Friday, January 6, 2012

Minnesota Record Heat: First Ever 60° Temperature in First Week of January

The record heat of January 5 produced the first 60° temperatures ever observed in Minnesota during the first week of January. The Minnesota Climatology Working Group reports:
The highest temperature found so far from a National Weather Service Cooperative Station is 62 degrees at Marshall. Both Milan and Madison in southwestern Minnesota both saw 61 degrees. An automated station near Canby in Yellow Medicine County reached 63 degrees. Looking back to 1891 this is the first time a maximum temperature reached 60 degrees in the state for the first week of January. St. Cloud saw a record high of 53 degrees, breaking the old record of 43 degrees set in 1984. Clouds held the temperature down in the Twin Cities and "only" had a high of 45 degrees.

There has never been a 60 degree temperature recorded during the first week of January in Minnesota's modern climate record. The warmest temperature ever recorded in Minnesota during the first week of January is 59 degrees, occurring on January 7, 2003 in Amboy, MN. The warmest temperature ever recorded in Minnesota on January 5 is 57 degrees, recorded at Crookston in 1902.

How rare is it to have a temperature of 60 degrees or higher in January in Minnesota? Reaching 60 degrees ANY time ANYWHERE in January is quite rare, occurring in only 10 years of the 120 year modern record. The all-time record high temperature for any day in January is 69 degrees, occurring January 24, 1981 in Montevideo.
New Record High Temperatures January 5, 2012

City Max Temp Prev. Rec Year
-------------------------------------
Marshall 62 48 1958
Sioux Falls 62 49 1985
Milan 61 47 1958
Madison 61 49 1958
Redwood Falls 59 47 1958
St. Cloud 53 43 1984
Mankato 52 45 1958
The warm conditions caused a Target trailer which had veered off of highway I-94 near Monticello to plunge through the ice of a pond:
Semi driver crawls to safety as rig sinks in pond

Image (click to enlarge): A Target trailer stuck in ice after going off I-94 near Monticello, Minnesota, from Department of Public Safety, via TwinCities.com

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch . . .
Heat Records Crushed in Northern Plains

Image (click to enlarge): U.S. high temperatures for January 5, 2012, from Unisys

January 6 Update: See the following post for Minnesota temperature records.

10 PM Update: The National Weather Service reports that the high temperatures of 65° at Huron and 68° at Mitchell in South Dakota were also all-time January records. A summary of southeastern South Dakota and northeastern Iowa records:
                   HIGH   PREVIOUS          RANK ON ALL TIME    PERIOD OF
CITY JAN 5TH RECORD YEAR JANUARY LIST RECORD
--------------- ------- -------- ---- ------------------ ----------
ACADEMY SD 69 65 1935 T-2nd (72 1/29/31) 1898-
MITCHELL SD 68 51 1935 1st (previously 67) 1896-
SIOUX CITY IA 68 61 1956 T-3rd (71 1/26/2002) 1889-
YANKTON SD 68 57 1935 T-3rd (74 1/25/1981) 1932-
VERMILLION SD 67 54 1956 T-2nd (71 1/24/1981) 1948-
HURON SD 65 49 1898/1935 1st (previously 64) 1881-
SIOUX CENTER IA 62 47 1958 T-3rd (68 1/26/2002) 1948-
SIOUX FALLS SD 62 49 1985 T-3rd (66 1/24/1981) 1889-
MENNO SD 65 53 1935 T-3rd (70 1/29/1931) 1896-
In North Dakota, all-time January high temperature records were set at Minot and tied at Jamestown. Both previous records were over a century old.
                          JANUARY 5           ALL TIME JANUARY

SITE OBSERVED RECORD YEAR RECORD DATE
HIGH HIGH HIGH

WILLISTON (KISN) 58 50 1914 55 1/23/1944
DICKINSON (KDIK) 62 53 2008 63 1/23/1981
MINOT (KMOT) 61 50 1914 59 1/28/1906
BISMARCK (KBIS) 59 50 1908 63 1/08/2002
JAMESTOWN (KJMS) 56 45 1908 56 1/19/1908
Other records from North Dakota:
A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 55 DEGREES WAS SET AT FARGO ND THIS
AFTERNOON. THIS ECLIPSES THE OLD RECORD OF 40 SET IN 1984. THIS ALSO
BREAKS THE RECORD FOR THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE RECORDED IN JANUARY AT
FARGO. IT WAS 54 DEGREES ON JANUARY 20 1908.

