WEEKLY CLIMATE NEWS

6-10 August 2018

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Worldwide GLOBE at Night 2018 Campaign for July is underway -- The eighth in the series of GLOBE at Night citizen-science campaigns for 2018 will continue through Saturday, 11 August. GLOBE at Night is a worldwide, hands-on science and education program designed to encourage citizen-scientists worldwide to record the brightness of their night sky by matching the appearance of a constellation with the seven magnitude/star charts of progressively fainter stars. These constellations are Cygnus in the Northern Hemisphere and Scorpius for the Southern Hemisphere. Activity guides are also available. The GLOBE at night program is intended to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution. The ninth series in the 2018 campaign is scheduled for 1-10 September 2018. [GLOBE at Night]
A Nighttime Show -- The annual Perseid meteor shower should peak on Sunday (12 August 2018), but the meteor shower should be able to be seen quite well on both Saturday and Sunday nights. The Perseids, which are associated with some bits of Comet Swift-Tuttle, are noted for being fast and bright, and often leave persistent trains. Typically, the Perseids are usually very active for several days before and after the peaks, often producing 30 to 60 meteors per hour. This year between 150 to 200 meteors per hour may be possible. A new moon early Friday morning (the 11th) will mean that illumination from the Moon will not be a factor in viewing the Perseids. If the skies are clear in your area, go to a region that has few lights and look up and to the northeast during the early morning hours. [Space.com]
Map displays record highest temperatures for stations across the nation -- Last year, NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) produced an interactive map that shows the highest daytime high temperatures recorded at several thousand current weather observing stations across the nation. Clicking on a color-coded dot on the map shows that all-time record high temperature at the station, along with the date of occurrence and the station's period of record. NOTES: Displayed data are for currently active stations and may not include the highest temperature for a city that may have been recorded at another earlier station. Attention should be directed to the discussion to the left of the map concerning the influences of topography and proximity to oceans and the Great Lakes. Temperature data for weather stations for Alaska and Hawaii can be viewed by dragging the cursor to the left and up, causing the map to be shifted toward the west and north. [NOAA Climate.gov News]
"Satellite ride share" being offered -- Early last week NOAA published a Request for Information seeking demonstrations of key capabilities that will enable small satellites built by the commercial sector to hitch a ride on the upcoming advanced Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) spacecraft launch. The approved small satellites will have the opportunity to fly as a "rideshare" in one of several available slots on the JPSS-2 Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle. [NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service]

CURRENT CLIMATE STATUS

State of the Climate in 2017 report indicates third warmest year of record -- During this past week NOAA scientists and their colleagues released a 309-page report entitled State of the Climate in 2017. This peer-reviewed study, compiled by more than 550 scientists from 65 countries, was based upon their examination of trends in temperature and precipitation, extreme weather and climate events, increases in greenhouse gas concentrations and changes in the polar sea ice around the world in 2017.
The report contained the following key points:

The atmospheric concentrations of the major greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) were the highest on record.
The global land and ocean combined surface temperature for 2017 was the third highest for the record beginning in 1880, slightly less than the annual temperatures in 2016 and 2015. However, 2017 represented the warmest non-El Niño year in the instrumental record.
The globally averaged sea surface temperature for the year was slightly below the highest on record set in 2016.
The global upper ocean heat content reached a record high level.
The global sea level for the year reached the highest on record.
The multiyear coral reef bleaching continued at unprecedented levels.
The maximum Arctic sea ice extent reached a record low level.
The waters around Antarctic experienced record low sea ice extent.
The global area of drought fell in early 2017 before rising to above-average values by end of year.
The number of tropical cyclones across all ocean basins in 2017 was slightly above average overall.

