 Climate Monitoring / Climate of 1999 / Help
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationClimate of 1999 - JuneU.S. Regional and Statewide Analyses Includes Year-To-Date Summary National Climatic Data Center, 14 July 1999 |
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Through climate analysis, National Climatic Data Center scientists have identified nine climatically consistent regions within the contiguous United States which are useful for putting current climate anomalies into an historical perspective.
JUNE MAY-JUN JAN-JUN JUL 1998-
REGION 1999 1999 1999 JUN 1999
------ ---- --------- --------- ---------
PRECIPITATION:
NORTHEAST 8 3 41 7
EAST NORTH CENTRAL 60 83 94 76
CENTRAL 68 41 68 49
SOUTHEAST 65 40 26 20
WEST NORTH CENTRAL 54 64 75 99
SOUTH 69 52 66 86
SOUTHWEST 69 51 49 70
NORTHWEST 36 39 84 93
WEST 68 33 50 46
NATIONAL 56 37 61 74
TEMPERATURE:
NORTHEAST 90 97 97 99
EAST NORTH CENTRAL 67 87 99 102
CENTRAL 67 70 86 100
SOUTHEAST 25 23 71 101
WEST NORTH CENTRAL 51 48 93 102
SOUTH 41 52 98 104
SOUTHWEST 51 47 99 101
NORTHWEST 49 28 70 94
WEST 59 54 61 63
NATIONAL 55 59 97 103
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
DRIEST WETTEST NORMAL 1999
REGION VALUE YEAR VALUE YEAR PCPN PCPN
------ ---------- ---------- ------ ------
NORTHEAST 1.60 1988 8.53 1972 3.84 2.23
EAST NORTH CENTRAL 1.41 1910 6.68 1967 3.89 4.20
CENTRAL 1.03 1988 9.10 1928 3.95 4.53
SOUTHEAST 2.20 1931 8.37 1900 4.86 5.30
WEST NORTH CENTRAL 1.25 1933 5.27 1947 2.73 2.80
SOUTH 0.98 1933 6.85 1989 3.66 4.04
SOUTHWEST 0.16 1916 1.93 1927 0.93 0.98
NORTHWEST 0.32 1919 3.02 1947 1.48 1.17
WEST 0.01 1935 1.14 1963 0.46 0.51
NATIONAL 1.43 1933 4.19 1928 2.84 2.94*
* PRELIMINARY VALUE, CONFIDENCE
INTERVAL + OR - 0.25 INCHES
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
COLDEST WARMEST NORMAL 1999
REGION VALUE YEAR VALUE YEAR TEMP TEMP
------ ---------- ---------- ------ ------
NORTHEAST 60.3 1958 68.6 1943 64.4 66.9
EAST NORTH CENTRAL 59.5 1969 72.4 1933 65.3 66.2
CENTRAL 66.2 1903 77.6 1952 71.3 72.4
SOUTHEAST 73.0 1955 80.8 1952 75.8 75.5
WEST NORTH CENTRAL 56.7 1951 71.6 1988 63.2 62.2
SOUTH 72.1 1903 83.8 1953 77.6 77.4
SOUTHWEST 63.4 1907 72.8 1994 68.1 67.6
NORTHWEST 54.9 1953 64.8 1918 59.9 58.8
WEST 62.2 1944 74.0 1918 67.7 67.5
NATIONAL 66.2 1907 72.0 1933 69.0 69.0*
* PRELIMINARY VALUE, CONFIDENCE
INTERVAL + OR - 0.2 DEG. F.