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 47 DEGREES WAS SET AT THE NWS OFFICE
IN GRAND FORKS. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 42 DEGREES ACHIEVED IN 1984.
9 PM Update: The Rapid City airport temperature peaked at 73°, smashing the old record of 60° in 2008. East Rapid City, where records extend back to 1888, hit 71°.

Other western South Dakota records reported by the National Weather Service:
..RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT CAMP CROOK  

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 61 DEGREES WAS SET AT CAMP CROOK
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 55 SET IN 1903.

..RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT BISON

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 58 DEGREES WAS SET AT BISON TODAY.
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 50 SET IN 1958.

..RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT HOT SPRINGS

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 62 DEGREES WAS SET AT HOT SPRINGS
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 61 SET IN 1930.

..RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT BUFFALO AIRPORT

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 59 DEGREES WAS SET AT BUFFALO AIRPORT
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 47 SET IN 1903.

..RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT PINE RIDGE AIRPORT

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 62 DEGREES WAS SET AT PINE RIDGE
AIRPORT TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 57 SET IN 2003.

..RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT GILLETTE AIRPORT

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 54 DEGREES WAS SET AT GILLETTE AIRPORT
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 47 SET IN 2006.

..RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT FORT MEADE

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 71 DEGREES WAS SET AT FORT MEADE TODAY.
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 62 SET IN 2001.

..RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT PHILIP AIRPORT

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 74 DEGREES WAS SET AT PHILIP AIRPORT
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 46 SET IN 2002.

..RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT LEAD

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 61 DEGREES WAS SET AT LEAD TODAY.
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 55 SET IN 2001.
This map from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet shows new records across nearly all of the state, with margins of 10° or more across the northern portion (click to enlarge):


Records were also widespread across Nebraska, several by very large margins:
AT 351 PM CST THE TEMPERATURE IN NORFOLK REACHED 70 DEGREES  
ESTABLISHING A RECORD HIGH FOR JANUARY 5TH. THE PREVIOUS
RECORD WAS 55 DEGREES SET IN 1956.

AT 346 PM CST THE TEMPERATURE IN LINCOLN REACHED 68 DEGREES
ESSTABLISHING A RECORD HIGH FOR JANUARY 5TH. THE PREVIOUS
RECORD WAS 61 DEGREES SET IN 1956.

AT 354 PM CST THE TEMPERATURE IN OMAHA REACHED 66
DEGREES...ESTABLISHING A RECORD HIGH FOR JANUARY 5TH.
THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 62 DEGREES SET IN 1956.

THE HIGH TEMPERATURE REPORTED AT THE CENTRAL NEBRASKA REGIONAL AIRPORT
IN GRAND ISLAND TODAY WAS 68 DEGREES. THIS SHATTERS THE PREVIOUS
RECORD OF 60 DEGREES FOR THIS DATE...SET IN 1956. TEMPERATURE RECORDS
AT GRAND ISLAND DATE BACK TO 1896.

THE OFFICIAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COOPERATIVE OBSERVER AT THE
KEARNEY REGIONAL AIRPORT...REPORTED A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 69 DEGREES.
THIS BREAKS THE PREVIOUS RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 66 DEGREES FOR
THIS DATE...SET IN 1956. TEMPERATURE RECORDS FOR KEARNEY DATE BACK
TO 1901.

THE HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORDED AT THE HASTINGS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT TODAY
WAS 67 DEGREES. THIS BREAKS THE PREVIOUS RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE
OF 61 DEGREES FOR THIS DATE....SET IN 1956. TEMPERATURE RECORDS AT
HASTINGS DATE BACK TO 1906.