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

NOAA Climate.gov News

map

CLIMATE FORECASTS

Atlantic hurricane season outlook is updated -- The team of hurricane forecasters at Colorado State University led by Dr. Philip Klotzbach issued its updated August forecast for the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season. Their "Forecast of Atlantic Seasonal Hurricane Activity and Landfall Strike Probability for 2018" calls for below-average Atlantic hurricane activity through the remainder of the season. In addition, the forecasters indicate that the probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the United States coastline and in the Caribbean also would be less than average, a consequence of their forecast for a below-average season. The forecasters noted that the waters of the tropical Atlantic were remaining cooler than the long-term average, which would be unfavorable for tropical cyclone development, and they foresee a relatively high potential for the development of weak El Niño conditions over the next several months coinciding with the typical peak in the Atlantic hurricane season, which also diminishes activity over the Atlantic.
The forecasters anticipate nine additional named tropical cyclones (maximum sustained surface winds of 39 mph or higher) could form after the end of July. Three named tropical cyclones (Tropical Storm Alberto and Hurricanes Beryl and Chris) formed across the basin between April and July. Consequently, a total of 12 named tropical cyclones are now forecast for the entire 2018 season. Five of these systems could become hurricanes (maximum sustained surface winds greater than 73 mph) in the Atlantic basin, which includes the two hurricanes that had developed in July. The forecasters also anticipated one major hurricane (category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, with winds of at least 111 mph). Furthermore, they also foresee a 35 percent probability of at least one major hurricane making a landfall along the entire coast of the continental United States. [The Tropical Meteorology Project]
Canadian national seasonal outlook issued -- Forecasters with Environment Canada issued their outlooks for temperature and precipitation across Canada for August, September and October 2018, which represents the last month of meteorological summer and the first two months of autumn. The temperature outlook indicates that essentially the western half of Canada should experience above normal (1981-2010) summer-early fall temperatures. Sections of the Maritime Provinces and Newfoundland also should have above average temperatures. Eastern sections of Canada could have normal to below normal late summer-early fall temperatures.
The Canadian precipitation outlook for late summer and early autumn 2018 indicates that most areas of the nation should experience near-average precipitation. However, several scattered sections of Manitoba and Ontario could have below average precipitation for the next three months. On the other hand, scattered sections across northern Canada could have above normal precipitation for these upcoming three months.
Note for comparisons and continuity with the three-month seasonal outlooks of temperature and precipitation generated for the continental United States and Alaska by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, one would need to use Environment Canada's probabilistic forecasts for temperature and precipitation.]

CLIMATE AND THE BIOSPHERE

Polar orbiting satellite sees phytoplankton bloom in Barents Sea -- A true-color image generated from data collected by sensors onboard the NOAA-20 satellite early last week shows large blue and turquois swirls in the otherwise dark-colored waters of the Barents Sea to the north of Russia. These swirls represent a large phytoplankton bloom that developed in the open waters of the Arctic Ocean during the 24-hour daylight experienced by the region. [NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service]

CLIMATE AND SOCIETY

Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com]

Historical Events:

