph.

The Red Line is the normal high and the blue line is the normal low.
The top of each vertical bar is the high for the day and the bottom of each vertical bar is the low for the day. All data in this graph are from the National Weather Service and HPRCC data archives.

Here are the Lincoln, NE, summary statistics for December 2013.

TEMPERATURE:
December 2013 Temperature Statistics:
Average High Temperature 34.6 F (2.6 degrees BELOW Normal)
Average Low Temperature 9.8F (6.6 degrees BELOW Normal)
Mean Temperature 22.2 F (4.6 degrees BELOW Normal)
Note: Mean temperature = the average of all the highs and lows
Number of days ABOVE Normal = 11
Number of Days BELOW Normal = 19
Number of Days exactly Normal = 1
Highest temperature 65F on December 2
Lowest temperature -10 F on December 9

PRECIPITATION:
December 2013 Precipitation Statistics:
Total precipitation 0.22 inches (0.73 inches BELOW Normal)
Heaviest precipitation 0.19 inches on December 8
Snowfall total 5.7 inches (0.2 inches BELOW Normal)

Normal January 1 - December 31 precipitation = 28.93 inches
Total precipitation January 1 - December 31 = 26.71 inches
January 1 - December 31 precipitation deficit = 2.22 inches

RELATED LINKS:
Lincoln Weather and Climate
Lincoln's Snowfall climatology
December 2013 Lincoln, NE, daily climate data
December 2013 Photo Gallery
Lincoln, NE Year 2013 Climate Statistics

Most of December 2013 was snow-free in eastern Nebraska

December 9, 2013 with a fresh cover of snowfall on East Campus of UNL

Importance of Snow Cover and Daytime Temperatures

2013-12-27T10:06:00.001-08:00

Winter daytime temperatures and snow cover in the middle latitudes.

Snow cover during the Winter has a dramatic impact on observed daytime temperatures. Although the intensity of solar radiation on sunny winter days is much smaller than during the Summer, it can still warm the surface of the earth during the day.

The following satellite image shows a swath of snow cover extending from south central Kansas up to northeast Kansas, the far southeast corner of Nebraska and on into central Iowa.

The reflection of sunlight from a surface is termed the "albedo".

Notice from the above diagram that from 40-85% of the incoming solar radiation is reflected away from a snow covered surface and is unavailable for surface heating. In contrast only 25 to 35% of the solar radiation is reflected back to space from the bare soil.

December 26, 2013 was basically cloud free across the Plains from Nebraska to Oklahoma allowing solar energy to strike the earth's surface throughout the day. The following maps show the highest temperatures observed during the day. It is very evident that the high temperatures were suppressed in the snow covered region extending from Kansas up into Iowa.

Notice (on the Weather Channel map of December 26, 2013 high temperatures) the blue color corresponding to the snow covered area in Kansas showing suppressed daytime highs. Temperatures were warmer to the west and the east of this snow covered region in Kansas.

The second map is a close up view of the observed NWS high temperatures for December 26, 2013. Notice the highs in the 50's to the west and east of the snow covered area. Snow covered Salina, KS, (KSLN) had a high temperature of only 40F and snow covered Manhattan, KS (KMHK) only had a high temperature of 44F.

The presence of a snow cover appears to have kept the daytime high temperatures from 10 to 15 degrees F cooler than the non snow covered area to the west and east of this location.

December 26, 2013 finds Lincoln, NE and Omaha, NE snow free

Lincoln, NE, White Christmas Climatology

2013-12-26T08:21:00.002-08:00

Christmas 2013 was a "Brown Christmas" with no snow on the ground in Lincoln, NE. The photo below was taken on December 25, 2013 mid afternoon just east of Lincoln, NE.

How rare is it to have a "White Christmas" in Lincoln?
The standard climatological definition of a "White Christmas" is "one or more inches of snow on the ground on Christmas morning".

Temperatures were also very mild on December 25, 2013 as noted in the following photograph taken in Lincoln early afternoon before the official high of 45F for the day.

Although monthly snowfall data for Lincoln extend back to January 1900, daily snowfall and snow cover data only exist back to January 1948.

White Christmases in Lincoln with snow depth and year of occurrence.

