20-24 August 2018

Items of Interest:

• Investigating the history of weather data -- NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) maintains a Historical Observing Metadata Repository (HOMR) that is designed to help researchers as well as the public get a better understanding of the weather records archived by NCEI from around the world. In this case, metadata are data providing information about other data, such as weather and climate data obtained from observations. HOMR contains accessible records of historical names, identifiers, locations, observation times, and equipment for stations not only in the United States, but for many other participating nations. [NOAA NCEI News]
• Online tool is available to assess daily weather records -- NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) has a readily accessible Daily Weather Records Data Tool that provides summaries of recent global and U.S. daily weather records with options to view monthly, annual, all-time, or selected records. This tool, which provides insight into recent weather and climate behavior, analyzes maximum and minimum temperature, precipitation and snowfall records from a selected set of weather observing stations in NCEI's Global Historical Climatological Network. [NOAA NCEI News]
• Understanding the meaning of sea level and its changes -- NOAA has a five-part Explainer feature that defines several terms used to describe sea level (global sea level, local sea level and mean sea level). Knowledge of these terms is important for answering several questions that involve measurement of sea level, the changes in sea level, relating sea level changes with a changing climate and in how changes in sea level would affect the public. [NOAA News]

Weather and Climate News Items:

• Eye on the tropics -- Several tropical cyclones (low pressure systems that form over tropical ocean waters) were found across the North Pacific and North Atlantic basins during the past week:
• In the western North Pacific basin:
  • Tropical Storm Yagi made landfall along the coast of China's Zhejiang province late Sunday at the start of last week. Accompanied by locally heavy rainfall, this tropical storm continued inland before dissipating. The NASA Hurricane Page has satellite images and additional information on Yagi.
    
