The Rabett Does Dirty Hare-y

Perfesser Bunny sez:

Eli knows what you’re thinking. “Is climate change really happening?” Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement the bunny kind of lost track himself. But being greenhouse gases are the most powerful forcing we know, and the best science predicts disaster ahead, you’ve got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?

Image (click to enlarge): Yesterday's Daily Dose from Doonesbury@Slate

Mid Atlantic Precipitation Update

See here for more Washington, DC weather records.

The major storm moving through the central part of the U.S. brought record-breaking rain for December 9 to the Washington/Baltimore metro area. The 1.29" which fell at Washington National exceeded the record of 1.05" set in 1931, although that was previously the lowest daily record for December. Baltimore (BWI) also broke its record with 1.41", well above the old record of 1.08" in 1991. Washington Dulles, on the other hand, with a much shorter period of record, had 0.93", which failed to break the 1973 record of 1.12".

In the first 9 days of the month, Washington National is now within 0.01" of the average total for all of December. This is almost 2.5 times the average December amount to date. At 4.43", the November rainfall was just under 50% above average. April, May, June, and October, the other above-average months this year, have all been at least 50% above. February and July were over 50% below average. If current trends continue, December will be the seventh month in 2009 which is at least 50% above or below average.

Daily, monthly, and year-to-date amounts are:

Washington National 1.29"/3.04"/43.15"
Washington Dulles   0.93"/2.49"/45.13"
Baltimore (BWI)     1.41"/3.68"/51.19"  

Other daily records set in the Mid Atlantic region (old record in parentheses):

Wallops Island VA 2.93" (0.93", 1995)
Martinsburg WV    1.15" (0.98", 1978)
Newark NJ         1.96" (1.66", 1978)
Atlantic City NJ  2.51" (1.31", 1986)
Islip NY          1.74" (1.07", 1995)
Reading PA        1.16" (1.12", 1978)
Philadelphia PA   2.13" (1.91", 1978)
Pittsburgh PA     0.85" (0.71", 1878)
Wilmington DE     2.28" (1.55", 1978) 
Georgetown DE     1.93" (1.38", 1963) 

Images (click to enlarge):
- 24-hour precipitation ending 7 am December 9, from National Weather Service
- Washington DC 2008-2009 monthly precipitation amounts and percentages above or below average, CapitalClimate charts from NWS data

Pathetic Post Pimps Palin Propaganda

As if regularly publishing George Will's anti-scientific ravings weren't enough, the WaPo sinks to a new level today by attempting to become the high-fiber Facebook. Sarah Palin's anti-climate-science recycled Facebook page is given prominent placement as an "opinion" piece. ThingsBreak has links to reactions. Here are a few more:

• AtlanticWire: Washington Post Gets Burned for Publishing Palin's Op-Ed
  
• Discover/The Intersection (Chris Mooney): Sarah Palin’s Bogus Climate Arguments Graduate From Facebook to the Washington Post
  
• Chicago Tribune/The Swamp: Sarah Palin: Obama, boycott Copenhagen
  
• Newser: Post, Palin Skewered for Climate Op-Ed
  
• FirstPost (UK): Washington Post slated over Palin’s climate rant
  
• Gawker: Sarah Palin's Washington Post Op-Ed Debunked
  
• Politico: Palin's climate change
  
• L.A. Times/The Ticket: Washington Post is booed for giving Palin op-ed platform
  
• Kansas City Star/Midwest Voices: Surprise: Palin calls Copenhagen conference a sham

Image (click to enlarge): Today's Daily Dose from Doonesbury@Slate

November 2009 3rd Warmest in U.S.

Following a cold October, U.S. temperatures rebounded strongly in November to reach their third warmest levels on record. The preliminary analysis for November 2009, posted by the National Climatic Data Center this morning, shows that the monthly average of 46.5°F was 4.0°F above the 20th Century average. Regionally, the Southwest and South were above normal, and the West North Central through the Northeast were all much above normal. Only the Northwest, West, and Southeast were near normal.

Much above normal temperatures were widespread on an individual state basis:

• Record warmest: Delaware
  
• Second warmest: Wisconsin, New Jersey
  
• Third warmest: Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Iowa, and North Dakota

Temperatures were in the top 10 warmest for 18 other states, and no individual state was below normal.

Precipitation was heavy in the Southeast, Mid Atlantic, and northern New England, but most of the country was drier than average in November. Nationally, it was the 18th driest November since 1895. Virginia had its second wettest November, and North and South Carolina had their sixth and ninth wettest Novembers, respectively. On the other hand, nine states had precipitation in the top ten driest Novembers, and 25 states in all were below average.

Images (click to enlarge): U.S. November average temperature since 1895, statewide temperature and precipitation ranks for November 2009; from National Climatic Data Center

Beavis and Butthead Do Climate Change

The Climate Crock enlists the Dumb Duo to help explain the phony flap over the Hack Attack.
"He said, 'ain us'. Heh, heh.":

Record Heat on East Coast

For other record temperature posts, see:
Record Heat
Record Cold

Daily high temperature records were set from Maine to Florida on December 3:

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 63 DEGREES WAS SET AT BANGOR ME YESTERDAY.   
THIS BREAKS THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 60 SET IN 1932.  