PRECIPITATION % AREA % AREA
RIVER BASIN RANK DRY WET
----------- ------------- ------ ------
MISSOURI BASIN 101 0.8% 46.5%
PACIFIC NORTHWEST BASIN 97 0.0% 19.8%
CALIFORNIA RIVER BASIN 44 28.8% 6.7%
GREAT BASIN 59 0.0% 20.5%
UPPER COLORADO BASIN 70 0.0% 0.0%
LOWER COLORADO BASIN 27 38.8% 0.0%
RIO GRANDE BASIN 70 0.0% 3.9%
ARKANSAS-WHITE-RED BASIN 102 0.0% 59.7%
TEXAS GULF COAST BASIN 69 0.0% 0.0%
SOURIS-RED-RAINY BASIN 103 0.0% 65.7%
UPPER MISSISSIPPI BASIN 95 0.0% 18.3%
LOWER MISSISSIPPI BASIN 53 4.6% 0.0%
GREAT LAKES BASIN 41 7.8% 0.0%
OHIO RIVER BASIN 38 9.2% 0.0%
TENNESSEE RIVER BASIN 64 0.0% 0.0%
NEW ENGLAND BASIN 28 1.2% 0.0%
MID-ATLANTIC BASIN 6 39.4% 0.0%
SOUTH ATLANTIC-GULF BASIN 21 9.7% 0.0%
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
DRIEST WETTEST NORMAL 1999
REGION VALUE YEAR VALUE YEAR PCPN PCPN
------ ---------- ---------- ------ ------
NORTHEAST 13.83 1941 26.76 1998 19.68 18.83
EAST NORTH CENTRAL 8.07 1988 18.00 1908 13.76 16.58
CENTRAL 14.17 1988 29.56 1950 21.45 23.41
SOUTHEAST 15.72 1898 32.59 1929 25.62 21.83
WEST NORTH CENTRAL 5.82 1934 12.17 1944 9.10 9.90
SOUTH 11.62 1925 26.73 1957 18.03 19.02
SOUTHWEST 3.20 1972 10.94 1905 5.41 5.39
NORTHWEST 8.06 1924 19.94 1953 14.62 16.47
WEST 4.55 1924 20.40 1998 9.49 9.59
NATIONAL 11.12 1988 17.87 1998 14.65 15.14
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
COLDEST WARMEST NORMAL 1999
REGION VALUE YEAR VALUE YEAR TEMP TEMP
------ ---------- ---------- ------ ------
NORTHEAST 37.4 1907 44.8 1998 40.4 42.5
EAST NORTH CENTRAL 32.7 1912 44.0 1987 37.6 40.7
CENTRAL 44.3 1978 53.4 1921 48.5 50.5
SOUTHEAST 56.4 1978 62.1 1949 58.8 60.3
WEST NORTH CENTRAL 32.9 1917 43.3 1987 38.3 40.7
SOUTH 55.5 1979 62.2 1911 58.3 60.7
SOUTHWEST 43.2 1917 51.5 1934 47.6 49.7
NORTHWEST 39.1 1955 48.5 1934 43.0 43.1
WEST 47.4 1933 55.1 1934 51.1 51.0
NATIONAL 45.3 1917 51.0 1986 48.0 49.9
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| Based upon preliminary data, June 1999 was the 16th warmest June on record for the Northeast Region. Four of the last six such months have been much above the long-term mean. |  |
larger image Preliminary data for the Northeast Region ranked June 1999 as the 8th driest June since records began in 1895. This contrasts sharply with the third wettest June on record which occurred just last year.
June 1999 was the 25th coolest June on record for the Southeast Region. In contrast, last year the region had the sixth warmest June on record.
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January-June 1999 Temperature and Precipitation
Based upon preliminary data, January - June 1999 was the seventh warmest period on record for the East-North Central Region. In thirteen of the last twenty years, the temperature for the East-North Central Region over the period has averaged above the long-term mean.
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larger image Preliminary data for the East-North Central Region ranked January - June 1999 as the 12th wettest period since records began in 1895. By comparison, the 1998 period was the second wettest on record.
January - June 1999 was the 26th driest period on record for the Southeast Region. This was the first time since 1990 that the period observed below normal precipitation.
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Preliminary data indicate that precipitation averaged across the Primary Corn and Soybean agricultural belt ranked as the 29th wettest such growing season to date. The last four such periods have averaged above the long term mean for precipitation.
