Decmber Kicks Off With a Record-Smashing Start: U.S. Heat Records Beat Cold Records 58 to 2

December 3 Update: The number of new high temperature records for the first 2 days of December has now reached 195 in the 48 contiguous states, a ratio of nearly 100 to 1.

8 PM Update: Here are some National Weather Service record reports for December 2, including record high minimums:

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 82 DEGREES WAS SET AT WACO TODAY. THIS   
TIES THE OLD RECORD OF 82 SET IN 2007.  

THE LOW TEMPERATURE THIS MORNING AT DALLAS FORT WORTH AIRPORT   
WAS 67 DEGREES. THIS BROKE THE OLD RECORD HIGH MINIMUM FOR DECEMBER  
2ND OF 63 DEGREES WHICH WAS SET IN 1922 AND 1993.  

LOCATION       OLD RECORD      NEW RECORD         YEARS OF DATA   
------------------------------------------------------------------     
SHREVEPORT LA  79 IN 1950      80 IN 2012       RECORDS SINCE 1874  
LONGVIEW TX    80 IN 1950      81 IN 2012       RECORDS SINCE 1902  
LUFKIN TX      83 IN 1978      83 IN 2012       RECORDS SINCE 1906 

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 81 DEGREES WAS SET AT NEW IBERIA TODAY.   
THIS TIES THE OLD RECORD OF 81 SET IN 2007.  

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 87 DEGREES WAS SET AT CORPUS CHRISTI TODAY.   
THIS TIES THE OLD RECORD OF 87 SET IN 1964.  

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 79 DEGREES WAS SET AT GALVESTON TODAY.   
THIS TIES THE OLD RECORD OF 79 SET IN 2007.  

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 84 DEGREES WAS SET AT HOUSTON INTERCONTINENTAL TODAY.   
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 83 SET IN 1978.  

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 84 DEGREES WAS SET AT HOUSTON/HOBBY AIRPORT TODAY.   
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 83 SET IN 1970.  

THE HIGH TEMPERATURE AT AMARILLO REACHED 78 DEGREES TODAY AT 311 PM   
CST. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 76 WHICH WAS SET IN 1995 AND   
1926.

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 82 DEGREES WAS EQUALED AT CHILDRESS   
TODAY. THIS TIES THE OLD RECORD OF 82 SET IN 1995.  

THE LOW TEMPERATURE OF 63 DEGREES AT ABILENE REGIONAL AIRPORT   
TODAY...SET A NEW HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD FOR THIS DATE. THE   
PREVIOUS RECORD OF 59 WAS SET IN 1922. IF THE TEMPERATURE DOES NOT   
DROP BELOW 63 DEGREES BY MIDNIGHT THIS WILL BE THE NEW RECORD.  
  
THE LOW TEMPERATURE OF 61 DEGREES AT MATHIS FIELD IN SAN ANGELO   
TODAY...SET A NEW HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD FOR THIS DATE. THE   
PREVIOUS RECORD OF 57 DEGREES WAS SET IN 1951. IF THE TEMPERATURES   
DOES NOT DROP BELOW 61 DEGREES BY MIDNIGHT THIS WILL BE THE NEW   
RECORD.  

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 75 DEGREES WAS SET AT FAYETTEVILLE   
ARKANSAS TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 74 SET IN 1970.  

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 78 DEGREES WAS SET AT FORT SMITH   
ARKANSAS TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 76 SET IN 1970. 

THE HIGH TEMPERATURE AT THE WICHITA MID CONTINENT AIRPORT REACHED 69   
DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. THIS BREAKS THE PREVIOUS RECORD HIGH OF 68   
DEGREES FOR THIS DATE SET BACK IN 1970.  

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 72 DEGREES WAS SET AT MCCOOK NEBRASKA   
TODAY.  THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 70 DEGREES SET IN 2008.  