THE HIGH TEMPERATURE THURSDAY AFTERNOON AT BROKEN BOW MUNICIPAL
AIRPORT REACHED 67 DEGREES...WHICH TIES AS THE WARMEST DAY ON RECORD
FOR JANUARY 5TH...WITH THAT RECORDED IN 1989. THE NORMAL HIGH
TEMPERATURE FOR JANUARY 5TH IN BROKEN BOW IS 37 DEGREES.

A DAILY RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 69 DEGREES WAS SET AT MILLER
FIELD IN VALENTINE ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON JANUARY 5TH...ECLIPSING THE
OLD RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE FOR JANUARY 5TH OF 65 DEGREES WHICH
WAS SET IN 1930. THE NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR JANUARY 5TH IN
VALENTINE IS 36 DEGREES...TO PUT THE NEW RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE
FOR THIS DATE INTO PERSPECTIVE.

THE DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE REACHED 73 DEGREES AT THE
IMPERIAL MUNICIPAL AIRPORT ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON...JANUARY 5TH.
THIS SHATTERS THE OLD RECORD HIGHEST TEMPERATURE FOR THE DATE OF 70
DEGREES PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED ON JANUARY 5TH 1927. THE NORMAL HIGH
TEMPERATURE FOR IMPERIAL ON JANUARY 5TH IS 41 DEGREES.

A DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 69 DEGREES WAS SET THURSDAY
AFTERNOON AT LEE BIRD FIELD IN NORTH PLATTE. THIS BROKE THE OLD
DAILY RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR JANUARY 5TH OF 67 DEGREES...WHICH
WAS PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED ON THIS DATE IN 1935 AND IN 1927. THE
NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR JANUARY 5TH IS 38 DEGREES FOR NORTH
PLATTE.
Original post:
While some cold records were being set in parts of the Southeast yesterday, January heat records have been absolutely crushed in the Northern Plains this afternoon. The National Weather Service reported in the past hour that Aberdeen, South Dakota, where climate records date back over a century to 1896, surpassed its previous all-time record high for the entire month of January by 3° with a reading of 63° at 3:10 pm CST. The old record of 60° was last set on January 24, 1981. Today's record also incinerates the old daily record for January 5 (46°, 1935) by the unbelievable margin of 17°.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota has also set a daily record by an amazing amount, considering that records began there as far back as 1893. The new record of 62° exceeds the old record (49°, 1985) by 13°. Yesterday's high of 54° at Sioux Falls also tied a daily record set in 1916.

Yet another long-standing record fell at Huron, South Dakota. The high of 65° exceeded by 18° the old record of 47° first set in 1898 and tied in 1935. This was also an amazing 39° above normal and an even 100° above the record low for the date of -35° set back in 1884. Climate records began there in 1881.

At Mitchell, South Dakota, the high of 68° was 17° above the old record of 51° set in 1935. It was also an incredible 41° above normal. Records began at Mitchell in 1893.

Rapid City, South Dakota, records extend back only to 1942, but the high temperature of 66° had already broken the daily record by 6° as of 11 am this morning. Temperatures there have reached at least as high as 70°F at 1 pm MST.

Records also extended southward into Iowa, where Sioux City set a new high of 68°, easily exceeding the old record of 61° in 1956. Records there date back to 1889.

Records reported by the National Weather Service for yesterday, January 4, include:
                     HIGH     PREVIOUS  
CITY JAN 4TH RECORD YEAR
--------------- ------- -------- ----
ACADEMY SD 60 55 1935
MITCHELL SD 58 54 1987
SIOUX CITY IA 58 54 1964
VERMILLION SD 58* 58 1989
HURON SD 57 54 1987
YANKTON SD 57 56 1989
SIOUX FALLS SD 54* 54 1916
DESMET SD 52 50 1962
SIOUX CENTER IA 52 49 1964
Image (click to enlarge): U.S. surface temperature as of 3 pm CST, January 4, 2012, showing unseasonable heat surging northward in the central part of the country, from Unisys

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Century-Old Florida Low Temperature Records Tied, Broken


Image (click to enlarge): MODIS satellite surface temperature image with surface observations near 2 am EST, January 4, 2012, via CIMSS/University of Wisconsin

Jan. 5 Update: Preliminary data from the National Climatic Data Center indicate the following additional low temperature records were tied in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina:
Anniston AL       17 (tie, 2002)
Macon GA 18 (tie, 2008)
Florence SC 16 (tie, 2008)
Meanwhile, back at the ranch . . .