14 inches, 1983

11 inches, 2000

10 inches, 2009

8 inches, 1973, 1952, 1948

7 inches, 1968

5 inches, 1961, 1951

3 inches, 2008

2 inches, 2012, 1997, 1981, 1980, 1969, 1962

1 inch, 2007, 2001, 1974, 1957, 1949

This is a total of 21 years out of 66 years (1948-2013) or only 32 % of the past 66 years had a "White Christmas" in Lincoln, NE. The following is a graph showing the snow depth on the ground in Lincoln, NE, on December 25 for 1948 through 2013.

Christmas Day December 2009 near Lincoln, NE, after a snowstorm struck eastern Nebraska

Wintry Weather Forecast for December 19-26, 2013

2013-12-19T06:30:00.001-08:00

Update on the wintry weather outlook for December 19-26, 2013

The upcoming weekend of December 20-22, 2013 will be one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.
Two separate winter storms will develop and move across portions of the lower 48 states.

Forecast Precipitation Type: December 19-26, 2013.
The third line in the map title shows the date of each animated map.
Colors: Blue = snow; green = rain; red = ice pellets; tan = freezing rain

Storm #1: Thursday afternoon, December 19: LIGHT Freezing drizzle possible across southeast Nebraska. Snowfall across the Great Lakes region.

Storm #2: Saturday-Sunday, December 21-22: Heavy snow from Kansas to southeastern Wisconsin; light snow possible in the Lincoln-Omaha area. Since southeast Nebraska will be on the northern edge of this storm system, forecasting amounts will be a challenge. A shift in the storm track by just a few miles will mean the difference between a dusting of snow and a plowable snow.

Snowfall total Storm #1 + Storm #2: December 19-26, 2013.

Note how close Lancaster County, in Southeast Nebraska, is to the area of heavy snow. The computer forecast models have moved the path of the Plains snowstorm a little bit further north with each model run over the past 3 days. The forecast path was originally central Oklahoma to Chicago. When this storm starts moving out of the southwestern U.S. on Saturday any slight deviation in its path will have a significant impact on where the band of heavy snow falls relative to southeast Nebraska.

Snowfall totals, Model Uncertainties Southeast Nebraska.

The following graph for Omaha and for December 19-23, 2013 shows the forecast snowfall accumulation for 23 different forecast models. Many of the models show NO SNOWFALL during the time period. One of the forecast models indicates a snowfall total of SEVEN INCHES. The black line is the median of the snowfall forecasts and indicates a snowfall total of around ONE INCH

SEVERE WEATHER?
Spring like severe weather is also possible with the 2nd storm system. Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes are possible any time of the year, not just spring and summer (especially across the deep south and the gulf states). The Storm Prediction Center forecast map for Saturday December 21, 2013 shows an area from eastern Texas to the Ohio River Valley that has the potential for severe thunderstorms.

NWS LINCOLN FORECAST December 19-26: Cloudy and cold through Saturday with a 20% chance of snow Saturday afternoon overnight into Sunday morning. Clear and cold on Monday with a rapid warm up to near normal by Christmas day.

Update on the wintry weather outlook for December 19-26, 2013

The upcoming weekend of December 20-22, 2013 will be one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.
Two separate winter storms will develop and move across portions of the lower 48 states.

Forecast Precipitation Type: December 19-26, 2013.
The third line in the map title shows the date of each animated map.
Colors: Blue = snow; green = rain; red = ice pellets; tan = freezing rain

Storm #1: Thursday afternoon, December 19: LIGHT Freezing drizzle possible across southeast Nebraska. Snowfall across the Great Lakes region.

Storm #2: Saturday-Sunday, December 21-22: Heavy snow from Kansas to southeastern Wisconsin; light snow possible in the Lincoln-Omaha area. Since southeast Nebraska will be on the northern edge of this storm system, forecasting amounts will be a challenge. A shift in the storm track by just a few miles will mean the difference between a dusting of snow and a plowable snow.

Snowfall total Storm #1 + Storm #2: December 19-24, 2013.

Snowfall total Storm #1 + Storm #2: December 19-23, 2013.

