In its most recent State of the Climate report, released today, NOAA's National Climactic Data Center said that December temperatures around the nation would have to average more than 1.0 degrees Fahrenheit less than the historic norm to change that outcome:
The January-November period was the warmest first 11 months of any year on record for the contiguous United States. The national temperature of 57.1°F was 3.3°F above the 20th century average, and 1.0°F above the previous record warm January-November of 1934. During the 11-month period, 18 states were record warm and an additional 24 states were top ten warm.The report indicates that, for the U.S. as a whole, the average November temperature was more than two degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th century average. Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming experienced a November that was among the ten warmest on record in those states.
By contrast, NCDC said, much of the eastern and southern U.S., and the Ohio River valley, experienced a cooler-than-average November.
The month was also unusually dry. The national precipitation average was slightly more than half the historic norm, while the percentage of the contiguous United States in drought increased from October.
NCDC said that Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming have had the driest years in those states' histories.
By contrast, the Pacific Northwest, New England, and the Gulf coast region have had more precipitation than average this year.
NCDC also said that the 12-month period that ended Nov. 30 was the warmest on record in the contiguous United States for all 12-month periods that have run from Dec. 31-Nov. 30. The period was also the sixth-warmest on record of all 12-month periods in U.S. recorded weather history.