THE TEMPERATURE AT THE CENTRAL NEBRASKA REGIONAL AIRPORT IN   
GRAND ISLAND NEBRASKA REACHED 70 DEGREES AT 139 PM CST. THIS  
BREAKS THE PREVIOUS RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 67 DEGREES SET  
BACK IN 1956. THIS TEMPERATURE WAS 29 DEGREES WARMER THAN THE  
NORMAL HIGH OF 41 DEGREES FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.  TEMPERATURE RECORDS 
AT GRAND ISLAND DATE BACK TO 1896.   

THE TEMPERATURE AT HASTINGS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT IN HASTINGS NEBRASKA  
REACHED 68 DEGREES AT 326 PM CST. THIS TIES THE RECORD HIGH  
TEMPERATURE OF 68 DEGREES SET BACK IN 1956. THIS TEMPERATURES WAS  
27 DEGREES WARMER THAN THE NORMAL HIGH OF 41 DEGREES FOR THIS TIME  
OF YEAR.  

AT 304 PM THE TEMPERATURE IN LINCOLN REACHED 68 DEGREES. THIS   
ESTABLISHED A RECORD HIGH FOR DECEMBER 2. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 65   
DEGREES SET IN 1988 AND 1956.  

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 73 DEGREES WAS SET AT SPRINGFIELD MO   
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 72 SET IN 1970.  
  
 A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 73 DEGREES WAS SET AT VICHY-ROLLA MO   
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 71 SET IN 1982.  
  
 A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 73 DEGREES WAS SET AT WEST PLAINS MO   
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 71 SET IN 1950.  

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS SET AT ST. LOUIS LAMBERT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT  
TODAY. THE AFTERNOON HIGH WAS 75 DEGREES AT 252 PM.  THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 74   
DEGREES SET IN 1982.  

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 58 DEGREES WAS SET AT THE LARAMIE   
WYOMING AIPORT TODAY...DECEMBER 2ND. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF   
56 DEGREES...WHICH WAS SET IN 1959.  

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 56 DEGREES WAS SET AT ABERDEEN SD   
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 54 SET IN 1998.  
  
A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 67 DEGREES WAS SET AT PIERRE SD TODAY.   
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 63 SET IN 1998.  
  
A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 60 DEGREES WAS SET AT SISSETON SD   
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 59 SET IN 1941.  

5 PM Update: The map of U.S. daily high temperatures for December 1 from Unisys shows that, except for higher elevations, sub-freezing readings were limited to the immediate Canadian border and northern New England (click to enlarge).

Among the locations in Texas already reporting record temperatures for today are: Corpus Christi (tie), Victoria (tie), Waco (tie), Dallas, Amarillo.

Original post:
December (and meteorological winter) got off to a torrid start in the U.S. yesterday as 58 new high temperature records were set in the contiguous 48 states, vs. only 2 new low temperature records. National Climatic Data Center reports show that 36 high temperature records were set or tied at official National Weather Service (ASOS) reporting locations, mainly in Texas, but also in Arizona, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. The preliminary list, from the NCDC (alphabetically by state):