Related Links:

Lincoln, NE Weather and Climate
Forecast maps including snowfall forecasts
Lincoln, NE Snowfall Climatology
Nebraska Weather Photos

November 2013 Global Temperatures Highest on Record

2013-12-18T10:49:00.002-08:00

NOAA: November global temperature highest on record

According to NOAAscientists, the globally-averaged temperature over land and ocean surfaces for November 2013 was the highest for November since record keeping began in 1880. It also marked the 37th consecutive November and 345th consecutive month (more than 28 years) with a global temperature above the 20th century average. The last below-average November global temperature was November 1976 and the last below-average global temperature for any month was February 1985.

Most areas of the world experienced warmer-than-average monthly temperatures, including: much of Eurasia, coastal Africa, Central America, central South America, parts of the North Atlantic Ocean, the south west Pacific Ocean, and the Indian Ocean. Much of southern Russia, northwest Kazakhstan, south India, southern Madagascar, parts of the central and south Indian Ocean, and sections of the Pacific Ocean were record warm. Meanwhile, northern Australia, parts of North America, south west Greenland, and parts of the Southern Ocean near South America were cooler than average. No regions of the globe were record cold.

Global Highlights

The combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces for November 2013 was record highest for the 134-year period of record, at 0.78°C (1.40°F) above the 20^th century average of 12.9°C (55.2°F).
The global land surface temperature was 1.43°C (2.57°F) above the 20^th century average of 5.9°C (42.6°F), the second highest for November on record, behind 2010. For the global oceans, the November average sea surface temperature was 0.54°C (0.97°F) above the 20^th century average of 15.8°C (60.4°F), tying with 2009 as the third highest for November.
The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for the September–November period was 0.68°C (1.22°F) above the 20^th century average of 14.0°C (57.1°F), the second warmest such period on record, behind only 2005.
The September–November worldwide land surface temperature was 1.08°C (1.94°F) above the 20^th century average, the third warmest such period on record. The global ocean surface temperature for the same period was 0.52°C (0.94°F) above the 20^th century average, tying with 2009 and 2012 as the fourth warmest September–November on record.
The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for the year-to-date (January–November) was 0.62°C (1.12°F) above the 20^th century average of 14.0°C (57.2°F), tying with 2002 as the fourth warmest such period on record.

Weather Outlook for December 18 - 25, 2013

2013-12-18T07:49:00.001-08:00

Update on the wintry weather outlook for December 18-25, 2013

The upcoming weekend of December 20-22, 2013 will be one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.

Two separate winter storms will develop and move across portions of the lower 48 states.

This posting will outline the weather forecast for our area through Christmas and then the outlook for the lower 48 states for the same time period

NWS FORECAST December 18-22: Mild today, December 18; Thursday much colder with a chance of freezing drizzle in the afternoon and evening. Slight chance of snow on Saturday

WEATHER CHANNEL FORECAST December 18-27: Similar to the NWS with an extended outlook into next week, mainly dry with near normal temperatures.

SNOWFALL FORECASTS:
The following animated map shows the precipitation type for the period December 18-25. The 3rd line shows the date of each of the maps.
Blue is snowfall; red is ice pellets; tan is freezing rain and green is rain.

At the current time (December 18) it appears that southeast Nebraska will be only slightly impacted by these two winter storm between now and Christmas Day.

STORM #1:
Southeast Nebraska (Lincoln-Omaha) has the potential for some icy precipitation on Thursday December 19 while the main snow area moves over the Great Lakes region.

STORM #2:
A major snow storm develops in the southern Plains and moves northeastward up toward Chicago and the Great Lakes on December 21-22. Travel should be significantly impacted over the weekend, especially Sunday, for Chicago's O'Hare airport.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day look relatively quiet across the region with (note the last two maps in the animation) a potential snowfall moving into most of Nebraska from the northwest on December 25.

A map showing the forecast total snowfall for the area from the Rocky Mountains to the East Coast is located below the animated map.

TOTAL SNOWFALL DECEMBER 18-23 (Two forecast maps): Important point to remember, these are forecasts and only a slight change in the path of either storm could shift the anticipated paths of these two storms, so keep checking your local forecast before heading out on any long distance trips. It is also important to note that there will be slight differences between various forecast models making it difficult to have 100% accuracy in a forecast when there is a divergence of "opinion" in these models.

The following map (December 18-23, 2013) shows another computer model solution for the total snowfall and in this model the area of snowfall accumulation is further north and covers southeast Nebraska (Lincoln-Omaha).