SEPTEMBER WARMER AND DRIER THAN AVERAGE ACROSS U.S.,
WARMEST SEPTEMBER GLOBALLY SINCE BEGINNING OF RELIABLE INSTRUMENTS
The
United States experienced its fourth warmest September on record,
while global land surface temperatures were the warmest on record
for the month, according to scientists at NOAA’s National Climatic
Data Center in Asheville, N.C. Also, three East Coast states had their
driest September on record, while the month was the eleventh driest
for the nation overall.
U.S.
Temperatures
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NOAA
reported the average temperature for the United States for September
(based on preliminary data) was 2.6°F (1.4°C) above the
mean for 1895-2004. This was the fourth warmest September on record,
with only the West Coast and parts of the Rockies remaining near
average. Louisiana had its warmest September in 111 years of national
records and an additional 27 states ranked much above average. Some
cities also set new records for warmest average September temperatures
including: Houston-Galveston, Texas; London, Ky.; Shreveport, La.;
and Raleigh-Durham, N.C. A record daily maximum of 107 degrees was
also recorded in San Angelo, Texas, September 25, equaling the old
September record set in 1952.
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July-September
average temperatures were also fourth warmest on record, indicative
of an unusually warm late summer and early fall across the country.
All 48 contiguous states ranked above average for the last three
months, with six states (Florida, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts,
Rhode Island and Vermont) setting new statewide average temperature
records for July-September. Overall, the Northeast region had its
warmest July-September period in at least 111 years.
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Temperatures
across Alaska were also above average during July-September, with
respective statewide temperatures of 2.3°F (1.3°C) and 2.2°F
(1.2°C) above the 1971-2000 mean, ranking 12th for September
and second warmest for July-September since 1918.
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U.S.
Precipitation was below average during September, with unusually
dry conditions for much of the East Coast and parts of the Plains
and Northwest. Georgia, South Carolina and Maryland had their driest
September on record. Some selected cities that received record low
September precipitation included: Washington, D.C.; Macon, Ga.;
Columbia, S.C.; College Station, Texas; and Tampa, Fla. Serious
drought continued across the Northwest and parts of the western
Plains and Rockies. Areas west of Lake Michigan, namely northern
Illinois, were also experiencing severe drought.
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At
the end of September, moderate-to-extreme drought (as defined by
a widely-used measure of drought – the Palmer Drought Index)
affected 18 percent of U.S., an increase of almost 6 percent from
August 2005. The U.S. wildfire season through September 30 is approximately
double the 10-year average acreage burned. More than 8 million acres
have burned so far in 2005, approaching the record annual acreage
burned, which occurred in 2000.
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So
far, tropical cyclone activity for the 2005 Atlantic season has
been well above average with 20 named storms, 11 of which became
hurricanes and five were classified as major. The hurricane season
officially ends on November 30. There has been only other season
with 20 or more named tropical systems – 1933 (21).
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The average global temperature anomaly for combined land and ocean
surfaces for September (based on preliminary data) was 1.13°F
(0.63°C) above the 1880-2004 long-term mean. This was the warmest
September since 1880, the beginning of reliable instrumental records.
The second warmest September was in 2003 with an anomaly of 1.02°F
(0.57°C) above the mean. Land surface temperatures were highest
on record for September with temperatures more than 5°F (2.8°C)
above normal across large parts of Asia and North America. Ocean
temperatures were third highest on record. El Niño Southern
Oscillation conditions remained neutral in the tropical Pacific
Ocean at month’s end.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency of
the U.S. Commerce Department, 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 our nation’s coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging
Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working
with its federal partners and nearly 60 countries to develop a global
monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes.
Note
to Editors: A digital version of the press release including
links to data, graphics and analysis, in addition to further national
and global data are online at:
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2005/sep/sep05.html
On
the Web:
NOAA:
http://www.noaa.gov
NOAA’s
Satellite and Information Service: http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov
National
Climatic Data Center: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov
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