  • Tropical Storm Leepi was passing south-southeast of Iwo To, Japan at the start of last week. Over the next several days, Leepi curved toward the west-northwest and made landfall on the eastern coast of Japan's southern island of Kyushu early last Wednesday. Following landfall, Leepi weakened to a tropical depression as it continued westward, dissipating by Wednesday near Busan, South Korea. Additional information and satellite images for Tropical Storm Leepi can be found on the NASA Hurricane Page.
  • Hurricane Hector, which had been a category 4 hurricane as it traveled westward from the eastern North Pacific basin and across the central North Pacific during the previous week, became a tropical storm on last Sunday afternoon before reaching the International Dateline (longitude 180 degrees). After crossing the Dateline early last Monday, Hector entered the western North Pacific basin, but still retained its name. Therefore, Hector was the first named tropical cyclone to travel across portions of all three North Pacific basins since Genevieve in 2014.Hector weakened as it continued to travel toward the west-northwest. By late Wednesday, Hector had become a tropical depression and then a remnant low. Check the NASA Hurricane Page for additional information and satellite images pertaining to Hurricane Hector.
  • Tropical Depression 20W became Tropical Storm Bebinca as it northward traveled across the South China Sea at the start of last week. Eventually, Bebinca made landfall in northern Vietnam this past Thursday (local time). The remnants of Bebinca continued to move westward into Laos. Consult the NASA Hurricane Page for satellite images and more information on Tropical Storm Bebinca.
  • Tropical Depression 21W formed over the East China Sea and then strengthened to become Tropical Storm Rumbia last Wednesday and on the following day, it made landfall near Shanghai, China. See the NASA Hurricane Page for additional information and satellite images on Tropical Storm Rumbia.
  • A tropical depression (TD-22W) formed from an area of low pressure over the waters of the Philippine Sea last Wednesday. This tropical depression intensified to become Tropical Storm Soulik. By Thursday, this system had become a severe tropical storm before intensify to the sixth typhoon in the 2018 Pacific typhoon season. As of Sunday morning (local time), Typhoon Soulik, a category 2 typhoon on the Saffir-Simpson scale was moving toward the west-northwest as it was approximately 75 miles to the west of Iwo To, Japan. Soulik was forecast to continue intensify as it would travel toward the west-northwest at the start of this week before curving toward the north. By late this week Typhoon Soulik was expected to intensify to a major typhoon as it would approach the western Japanese islands and the Korean Peninsula. The NASA Hurricane Page has more information and satellite images on Tropical Storm Soulik.
  • Tropical Depression 23W formed near the Marshall Islands this past Thursday. Moving generally toward the west and then toward the northwest at the start of this past weekend, this system became Tropical Storm Cimaron. As of Sunday morning (local time), Cimaron was approximately 450 miles to the east of Saipan. Cimaron was forecast to continue its travel toward the northwest, intensifying into a typhoon as it approaches Iwo To, Japan and then to Japan's island of Honshu by late in the week.
• In the eastern North Pacific basin:
  • A tropical depression formed on Tuesday evening approximately 1115 miles to the southwest of Cabo San Lucas at the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. On Wednesday morning this system became Tropical Storm Lane as it continued traveling toward the west-northwest. By Wednesday evening, Lane had become the sixth hurricane of 2018 in the eastern Pacific. At that time, Hurricane Lane was approximately 1540 miles to the west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas. Lane continued to strengthen to a major category 3 hurricane (on the Saffir-Simpson Scale) on Friday evening and to a category 4 hurricane during the predawn hours of Saturday. Continuing its track toward the west-northwest, Hurricane Lane moved across the 140 west meridian of longitude, the boundary between the eastern and central Pacific basins, on Saturday afternoon. As it continued westward across the central Pacific basin, Lane began weakening. By Sunday morning Hurricane Lane was a category 3 hurricane that was located approximately 890 miles to the east-southeast of Hilo, on Hawaii's Big Island. Hurricane Lane was forecast to continue traveling toward the west and west-northwest as a slowly weakening hurricane over the early part of this new week. According to this projected track, Hurricane Lane should pass well to the south of the main Hawaiian Islands by Thursday of this upcoming week. Additional information and satellite images can be found on the NASA Hurricane Page for Hurricane Lane.
• In the North Atlantic basin:
  • A subtropical depression formed on Wednesday morning approximately 1015 miles to the west of the Azores. Traveling toward the north, this system became Subtropical Storm Ernesto early Wednesday afternoon (local time) as it was nearly 700 miles to the southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland. By early Thursday evening, this subtropical storm was reclassified as a tropical storm, even though it was heading for cooler waters of the North Atlantic. Tropical Storm Ernesto traveled toward the northeast on Friday. As of early Saturday morning, Ernesto became a post-tropical cyclone or remnant low early Sunday morning as it was approximately 1020 miles to the north-northeast of the Azores. Consult the NASA Hurricane Page for more information on Ernesto.