Original post:
A strong, but narrow, cold outbreak set or tied daily low temperature records in northern Florida and southern Georgia this morning. At Gainesville, Florida, where records have been kept since 1891, the old record from 1900 was broken by 2°. Preliminary National Weather Service record reports for January 4 at official reporting locations (ASOS stations) include (old record in parentheses):
Alma GA           19 (22, 2001)
St. Simons Is. GA 26 (tie, 2010)
Naples FL 36 (39, 2002)
Gainesville FL 20 (22, 1900)
Jacksonville FL 22 (tie, 1887)
Apalachicola FL 26 (tie, 2010)
Tallahassee FL 18 (tie, 1928)
The 1918 records in southern Florida remained intact, however, as Ft. Lauderdale missed its record of 32° by 10°, and Miami missed its similar record by 11°.

Monday, January 2, 2012

The Heat Parade: December Heat Records Exceed Cold By 80%;
Annual Ratio Jumps to 2.8 to 1 in 2011

Aided by a strong warm surge toward the end of the month, new U.S. daily high temperature records exceeded daily cold records in December by a ratio of 1.8 to 1, a margin of 80%. The overwhelming excess of heat records continued into New Year's Day, when the 116 high maximum records set or tied absolutely crushed the one lonely low minimum record (at a co-operative station 3 miles northeast of Marlin Texas).

The December high/low record ratio was equal to the ratio for the preceding fall season, but the extreme summer ratio of over 11 to 1 pushed the annual value to 2.8 to 1, well above the 2.3 to 1 in 2010. Although January's heat records were only about 4% more numerous than the cold records, the ratio was over 1 for every individual month in 2011. The last time cold records exceeded heat records in a month was a year ago, in December 2010.

Preliminary data from NOAA/ESRL show that U.S. December average temperatures were noticeably below normal only in the desert southwest and parts of Texas. Elsewhere, temperatures were as much as 6°C (nearly 11°F) above average in North Dakota and western Minnesota. To the north, temperatures ranged even higher relative to average in western Canada, as high as 8°C in some areas. December temperatures were also quite warm across nearly all of continental Europe.

For 2011 as a whole, U.S. temperatures averaged above the new 1981-2010 climatological base nearly everywhere east of the Rocky Mountains. The heat bullseye was centered in the drought areas of Oklahoma and northern Texas. The coldest areas relative to average were in the Pacific Northwest and California.

Images (click to enlarge):
- Monthly ratio of daily high temperature to low temperature records set in the U.S. for December 2010 through December 2011, seasonal ratio for summer and fall 2011, and annual ratio for 2011 and 2010;
- Monthly total counts of daily high temperature and low temperature records set in the U.S. for December 2010 through December 2011
- U.S. December 2011 temperature departure from climatological average
- Europe December 2011 temperature departure from climatological average
- U.S. 2011 annual temperature departure from climatological average
CapitalClimate charts from NOAA/NCDC data, background image © Kevin Ambrose (www.weatherbook.com). Includes historical daily observations archived in NCDC's Cooperative Summary of the Day data set and preliminary reports from Cooperative Observers and First Order National Weather Service stations. All stations have a Period of Record of at least 30 years.
U.S. and Europe monthly and annual temperature maps from NOAA/NCEP via ESRL

The Sky's The Limit

Tom Toles 'toon today:

Seasonal Outlook

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Latest 3-month temperature outlook from Climate Prediction Center/NWS/NOAA.