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 68 DEGREES WAS SET AT THE PORTLAND   
JETPORT TODAY. THIS SHATTERS THE OLD RECORD OF 55 DEGREES SET IN   
1986.  
  
THE 68 DEGREE READING WAS THE 4TH WARMEST EVER RECORDED AT THE   
PORTLAND JETPORT IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER. HERE IS A LIST OF THE   
WARMEST DECEMBER TEMPERATURES AT THE JETPORT...  
  
RANK     TEMPERATURE     DATE  
  
 1       71 DEGREES      DECEMBER 6, 2001  
         71 DEGREES      DECEMBER 7, 1998  
 3       69 DEGREES      DECEMBER 4, 1982  
 4       68 DEGREES      DECEMBER 3, 2009   <===  
 5       66 DEGREES      DECEMBER 1, 2001  
         66 DEGREES      DECEMBER 23, 1990  
 7       65 DEGREES      DECEMBER 4, 1998  
 8       64 DEGREES      DECEMBER 12, 1979  
 9       62 DEGREES      DECEMBER 1, 1962  
10       61 DEGREES      DECEMBER 1, 2006  
         61 DEGREES      DECEMBER 2, 1998  

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 65 DEGREES WAS SET AT CONCORD NH   
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 60 SET IN 1932.  

THE HIGH TEMPERATURE AT THE BURLINGTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN  
SOUTH BURLINGTON VERMONT WAS 59 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. THIS  
BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 56 DEGREES SET ON THIS DATE IN 1982.  
  
THE HIGH TEMPERATURE AT KNAPP STATE AIRPORT IN MONTPELIER VERMONT  
WAS 59 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 52   
DEGREES SET ON THIS DATE IN 1982.  
  
THE HIGH TEMPERATURE AT THE FAIRBANKS MUSEUM IN SAINT JOHNSBURY  
VERMONT WAS 54 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. THIS TIES THE RECORD   
PREVIOUSLY SET ON THIS DATE IN 1970.  

THE TEMPERATURE PEAKED AT 69 DEGREES AT LOGAN AIRPORT IN EAST BOSTON   
MA AT 206 PM.  
  
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 65 DEGREES DATING BACK TO 1932. THE   
NORMAL HIGH FOR DECEMBER 3RD IN BOSTON MA IS 46 DEGREES.   
  
THE TEMPERATURE PEAKED AT 67 DEGREES AT THE BLUE HILL OBSERVATORY  
IN MILTON MA AT 1 PM.   
  
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 61 DEGREES SET IN 1950 AND 1932. THE   
NORMAL HIGH FOR DECEMBER 3RD IN MILTON MA IS 43 DEGREES.  

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 64 DEGREES WAS SET AT BRIDGEPORT CT   
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 61 SET IN 1998.  

ON THURSDAY...DECEMBER 3...2009...THE TEMPERATURE REACHED 62 DEGREES   
AT ALBANY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT 1051 AM EST. THIS SETS A NEW   
RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE DATE. THE PREVIOUS RECORD HIGH   
TEMPERATURE WAS 58 DEGREES...SET IN 1998.  

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 68 DEGREES WAS SET AT WILMINGTON DE TODAY.   
THIS TIES THE OLD RECORD OF 68 SET IN 1998.  

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 66 DEGREES WAS SET AT WALLOPS ISLAND   
VA TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 64 SET IN 1991.  

THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE TODAY AT FORT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL   
AIRPORT REACHED 89 DEGREES AT 1:40 PM EST. THIS BREAKS THE RECORD   
HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR DECEMBER 3RD...PREVIOUSLY 87 DEGREES SET IN   
1921. THIS ALSO IS JUST ONE DEGREE SHY OF TYING THE ALL TIME RECORD   
HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER...WHICH IS 90 DEGREES SET   
ON DECEMBER 8, 1919.  

Record November Rainfall in Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia

Update: The National Climatic Data Center also reports that all-time November daily precipitation records were set on the 10th through the 12th from the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida:

               Amount  Previous record Date
Virginia 
Lynchburg       2.81"        2.54"     Nov. 29, 1934
Danville        2.67"        2.58"     Nov.  9, 1962
Norfolk         4.90"        3.31"     Nov. 21, 1952
Richmond        3.51"        3.00"     Nov. 24, 1959  
North Carolina
New Bern        3.99"        3.57"     Nov. 22, 2006
Elizabeth City  4.33"        3.54"     Nov.  2, 1969
South Carolina
N. Myrtle Beach 3.63"        3.33"     Nov. 21, 2005
Georgia
Columbus        5.44"        4.15"     Nov. 25, 1992
Atlanta         4.05"        3.98"     Nov. 12, 1935 

Original post:
November rainfall smashed monthly records by a wide margin in central and southeastern Virginia, according to the National Weather Service:

A RECORD MONTHLY MAXIMUM RAINFALL OF 9.20 INCHES WAS SET AT NORFOLK
VA IN NOVEMBER 2009. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 7.01 SET IN 1951.    

A RECORD MONTHLY MAXIMUM RAINFALL OF 9.60 INCHES WAS SET AT RICHMOND   
VA IN NOVEMBER 2009. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 7.64 SET IN 1959.  

Image (click to enlarge): Virginia precipitation departure from average in November 2009, from NWS