• July 2018 weather and climate for the nation reviewed -- Scientists at the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) recently reported on their analysis of preliminary weather data collected during the month of July 2018. The average temperature for the contiguous US during July was 75.5 degrees F, or 1.9 Fahrenheit degrees above the 20th century (1901-2000) average. Therefore, July 2018 was the eleventh warmest July since comprehensive nationwide temperature records began in 1895. Ten of the 48 contiguous states along the West Coast and over the Southwest reported average monthly temperatures that were above to much above-average for July. California experienced its hottest July on record. The six New England States and New York State had statewide average temperatures for this past month that ranked in the top ten on record for their respective states. Above average temperatures were also reported across the Middle Atlantic States, sections of the Midwest and the Gulf Coast. Only Nebraska reported a statewide July temperature that was below average. Sixteen states stretching from Montana southeastward to the Carolinas had near-average temperatures.
  The average maximum (or daytime) temperature for July 2018 across the "Lower 48 States" was the 19th highest on record, while the average minimum (or nighttime) temperature for the month was the eighth highest since 1895.
  Alaska was unseasonably warm in July, with a statewide average temperature that tied 2016 for the fifth highest since statewide records began in 1925.
  The nationally-averaged July precipitation total across the contiguous United States was 2.80 inches (or 0.02 inches above the 20th century average), which made July 2018 the 60th driest (or 65th wettest) July in the 124-year record. Four states across the Northwest reported below to much below monthly statewide totals, with Idaho having its sixth driest July. Below average July precipitation totals were also reported for states in the nation's midsection, stretching from Wisconsin and Michigan southward to Alabama and Arkansas. On the other hand, six states west of the Mississippi River and nearly all the states along the Atlantic Seaboard reported above to much above-average July rainfall. Pennsylvania experienced its wettest July on record, while Maryland had its second wettest July in the 124-year period of record.
  Alaska had a statewide precipitation total for July 2018 that was the 22nd smallest since reliable statewide records began in 94 years ago.
  [NOAA NCEI State of the Climate]
  NOTE: A description is provided of the climatological rankings employed by NCEI for their monthly and seasonal maps. [NOAA/NCEI]
• July national drought report -- The National Centers for Environmental Information has posted its July 2018 drought report online. Using the Palmer Drought Severity Index, approximately 25 percent of the contiguous United States experienced severe to extreme drought conditions at the end of July, while eight percent of the area had severely to extremely wet conditions.
• New Seasonal Climate Outlooks for fall issued -- Near the end of last week, forecasters at the NOAA Climate Prediction Center (CPC) released their new national Three-Month (Seasonal) Climate Outlooks new three-month seasonal national climate outlooks for September through November 2018, corresponding to the meteorological autumn season (in the Northern Hemisphere). Specific details of their outlooks include:
  • Temperature and precipitation outlooks -- According to their temperature outlook, nearly all of the 48 contiguous United States along with Alaska should have a better than even chance of experiencing above average temperatures for the upcoming three months of autumn. The regions with the best chances for warmer than normal conditions would be across the Four Corners region of the Southwest, the Northeast (New England and New York State) and northwestern Alaska. Only the Southeast, which includes Florida, Alabama and Georgia, could have equal chances of either above or below average autumn temperatures.
    Their precipitation outlook calls for better than even chances of wetter than average conditions for the autumn of 2018 across the Southwest, extending from Arizona northward across Utah, along with sections of the Southeast, centered upon the Florida Peninsula. Alaska could also have a better than average change of having above average precipitation. Conversely, the Pacific Northwest, primarily along the coast of Washington and Oregon, could have good chance of having below average precipitation through November. The rest of the 48 contiguous states should have equal chances of below and above average autumnal precipitation.
    A summary of the prognostic discussion of the 3-month outlook for non-technical users is available from CPC. These forecasts were based in part in the assessment that the current ENSO-neutral conditions (meaning no significant El Niño or La Niña event were occurring) should continue through the next several months. However, the chances for formation of an El Niño have increased from previous forecasts. On the other hand, a weak La Niña was also possible. A description is also provided as how to read these 3-class, 3-month Outlook maps.
  • Seasonal Drought Outlook -- The forecasters at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center also released their US Seasonal Drought Outlook last week that would run from late-August through November 2018. Their outlook would call for persistence of drought conditions across the Northwest, sections of California, the Great Basin, the northern Rockies of western Montana, the southern Plains (especially across Texas) and the northern Plains (eastern Montana eastward to northwestern Minnesota). The interior Northwest could see development of drought or expansion of current drought conditions. A large area of the Southwest, centered upon the Four Corners, and sections of the lower Missouri and mid-Mississippi Valley in the nation's midsection could experience some improvement in drought conditions, with some areas possibly seeing elimination of drought conditions. Upstate New York also could have the removal of drought during this autumn.
    Note: a Seasonal Drought Outlook Discussion is included describing the forecasters' confidence in their Drought Outlook.
• An All-Hazards Monitor-- This Web portal provides the user information from NOAA's National Weather Service, FAA and FEMA on current environmental events that may pose as hazards such as tropical weather, fire weather, marine weather, severe weather, drought and floods. [NOAA/NWS Daily Briefing]
• Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com]