Major Highlights
U.S. COOLER AND WETTER THAN AVERAGE IN OCTOBER
OCTOBER GLOBAL TEMPERATURE 4th WARMEST ON RECORD
Temperatures across the continental U.S. in October 2006 were cooler than average for the 2nd month in row, according to scientists at NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. Drought conditions improved in some areas as nationally averaged precipitation for October ranked 12th wettest on record, but large parts of the nation remained in moderate to extreme drought. The global temperature remained well above average in October.
U.S. Temperature Highlights
The October 2006 temperature for the contiguous United States (based on preliminary data) was 0.9°F (0.5°C) below the 20th century average of 54.8°F (12.7°C). This was the second consecutive month of below average temperatures following a very warm January to August period.
The combination of a cooler than average September and October dropped the year-to-date national temperature from record warmest to 3rd warmest for the January-October 2006 period. The record warmest January-October occurred in 1934.
Temperatures in October 2006 were below average across 24 states concentrated from the Rocky Mountains to the Great Lakes and into the Northeast, while above-average temperatures occurred in only two states (Texas and New Hampshire).
It was the 6th warmest October on record in Alaska with temperatures 6.8° F (3.8°C) above the 1971-2000 mean. Despite the October warmth, January-October was the coolest such year-to-date period since 1999 for Alaska.
U.S. Precipitation Highlights
Above to much above average precipitation occurred across most of the East Coast, eastern Great Lakes, Mississippi Valley and the Southwest in October. Nationally, precipitation ranked 12th wettest in the 112-year record.
October precipitation in Maine was 2nd wettest on record with 7.83 inches, Louisiana 3rd wettest with 10.38 inches of precipitation. Fourteen states in all ranked among the top ten wettest such periods on record.
The January-October period was the 2nd driest on record for Florida and 8th driest for Georgia, resulting in an expansion of drought conditions in these states.
Wetter-than-average conditions across the Southwest and parts of the South during October allowed for some improvement in drought in these regions. However, severe-to-exceptional drought remained across parts of Arizona, Oklahoma to south Texas, areas of the northern High Plains, the northern Rockies and northern Minnesota.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, nearly 30 percent of the continental U.S. was in moderate to exceptional drought by the end of October, a decrease of approximately 3 percent since the end of September.
Drier-than-average conditions across the Far West contributed to the continuation of a very active wildfire season for the nation. By early November, more than 9.4 million acres, mostly in the continental U.S., had burned since the beginning of the year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. This exceeded the previous record for an entire year, set in 2005 when 8.7 million acres burned, much of it in Alaska. A major U.S. incident during October was the Esperanza fire in southern California, which consumed over 40,000 acres and claimed 5 lives.
Global Highlights
Drier-than-average conditions across the Far West contributed to the continuation of a very active wildfire season for the nation. By early November, more than 9.4 million acres, mostly in the continental U.S., had burned since the beginning of the year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. This exceeded the previous record for an entire year, set in 2005 when 8.7 million acres burned, much of it in Alaska. A major U.S. incident during October was the Esperanza fire in southern California, which consumed over 40,000 acres and claimed 5 lives.
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