NOAA
REPORTS RECORD WET JUNE FOR PARTS OF THE SOUTH,
RECORD WARMTH IN ALASKA
July
20, 2004 — Many areas of the South had some of the wettest June
conditions on record, according to scientists at the NOAA
Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. Record dryness across southern
California contrasted the extreme wetness in the South, while much of
the Midwest had a cooler-than-average June. The global average temperature
was sixth warmest on record for June. (Click NOAA image for larger
view of USA drought conditions during June 2004. Please credit “NOAA.”)
NOAA scientists report that the average
temperature for the contiguous United States for June (based on preliminary
data) was 68.6 degrees F (20.4 degrees C), which was 0.5 degrees F (0.3
degrees C) below the 1895-2003 mean. The mean temperature was below average
in 19 states across the middle of the nation, extending into the Northeast.
Much of the West was warmer than average. Nevada and Florida had much-above-average
temperatures for June. Alaska experienced record warmth for June, with
a statewide temperature of 5.2 degrees F (2.9 degrees C) above the 1971-2000
mean. Record-setting temperatures were also recorded in several Alaskan
cities in June, including an all-time high of 93 degrees F (33.9 degrees
C) on Annette Island. The extreme temperatures made conditions favorable
for widespread wildfire activity in the state.
Precipitation
across the contiguous United States was much above average, ranking June
2004 the seventh wettest on record. Texas had its wettest June on record.
Mississippi and Louisiana had their second and third wettest June conditions
respectively. The heavy rainfall during the first week of the month resulted
from severe storms in Texas and parts of the South and led to flooding
in some areas.
Drought
conditions that had reemerged in the Southeast in recent months eased
throughout June as precipitation was above average across much of the
region. Below- average June precipitation occurred in many areas of the
West, where drought has persisted for the past five to six years. Southern
California and eastern Arizona had record or near-record dryness for June,
exacerbating moderate-to-severe drought in the region. Reservoir levels
also remained below average in many areas of the West, and at the end
of June the percent of the western United States in moderate-to-extreme
drought increased to 74 percent, based on a widely used measure of drought,
the Palmer Drought Index.
The
Globe:
The
average global temperature anomaly for combined land and ocean surfaces
during June 2004 (based on preliminary data) was 0.47 degrees F (0.26
degrees C) above the 1880-2003 long-term mean. This was the sixth warmest
June since 1880 (the beginning of reliable instrumental records). The
five others are 1998 - 0.62 degrees C, 2002 - 0.55 degrees C, 2003 - 0.54
degrees C, 2001 - 0.51 degrees C and 1997 - 0.49 degrees C. (Click
NOAA image for larger view of selected significant global events during
June 2004. Click
here to view interactive map. Please credit “NOAA.”)
Land surface
temperatures were anomalously warm across Alaska, western Europe and central
Asia and most of the southern hemisphere, while ocean-surface temperatures
in much of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific were near average,
as the neutral phase of El Niño/Southern Oscillation continued.
The global land surface temperature was fourth warmest on record for June.
The NOAA Satellites and Information
Service is the nation’s primary source of space-based oceanographic,
meteorological and climate data. It operates the nation’s environmental
satellites, which are used for ocean and weather observation and forecasting,
climate monitoring and other environmental applications. Some of the oceanographic
applications include sea surface temperature for hurricane and weather
forecasting and sea-surface heights for El Niño prediction.
NOAA is dedicated
to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction
and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental
stewardship of the nation�s coastal and marine resources. NOAA is part
of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Relevant
Web Sites
Climate
of 2004 — June in Historical Perspective
NOAA
Climatic Data Center
Media
Contact:
John Leslie, NOAA
Satellites and Information Service, (301) 457-5005
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