Location                Record Previous/Date Period of record
AZ WINSLOW AP            71    70 12/1/2005   104
KS TOPEKA ASOS           69    67 12/1/1998    64
NE NORTH PLATTE RGNL AP  71    71 12/1/1994    63
NE SIDNEY MUNI AIRPORT   68    65 12/1/1951    44
NM CAVERN CITY AIRPORT   81    80 12/1/1932    72
NM ROSWELL IND AP        80    77 12/1/1995    65
NM ALBUQUERQUE INTL AP   66    66 12/1/1980    81
OK HOBART MUNI  AIRPORT  80    79 12/1/1950   102
OK TULSA INTL AP         77    77 12/1/1950    71
OK BARTLESVILLE MUNI AP  77    77 12/1/1950    87
OK OKLAHOMA CITY AP      77    76 12/1/1982    69
OK PONCA CITY MUNI AP    74    73 12/1/1998    66
TX CORPUS CHRISTI AP     87    83 12/1/2011    66
TX COTULLA LA SALLE AP   86    86 12/1/1978    59
TX CHILDRESS MUNI AP     86    81 12/1/1961    68
TX MINERAL WELLS AP      84    84 12/1/1950    62
TX CLG STN EASTERWD AP   84    81 12/1/1954    61
TX AUSTIN BERGSTROM      84    83 12/1/1954    39
TX VICTORIA ASOS         84    84 12/1/1954    57
TX WINK FAA AP           84    81 12/1/2007    70
TX FT WORTH MEACHAM FLD  83    83 12/1/1950    46
TX WICHITA FALLS MUNI AP 83    82 12/1/1950    88
TX WACO RGNL AP          83    81 12/1/1970    82
TX DAL-FTW WSCMO AP      83    83 12/1/1950    64
TX HOUSTON HOBBY AP      83    82 12/1/1970    71
TX HOUSTON BUSH INTL AP  83    82 12/1/1970    43
TX SAN ANGELO MATHIS     83    82 12/1/1950    65
TX AUSTIN-CAMP MABRY     83    82 12/1/1954    81
TX HONDO MUNI AP         81    81 12/1/1982    42
TX PALACIOS MUNI AP      81    80 12/1/1967    67
TX DALLAS FAA AP         81    81 12/1/1970    82
TX SAN ANTONIO INT'L AP  80    80 12/1/1954    65
TX MIDLAND INTL  AP      80    80 12/1/2007    64
TX LUBBOCK INTL AP       79    76 12/1/1995    98
TX LONGVIEW E TX RGNL AP 79    78 12/1/1982    39
TX EL PASO AP            75    74 12/1/1954    70 

Pacific Coast Rainfall Record Update: Focus Shifts to Central California; 133-Year San Francisco Record Broken

The focus of record-breaking rainfall shifted southward to central California on Friday. At downtown San Francisco, where climate records began in 1850, the 1.39" broke a 133-year-old record for November 30 of 1.38" in 1879. (The airport's 1.96" failed to reach the record of 2.39" in 1973, however.) Other record rainfall amounts in the region (previous record and date in parentheses):

Livermore       1.85" (0.75", 1982)
Moffett Field   1.40" (1.31", 1973)
Oakland         1.88" (1.58", 1961)
San Jose        1.14" (0.95", 1997)    
Salinas         2.22" (1.49", 1982)

The 2.17" at Santa Rosa was also a record, but climate data there began only in 1998. Records also extended inland. The National Weather Service reports:

SACRAMENTO EXECUTIVE AIRPORT   
1.68 INCHES...OLD RECORD 1.04 IN 1973  
  
STOCKTON AIRPORT  
1.39 INCHES...OLD RECORD 0.64 IN 1997  
  
MODESTO AIRPORT  
0.80 INCHES...OLD RECORD 0.66 IN 1997  

A RECORD RAINFALL OF 0.62 INCH(ES) WAS SET AT FRESNO CA YESTERDAY.   
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 0.50 SET IN 1982.  

Record Northern Pacific Coast Rainfall

Image (click to enlarge): Northern California precipitation for 24 hours ending at 5 am PST, November 30, 2012, from National Weather Service

November 30 Update: Crescent City peaked out at 4.14" of rain yesterday, more than doubling the old record. Ukiah almost doubled its old record with 2.48", vs. 1.42" in 1938.

Other record reports from the National Weather Service:

A RECORD RAINFALL OF 2.22 INCH(ES) WAS SET AT MEDFORD OR YESTERDAY.   
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 1.25 SET IN 1917.  

A RECORD RAINFALL OF 1.6 INCH(ES) WAS SET AT ROSEBURG OR YESTERDAY.   
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 1.43 SET IN 1951.  

Original post:
The heavy rains pounding the Pacific Coast have already set daily records at several locations in northern California and Oregon as of early this evening. The National Weather Service reports:

..RECORD RAINFALL SET AT CRESCENT CITY CA  
A RECORD RAINFALL AMOUNT OF 2.50 INCHES HAS FALLEN SO FAR TODAY.   
THIS BREAKS THE PREVIOUS RECORD AMOUNT OF 2.00 INCHES SET IN 1995.  

