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Through climate analysis, National Climatic Data Center scientists have identified nine climatically consistent regions within the contiguous United States which are useful for putting current climate anomalies into an historical perspective.
PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE RANKS, BASED
ON THE PERIOD 1895-1999. 1 = DRIEST/COLDEST,
105 = WETTEST/WARMEST FOR AUGUST 1999,
105 = WETTEST/WARMEST FOR JUL-AUG 1999,
105 = WETTEST/WARMEST FOR MAR-AUG 1999,
104 = WETTEST/WARMEST FOR SEP 1998-AUG 1999.
AUG JUL-AUG MAR-AUG SEP 1998-
REGION 1999 1999 1999 AUG 1999
------ ---- --------- --------- ---------
PRECIPITATION:
NORTHEAST 16 8 5 6
EAST NORTH CENTRAL 41 86 99 99
CENTRAL 2 2 11 24
SOUTHEAST 12 6 7 21
WEST NORTH CENTRAL 68 47 84 96
SOUTH 5 3 54 77
SOUTHWEST 72 87 98 82
NORTHWEST 76 58 25 95
WEST 64 67 40 47
NATIONAL 5 2 34 65
TEMPERATURE:
NORTHEAST 53 84 95 100
EAST NORTH CENTRAL 37 73 96 101
CENTRAL 40 81 65 100
SOUTHEAST 101 99 60 100
WEST NORTH CENTRAL 83 73 74 102
SOUTH 92 87 74 102
SOUTHWEST 51 48 69 100
NORTHWEST 83 55 30 76
WEST 45 41 33 45
NATIONAL 83 88 79 103
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
DRIEST WETTEST NORMAL 1999
REGION VALUE YEAR VALUE YEAR PCPN PCPN
------ ---------- ---------- ------ ------
NORTHEAST 1.78 1957 8.01 1955 3.87 2.83
EAST NORTH CENTRAL 1.35 1930 6.27 1980 3.73 3.16
CENTRAL 1.55 1953 6.30 1915 3.71 1.84
SOUTHEAST 2.71 1930 9.78 1901 5.19 3.50
WEST NORTH CENTRAL 0.77 1967 3.03 1968 1.71 1.85
SOUTH 1.22 1943 6.06 1915 2.98 1.46
SOUTHWEST 0.56 1962 3.25 1963 1.96 2.23
NORTHWEST 0.10 1967 2.98 1968 0.96 0.92
WEST 0.00 1911 2.01 1983 0.50 0.32
NATIONAL 1.76 1929 3.55 1977 2.66 1.94*
* PRELIMINARY VALUE, CONFIDENCE
INTERVAL + OR - 0.16 INCHES
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
COLDEST WARMEST NORMAL 1999
REGION VALUE YEAR VALUE YEAR TEMP TEMP
------ ---------- ---------- ------ ------
NORTHEAST 62.9 1903 71.9 1937 67.4 67.5
EAST NORTH CENTRAL 63.0 1915 74.6 1947 67.6 67.0
CENTRAL 68.9 1915 79.8 1936 73.4 73.6
SOUTHEAST 75.8 1967 81.3 1900 78.0 80.3
WEST NORTH CENTRAL 63.0 1911 73.0 1983 67.4 69.0
SOUTH 76.2 1992 84.5 1943 80.2 83.1
SOUTHWEST 68.1 1968 74.6 1994 71.3 71.4
NORTHWEST 59.2 1899 69.4 1967 65.2 66.6
WEST 67.2 1899 75.7 1958 72.4 72.1
NATIONAL 70.0 1927 75.4 1983 72.3 73.4*
* PRELIMINARY VALUE, CONFIDENCE
INTERVAL + OR - 0.2 DEG. F.
PRECIPITATION % AREA % AREA
RIVER BASIN RANK DRY WET
----------- ------------- ------ ------
MISSOURI BASIN 101 0.8% 41.5%
PACIFIC NORTHWEST BASIN 95 0.0% 14.9%
CALIFORNIA RIVER BASIN 43 37.6% 6.7%
GREAT BASIN 67 0.0% 20.5%
UPPER COLORADO BASIN 72 0.0% 0.0%
LOWER COLORADO BASIN 56 10.4% 0.0%
RIO GRANDE BASIN 73 0.0% 3.9%
ARKANSAS-WHITE-RED BASIN 100 0.0% 54.6%
TEXAS GULF COAST BASIN 70 0.0% 0.0%
SOURIS-RED-RAINY BASIN 104 0.0% 100.0%
UPPER MISSISSIPPI BASIN 95 0.0% 16.0%
LOWER MISSISSIPPI BASIN 40 7.7% 0.0%
GREAT LAKES BASIN 55 0.0% 0.0%
OHIO RIVER BASIN 18 56.0% 0.0%
TENNESSEE RIVER BASIN 47 0.0% 0.0%
NEW ENGLAND BASIN 19 18.6% 0.0%
MID-ATLANTIC BASIN 3 89.1% 0.0%
SOUTH ATLANTIC-GULF BASIN 12 26.1% 0.0%
REGION PRECIPITATION TEMPERATURE
------ ------------- -----------
NORTHEAST 21 94
EAST NORTH CENTRAL 103 100
CENTRAL 31 86
SOUTHEAST 16 79
WEST NORTH CENTRAL 84 93
SOUTH 51 96
SOUTHWEST 82 96
NORTHWEST 82 63
WEST 53 51
NATIONAL 49 99
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
DRIEST WETTEST NORMAL 1999
REGION VALUE YEAR VALUE YEAR PCPN PCPN
------ ---------- ---------- ------ ------
NORTHEAST 20.70 1965 34.09 1996 27.36 24.85
EAST NORTH CENTRAL 13.69 1910 27.88 1993 21.10 25.40
CENTRAL 20.02 1936 39.24 1950 29.41 27.78
SOUTHEAST 26.29 1954 45.20 1991 36.37 30.57
WEST NORTH CENTRAL 7.90 1934 18.62 1993 12.83 14.26
SOUTH 16.93 1954 32.33 1905 24.04 24.16
SOUTHWEST 6.30 1924 14.48 1941 9.20 10.55
NORTHWEST 9.14 1924 21.79 1983 16.31 17.96
WEST 4.76 1924 20.96 1998 10.33 10.24
NATIONAL 15.92 1934 23.34 1979 20.05 20.10
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
COLDEST WARMEST NORMAL 1999
REGION VALUE YEAR VALUE YEAR TEMP TEMP
------ ---------- ---------- ------ ------
NORTHEAST 44.9 1907 50.9 1998 47.4 49.4
EAST NORTH CENTRAL 41.3 1912 50.5 1987 45.5 47.9
CENTRAL 51.9 1978 59.2 1921 55.0 56.8
SOUTHEAST 61.8 1940 66.4 1990 63.7 65.2
WEST NORTH CENTRAL 41.2 1950 50.0 1934 45.8 47.7
SOUTH 61.6 1979 66.8 1911 63.9 66.1
SOUTHWEST 50.2 1917 57.3 1934 53.8 55.3
NORTHWEST 45.3 1955 53.0 1934 48.6 48.6
WEST 54.0 1949 59.9 1934 56.6 56.3
NATIONAL 52.1 1912 56.9 1934 54.3 55.8
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| Late in the afternoon of August 22, Hurricane Bret made landfall on Padre Island in sparsely populated Kenedy County, about half-way between Brownsville and Corpus Christi. Bret was only the 16th category 4 storm to ever hit the United States and the fourth category 4 storm to ever hit the Texas coast. The last category 4 storm to hit the Texas coast was hurricane Carla which passed over the Matagorda/Port O'Conner region in September 1961. |  |
Bret drifted westward dumping copious rainfall over south Texas where in excess of ten inches of rain was reported in several locations due to the storm's slow forward motion. Numerous tornadoes were reported and extensive wind damage was noted, especially to the immediate north of land fall.
This region has been spared a land falling hurricane in recent years. The last hurricane to hit the Texas coast was Jerry in October 1989.
The coastal areas of North Carolina had their fourth tropical storm scare in as many years during August 29th and 30th. Hurricane Dennis developed over the eastern Bahamas on the 26th and drifted northward parallel to the southeast U.S. coast from the 26th through the 30th. Dennis became an immediate threat to southeastern North Carolina when the center approached to within 60 miles of the coast early on the 30th. At this time, Dennis was a strong category two hurricane with highest sustained winds of 105 miles per hour.
larger image
Although the hurricane turned northeastward and didn't made landfall, it became stationary about 100 miles east of Cape Hatteras from August 30th through the 3rd of September and continuous wave action pounded the northern Outer Banks creating substantial beach erosion, dune overwash, and destroying several beach front homes. Rainfall amounts exceeded five inches in the region. After weakening to a strong tropical storm, Dennis made landfall late on September 4th near Cape Lookout.
Eastern North Carolina is no stranger to hurricane activity. Category two hurricane Bertha and category three hurricane Fran hit Brunswick County in 1996 and Hurricane Bonnie (category 2) followed nearly the same path in 1998. Prior to 1996, the area had been spared from the direct impact of a hurricane since Charlie (category 1) hit Carteret County in 1986.
For the latest forecasts, warnings, and analyses for the tropical Atlantic and the tropical Eastern North Pacific, visit the National Hurricane Center's web site. More specific information on Hurricanes Bret and Dennis can be located at the Weather Underground tropical page while additional satellite images and loops of Bret and Dennis are located at the NCDC Online Images web site. A detailed discription of the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale can also be obtained from the National Hurricane Center.
August 1999 Temperature and Precipitation
larger image Based upon preliminary data, August 1999 was the fifth warmest August on record for Southeast Region.
August 1999 was the 37th coolest August on record for the East-North Central Region. Several cool air intrusions from Canada kept the region cooler than the long-term mean.
larger image
larger image Preliminary data for the Central Region ranked August 1999 as the second driest August since records began in 1895. Only August 1953 has been drier.
Preliminary data indicate that precipitation averaged across the Primary Corn and Soybean agricultural belt ranked near the long-term mean for growing season to date. The last ten such periods have averaged at or above the long-term mean for precipitation.
larger image
August 1999 Statewide Temperature and Precipitation
Larger MapSeven states ranked within the top ten warm portion of the distribution for August 1999, including:
- Alabama - 3rd warmest
- Georgia - 3rd warmest
- Louisiana - 3rd warmest
- South Carolina - 3rd warmest
No state ranked within the top ten cool portion of the distribution.
Eleven states ranked within the top ten dry portion of the historical distribution for August 1999, including:
- Alabama - 2nd Driest
- Louisiana - 2nd driest
- Tennessee - 2nd driest
- Indiana - 3rd driest
- Kentucky - 3rd driest
No state ranked within the top ten wet portion of the distribution.
Larger Map
January-August 1999 Statewide Temperature and Precipitation
Larger MapFourteen states were within the top ten warm portion of the distribution for temperature for January-August 1999, including:
- Rhode Island - 3rd warmest
- Lousiana - 4th warmest
- Massachusetts - 4th warmest
- Colorado - 5th warmest
- New Hampshire - 5th warmest
- Wisconsin - 5th warmest
The same January-August period was the 25th coolest such period for California.
Two states ranked within the top ten dry portion of the distribution for January-August 1999: Three states ranked within the top ten wet portion of the distribution for the same period including:
- West Virginia - 5th driest
- Virginia - 8th driest
- Minnesota - 3rd wettest
- Wisconsin - 3rd wettest
- North Dakota - 9th wettest
Larger Map
September 1998-August 1999 Statewide Temperature and Precipitation
Larger MapForty states were within the top ten warm portion of the distribution for temperature for the running twelve month period. Some September 1998-August 1999 ranks included:
- Louisiana - 2nd warmest
- Arkansas - 3rd warmest
- Kansas - 3rd warmest
- Maine - 3rd warmest
- Maryland - 3rd warmest
- Massachusetts - 3rd warmest
- Nebraska - 3rd warmest
- New Hampshire - 3rd warmest
- Rhode Island - 3rd warmest
- Tennessee - 3rd warmest
- Texas - 3rd warmest
- Wisconsin - 3rd warmest
Only California ranked within the cool third portion of the historical distribution.
Eight states were within the top 10 dry portion of the distribution for the September 1998-August 1999 period including:
- Virginia - 2nd driest
- West Virginia - 2nd driest
- Maryland - 3rd driest
- New York - 4th driest
- Delaware - 5th driest
- North Carolina - 5th driest
Seven states ranked with the top ten wet portion of the distribution for the same period. They included the wettest such period for Minnesota, second wettest such period for North Dakota, the fourth wettest for Kansas, and the fifth wettest such twelve-month period since 1895 for South Dakota.
Larger Map
It should be emphasized that all of the temperature and precipitation ranks on these maps are based on preliminary data. The ranks will change when the final data are processed.
For more information, refer to ...References:
Thomas R. Karl and Albert J. Koscielny, 1982: "Drought in the United States: 1895-1981." Journal of Climatology, vol. 2, pp. 313-329.
Thomas R. Karl and Walter James Koss, 1984: "Regional and National Monthly, Seasonal, and Annual Temperature Weighted by Area, 1895-1983." Historical Climatology Series 4-3, National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, NC, 38 pp.
NOAA's National Climatic Data Center is the world's largest active archive of weather data. The preliminary temperature and precipitation rankings are available from the center by calling: 828-271-4800.
Historical precipitation and temperature ranking maps are also available on the Internet at: http://nic.fb4.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/usa.html.
NOAA works closely with the academic and science communities on climate-related research projects to increase the understanding of El Niño and improve forecasting techniques. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center monitors, analyzes and predicts climate events ranging from weeks to seasons for the nation. NOAA also operates the network of data buoys and satellites that provide vital information about the ocean waters, and initiates research projects to improve future climate forecasts. The long lead climate outlooks are available on the Internet at: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov.
For all climate questions other than questions concerning this report, please contact the National Climatic Data Center's Climate Services Division:
Climate Services DivisionFor further information on the historical climate perspective presented in this report, contact:
NOAA/National Climatic Data Center
151 Patton Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801-5001
fax: 828-271-4876
phone: 828-271-4800
email: ncdc.orders@noaa.gov
William Brown-or-
NOAA/National Climatic Data Center
151 Patton Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801-5001
fax: 828-271-4328
email: william.brown@noaa.gov
Mike Changery
NOAA/National Climatic Data Center
151 Patton Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801-5001
fax: 828-271-4328
email: mchangry@ncdc.noaa.gov
NCDC / Climate Monitoring / Climate of 1999 / Help
http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/1999/aug/us_regional.html 