6 August 1905...Princeton, IN received 10.50 inches of rain, which established a 24-hour maximum precipitation record for the Hoosier State. (NCDC)
6 August 1918...Unusually hot weather began to overspread the Atlantic Coast States, from the Carolinas to southern New England. The temperature soared to an all-time record high of 106 degrees at Washington, DC, and Cumberland and Keedysville hit 109 degrees to establish a state record for Maryland. (David Ludlum)
6 August 1947...Sault Ste. Marie, MI hit 98 degrees, equaling the highest temperature ever recorded at that location. (Intellicast)
6 August 1987...Afternoon thunderstorms deluged Milwaukee, WI, breaking all previous rainfall records for the city. Among the records: 1.10 inches in 5 minutes, 3.06 inches in 1 hour, 5.24 inches in 2 hours, 6.24 in 6 hours and 6.84 inches in 24 hours. Floodwaters were four-feet deep at the Milwaukee County Stadium, and floodwaters filled the basement of the main terminal at the airport. Flooding caused 5.9 million dollars damage, and claimed the life of one person. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
7 August 1918...Philadelphia, PA established an all-time record with a high of 106 degrees. New York City experienced its warmest day and night with a low of 82 degrees and a high of 102 degrees. Afternoon highs of 108 degrees at Flemington, NJ and Somerville, NJ established state records for the month of August. (The Weather Channel) (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987)
7 August 1949...The hottest day on record for Winnipeg, Manitoba occurred when the temperature reached 105 degrees. (The Weather Doctor)
7 August 1969...Cuba's hottest day on record when the temperature reached 101.5 degrees at Guantánamo, Cuba. (The Weather Doctor)
7 August 1983...The temperature at Thunder Bay, Ontario reached an all-time record high of 104 degrees. (The Weather Doctor)
7-8 August 1995...Lockington Dam, OH recorded 10.75 inches of rain, establishing a 24-hour maximum precipitation record for the Buckeye State. (NCDC)
7 August 2004...Iceland's hottest August day on record as the temperature at Skaftafell, Iceland reached 84.4 degrees. (The Weather Doctor)
8 August 1878...The temperature at Denver, CO soars to an all-time record high of 105 degrees. (The Weather Channel)
8 August 1983...The temperature at Big Horn Basin, WY reached 115 degrees to establish a state record for the Cowboy State. (The Weather Channel)
9 August 1930...The temperature reached 113 degrees at Perryville, TN to establish an all-time maximum temperature record for the Volunteer State. (NCDC) (Intellicast)
9 August 1960...Vancouver (British Columbia) International Airport's hottest day on record as the mercury hit 91.4 degrees (The Weather Doctor)
9 August 2003...The Bavarian city of Roth, Germany had a temperature that hit 105 degrees, a new national record. (The Weather Doctor) The temperature reached 100.2 degrees in London, England, which was an all-time record for England. (National Weather Service files)
10 August 1898...The temperature at Pendleton, OR climbed all the way to 119 degrees to tie the state record set two weeks previously at Prineville. (The Weather Channel)
10 August 1936...The temperature soared to 114 degrees at Plain Dealing, LA, and reached 120 degrees at Ozark, AR, to establish record highs for those two states. (The Weather Channel)
10 August 1988... The temperature reached 102 degrees at Ely, NV breaking the all-time record there. (Intellicast)
10 August 2003...A heat wave continued across the British Isles. At Gravesend in southern England, a new national heat record was set as the mercury soared to 100.58 degrees. The heat forced rail service officials across Britain to limit train speeds to 60 mph because of fears the tracks could buckle. Londoners experience their hottest recorded day in the London's history when the temperature hit 100.22 degrees Fahrenheit, which was the first ever time that the temperature went over 100 degrees at Heathrow Airport. (The Weather Doctor)
11 August 1812...A volunteer weather observer began taking daily weather observations at New Bedford, MA. Observations continued to be taken by subsequent generations and continued until 31 May 2002, making it the longest continuous weather record taken by public weather observers for any one U.S. location. (National Weather Service files)
11 August 1914...The temperature at Northwest River, Labrador soared to an all-time Labrador record high of 107 degrees. (The Weather Doctor)
11 August 1933...The unofficial shade temperature at San Luis, Mexico reached 58 degrees Celsius (136.4 degrees Fahrenheit), for share of the world record with Aziziyah, Libya. (The Weather Doctor)
11 August 1944...The temperature at Burlington, VT soared to an all-time record high of 101 degrees. (The Weather Channel)
11 August 2003...The temperature at Turin, Italy hit 107 degrees, marking the hottest day in over the 250 years that temperature readings have been recorded. (The Weather Doctor)
11 August 2004...The temperature at Reykjavík, Iceland reached 76.6 degrees, the hottest day ever recorded in the city where record have been kept since the 19th century. (The Weather Doctor)
11 August 2007...Dutch Harbor/Unalaska Airport, AK set its all-time high temperature with a reading of 81 degrees. (The Weather Doctor)
12 August 1891...An 80-minute deluge, possibly related to a tropical storm system, pelted Vampo, CA with between 11.5 and 11.8 inches of rain. The observer measured, then emptied the rain gauge several times as it filled. No other U.S. storm has come close to producing this much precipitation in an 80-minute span. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
12 August 1933...The temperature at Greenland Ranch in Death Valley, CA hit 127 degrees to establish the officially recognized U.S. record for the month of August. (The Weather Channel)
12 August 1936...The temperature at Seymour, TX hit 120 degrees to establish a state record. This Lone Star State record was later tied in June 1994. (The Weather Channel)
12 August 1985...With the span of two hours, 17.32 inches of rain fell at Gajo, Gansu, China, marking a worldwide record rainfall event for such a length of time. (NWS)
12 August 2001...The temperature at Osoyoos, British Columbia: rocketed to an all-time August record high for the province of 107 degrees. (The Weather Doctor)

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