Since that report was issued at 4 pm local time, over one and a half inches of additional rain has been unofficially reported. Crescent City climate records began in 1894.

At Mt. Shasta, the 1.69" as of 4 pm was closing in on the record of 1.81" from 1932, and since then at least three-quarters of an inch of additional rain has fallen.

In Oregon, Medford's 1.58" as of 4 pm was enough to break the record of 1.25" from 1917.

Washington's 7th Driest November; Second Biggest October/November Relative Decrease

November 30, 5 PM Update: Added 2012 monthly data and charts.

Original post:
With the mere 0.06" of light rain on Tuesday, November 2012 will close out tomorrow with only 0.60" of precipitation at Washington. That ties it with 1908 as the 7th driest November in 143 years of climate history. The driest was in 1981, when 0.29" was reported.

This exceptionally dry month, following the 5.82" drenching in October, represents slightly less than a 90% month-to-month decrease, second only to the 92% in 1981. In absolute terms, the 5.22" rainfall reduction is the 5th largest on record. The largest absolute October-November decrease was 7.49" in 2005, following the all-time wettest October.

Following wetter-than-average months in September and October, this is now the 9th month of 2012 with below-average precipitation. The November departure of 81% below average is followed by March with a 71% deficit.

The 29.42" total precipitation through the first 11 months is over 7" below the average amount to date. If December rainfall is equal to climatology, the annual amount (marked "Climo" on the chart) will remain the second driest since 2000, behind the 29.95" in 2001. Of the 13 years so far this century, only 4 others have been below average.

November was very dry throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, with nearly all areas below 50% of normal. Large areas from Washington eastward and southward have been below 25% of normal. The 0.71" at Baltimore is less than 22% of normal, and the 1.12" at Dulles is 33% of normal. Richmond's 0.27" is 8% of normal and the 5th driest in records dating back to 1872.

Meteorologists March

Today's Doonesbury:

2012 U.S. Heat Records Exceeding Cold Records at Nearly Double Last Year's Pace

The number of new daily high temperature records in the contiguous 48 states of the U.S. declined below the number of low records in October for the first time in 22 months. Nevertheless, the first half of November has already rebounded to wipe out that deficit. For the month to date, heat records are outnumbering cold records by a ratio of 3.1 to 1. With only 6 weeks left in the year, the 2012 ratio to date of 5.7 to 1 is almost double the 2011 ratio.

Although the ratio of heat records to cold records has declined substantially in the last several months, double-digit ratios in January, March, and July have kept the year-to-date ratio considerably above last year's. Cumulatively, since January 2010 the ratio for the decade stands at 3.4, just slightly below the peak it reached in July of 3.7.

For the year to date, temperatures have averaged above the previous 30-year normal everywhere in the country except along the immediate northern Pacific Coast and part of interior Washington state. Temperatures so far in November have been cooler than normal in most areas east of the Mississippi, particularly from the Ohio Valley through the Mid Atlantic and Carolinas. Temperatures nearly everywhere else have been warmer than normal.

Images (click to enlarge):
- Monthly ratio of daily high temperature to low temperature records set in the U.S. for November 2011 through November 2012, seasonal ratio for summer and fall 2011, winter, spring and summer 2012, and annual ratio for 2012 and 2011.
CapitalClimate chart from NOAA/NCDC data, background image © Kevin Ambrose. 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.
- Cumulative ratio of U.S. high temperature to low temperature records from January 2010 through November 2012 to date (logarithmic scale); CapitalClimate chart from NOAA/NCDC data
- January to October 2012 U.S. temperature departure from 1981-2010 average, from NOAA/ESRL
- November 1-16 U.S. temperature departure from average, from High Plains Regional Climate Center

Wind Power's Health Hazards

Wind turbine syndrome might just seem like a collection of unrelated health complaints to the untrained eye, but untrained eye is also a symptom of wind turbine syndrome. Stephen Colbert reports:

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive