 Climate Monitoring / Climate of 1999 / Help
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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 JULY 1999,
105 = WETTEST/WARMEST FOR JUN-JUL 1999,
105 = WETTEST/WARMEST FOR FEB-JUL 1999,
104 = WETTEST/WARMEST FOR AUG 1998-JUL 1999.
JUL JUN-JUL FEB-JUL AUG 1998-
REGION 1999 1999 1999 JUL 1999
------ ---- --------- --------- ---------
PRECIPITATION:
NORTHEAST 9 3 5 6
EAST NORTH CENTRAL 102 96 100 98
CENTRAL 7 26 27 29
SOUTHEAST 7 24 7 18
WEST NORTH CENTRAL 41 42 76 94
SOUTH 14 40 46 87
SOUTHWEST 82 83 85 72
NORTHWEST 35 30 72 92
WEST 67 75 60 45
NATIONAL 13 29 36 66
TEMPERATURE:
NORTHEAST 98 100 101 100
EAST NORTH CENTRAL 95 91 100 103
CENTRAL 94 89 91 102
SOUTHEAST 83 56 61 98
WEST NORTH CENTRAL 60 52 92 102
SOUTH 58 50 87 102
SOUTHWEST 48 47 87 101
NORTHWEST 23 29 34 79
WEST 39 56 43 57
NATIONAL 84 64 93 103
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
DRIEST WETTEST NORMAL 1999
REGION VALUE YEAR VALUE YEAR PCPN PCPN
------ ---------- ---------- ------ ------
NORTHEAST 2.02 1968 6.57 1897 3.81 2.73
EAST NORTH CENTRAL 0.85 1936 6.13 1993 3.61 5.31
CENTRAL 1.47 1930 8.27 1958 4.25 2.54
SOUTHEAST 2.94 1983 11.55 1916 5.56 4.03
WEST NORTH CENTRAL 0.84 1917 5.56 1993 2.02 1.75
SOUTH 1.34 1980 6.04 1950 3.03 2.13
SOUTHWEST 1.00 1993 3.51 1911 1.83 2.32
NORTHWEST 0.16 1953 2.05 1983 0.73 0.41
WEST 0.00 1903 1.18 1984 0.34 0.33
NATIONAL 1.78 1930 3.85 1950 2.74 2.33*
* PRELIMINARY VALUE, CONFIDENCE
INTERVAL + OR - 0.29 INCHES
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
COLDEST WARMEST NORMAL 1999
REGION VALUE YEAR VALUE YEAR TEMP TEMP
------ ---------- ---------- ------ ------
NORTHEAST 66.1 1962 73.8 1955 69.3 72.2
EAST NORTH CENTRAL 64.0 1992 76.2 1936 70.2 72.8
CENTRAL 71.9 1947 81.2 1901 75.3 78.4
SOUTHEAST 76.3 1947 82.7 1993 78.6 80.1
WEST NORTH CENTRAL 62.7 1915 77.4 1936 69.5 69.7
SOUTH 78.0 1906 85.9 1980 81.3 81.7
SOUTHWEST 70.1 1912 75.9 1901 73.6 73.2
NORTHWEST 58.9 1993 70.6 1906 65.9 64.8
WEST 69.0 1903 78.2 1931 73.8 73.6
NATIONAL 71.4 1915 77.1 1936 73.9 74.7*
* PRELIMINARY VALUE, CONFIDENCE
INTERVAL + OR - 0.2 DEG. F.
PRECIPITATION % AREA % AREA
RIVER BASIN RANK DRY WET
----------- ------------- ------ ------
MISSOURI BASIN 101 0.8% 34.7%
PACIFIC NORTHWEST BASIN 93 0.0% 14.9%
CALIFORNIA RIVER BASIN 44 8.8% 6.7%
GREAT BASIN 64 0.0% 20.5%
UPPER COLORADO BASIN 74 0.0% 0.0%
LOWER COLORADO BASIN 51 0.0% 7.8%
RIO GRANDE BASIN 68 0.0% 3.9%
ARKANSAS-WHITE-RED BASIN 101 0.0% 59.2%
TEXAS GULF COAST BASIN 74 0.0% 0.0%
SOURIS-RED-RAINY BASIN 104 0.0% 100.0%
UPPER MISSISSIPPI BASIN 99 0.0% 19.6%
LOWER MISSISSIPPI BASIN 49 4.6% 0.0%
GREAT LAKES BASIN 61 0.0% 0.0%
OHIO RIVER BASIN 25 39.4% 0.0%
TENNESSEE RIVER BASIN 62 0.0% 0.0%
NEW ENGLAND BASIN 28 9.0% 0.0%
MID-ATLANTIC BASIN 4 76.4% 0.0%
SOUTH ATLANTIC-GULF BASIN 12 9.7% 0.0%
REGION PRECIPITATION TEMPERATURE
------ ------------- -----------
NORTHEAST 34 98
EAST NORTH CENTRAL 104 101
CENTRAL 50 88
SOUTHEAST 19 73
WEST NORTH CENTRAL 74 92
SOUTH 59 95
SOUTHWEST 69 97
NORTHWEST 78 61
WEST 51 57
NATIONAL 57 98
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
DRIEST WETTEST NORMAL 1999
REGION VALUE YEAR VALUE YEAR PCPN PCPN
------ ---------- ---------- ------ ------
NORTHEAST 16.63 1965 31.53 1996 23.49 21.94
EAST NORTH CENTRAL 10.51 1988 22.73 1993 17.37 22.05
CENTRAL 17.59 1936 34.59 1950 25.70 26.10
SOUTHEAST 20.79 1986 39.59 1991 31.18 26.27
WEST NORTH CENTRAL 6.98 1934 16.40 1993 11.12 11.90
SOUTH 14.72 1925 29.92 1905 21.06 21.76
SOUTHWEST 4.61 1972 12.68 1905 7.24 8.18
NORTHWEST 8.46 1924 20.17 1983 15.35 16.87
WEST 4.64 1924 20.76 1998 9.83 9.92
NATIONAL 13.66 1934 20.71 1998 17.39 17.78
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
COLDEST WARMEST NORMAL 1999
REGION VALUE YEAR VALUE YEAR TEMP TEMP
------ ---------- ---------- ------ ------
NORTHEAST 41.9 1907 48.4 1921 44.5 46.8
EAST NORTH CENTRAL 37.9 1912 48.1 1987 42.3 45.2
CENTRAL 48.8 1978 57.1 1921 52.3 54.5
SOUTHEAST 59.5 1940 64.6 1949 61.7 63.1
WEST NORTH CENTRAL 37.9 1950 47.4 1934 42.8 44.8
SOUTH 59.1 1979 64.8 1911 61.6 63.7
SOUTHWEST 47.5 1917 55.0 1934 51.3 53.0
NORTHWEST 42.5 1955 51.0 1934 46.2 46.2
WEST 51.4 1913 57.8 1934 54.3 54.2
NATIONAL 49.4 1979 54.5 1934 51.7 53.4
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| Based upon preliminary data, July 1999 was the 11th warmest July on record for the East-North Central Region. This is the first July since 1989 to be significantly above the long-term mean. |  |
larger image Preliminary data for the Northwest Region ranked July 1999 as the 23rd coolest July since 1895. This contrasts sharply with the third warmest July on record which occurred just last year.
July 1999 was the fourth wettest July on record for the East-North Central Region. In contrast, last year the region noted the 14th driest July on record.
larger image
larger image Preliminary data for the Central Region ranked July 1999 as the 7th driest July since records began in 1895.
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
July 1999 Statewide Temperature and Precipitation
Larger MapThirteen states ranked within the top ten warm portion of the distribution for July 1999, including: New Jersey - 2nd warmest Rhode Island - 4th warmest Massachusetts - 6th warmest New York - 6th warmest Ohio - 6th warmest No state ranked within the top ten cool portion of the distribution.
Nine states ranked within the top ten dry portion of the historical distribution for July 1999, including: New Jersey - Driest Florida - 3rd driest Kentucky - 4th driest West Virginia - 5th driest July 1999 was the second wettest July since 1895 for Wisconsin, fourth wettest for Michigan, and eighth wettest for Arizona.
Larger Map
April-July 1999 Statewide Temperature and Precipitation
Larger MapTwelve states were within the top ten warm portion of the distribution for temperature for April-July 1999, including: Rhode Island - Warmest Maine - 4th warmest New Hampshire - 4th warmest Vermont - 4th warmest Massachusetts - 4th warmest Connecticut - 5th warmest Ohio - 5th warmest The same April-July period was the tenth coolest such period for Oregon and the ninth coolest for Washington.
Twelve states ranked within the top ten dry portion of the distribution for April-July 1999, including: Delaware - Driest Maryland - Driest New Jersey - Driest Rhode Island - Driest Connecticut - 2nd driest Massachusetts - 2nd driest New York - 2nd driest West Virginia - 2nd driest Six states ranked within the top ten wet portion of the distribution for the same period including:
Wisconsin - 3rd wettest Colorado - 4th wettest Utah - 5th wettest
Larger Map
August 1998-July 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 August 1998-July 1999 ranks included: Michigan - 2nd warmest Minnesota - 2nd warmest Rhode Island - 2nd warmest Wisconsin - 2nd warmest Only California ranked within the cool third portion of the historical distribution.
Six states were within the top 10 dry portion of the distribution for the August 1998-July 1999 period including: Maryland - Driest New York - 2nd driest Virginia - 2nd driest West Virginia - 2nd driest Five states ranked with the top ten wet portion of the distribution for the same period. They included the second wettest such period for North Dakota, the fourth wettest for Minnesota, and the sixth wettest such twelve-month period since 1895 for Kansas and 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://nic.fb4.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