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June 1999 Statewide Temperature and Precipitation
Larger MapSix states ranked within the top ten warm portion of the distribution for June 1999. Vermont - 3rd warmest New Hampshire - 5th warmest Maine - 6th warmest Rhode Island 6th warmest New York - 9th warmest Massachusetts - 10th warmest No state ranked within the top ten cool portion of the distribution.
Nine states ranked within the top ten dry portion of the historical distribution for June 1999 including: Rhode Island - 2nd driest Connecticut - 3rd driest West Virginia - 3rd driest Virginia - 4th driest June 1999 was the seventh wettest June on record for Alabama, the only state within the top ten wet portion of the distribution.
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January-June 1999 Statewide Temperature and Precipitation
Larger MapFifteen states were within the top ten warm portion of the distribution for temperature for the year-to-date. Some January-June 1999 ranks included the fifth warmest such six-month period on record for Colorado, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Texas, and Wisconsin. No state ranked within the cool-third portion of the historical distribution for June.
January-June 1999 was the ninth wettest such month since 1895 for Kansas. No state ranked within the top ten dry portion of the distribution.
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It should be emphasized that all of the temperature and precipitation ranks on these maps are based on preliminary data. The ranks will change when the final data are processed.
DROUGHT WATCH:
Northeastern U.S. Precipitation Deficit
The Northeast region (which includes the states from Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania northeastward to Maine) has suffered from unusually dry conditions during the last three months. April-June 1999 ranked as the second driest such period this century, behind the record drought of the mid-1960's (1965 has the driest April-June). Nine of the last 12 months have been drier than normal. Unusually wet weather in January and March 1999 has helped keep the current year's drought from being more severe.
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Mid-Atlantic Precipitation Deficit
The mid-Atlantic region (Chesapeake Bay area) continued to experience dry conditions in June, which exacerbated the long-term drought. This region has been suffering from drought since last summer. Nine of the last 12 months have been drier than normal, with seven months having precipitation departures of more than an inch below normal. The 12-month period, July 1998-June 1999, ranks as the second driest July-June on record. The second wettest July-June in this region, which occurred last year (1997-98), has helped prevent the current year's drought from having even greater impacts.
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Based on preliminary data, the three states in the Chesapeake Bay area (Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware) had the second driest May-June on record in 1999. Only May-June 1964 was drier, with 1986 a very close third.
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For more information, refer to ...
References:Thomas R. Karl and Albert J. Koscielny, 1982: "Drought in the United States: 1895-1981." Journal of Climatology, vol. 2, pp. 313-329.
Thomas R. Karl and Walter James Koss, 1984: "Regional and National Monthly, Seasonal, and Annual Temperature Weighted by Area, 1895-1983." Historical Climatology Series 4-3, National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, NC, 38 pp.
NOAA's National Climatic Data Center is the world's largest active archive of weather data. The preliminary temperature and precipitation rankings are available from the center by calling: 828-271-4800.
Historical precipitation and temperature ranking maps are also available on the Internet at: http://nic.fb4.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/usa.html.
NOAA works closely with the academic and science communities on climate-related research projects to increase the understanding of El Niño and improve forecasting techniques. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center monitors, analyzes and predicts climate events ranging from weeks to seasons for the nation. NOAA also operates the network of data buoys and satellites that provide vital information about the ocean waters, and initiates research projects to improve future climate forecasts. The long lead climate outlooks are available on the Internet at: http://nic.fb4.noaa.gov.
For all climate questions other than questions concerning this report, please contact the National Climatic Data Center's Climate Services Division:
Climate Services DivisionFor further information on the historical climate perspective presented in this report, contact:
NOAA/National Climatic Data Center
151 Patton Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801-5001
fax: 828-271-4876
phone: 828-271-4800
email: ncdc.orders@noaa.gov
William Brown-or-
NOAA/National Climatic Data Center
151 Patton Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801-5001
fax: 828-271-4328
email: william.brown@noaa.gov
Mike Changery
NOAA/National Climatic Data Center
151 Patton Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801-5001
fax: 828-271-4328
email: mchangry@ncdc.noaa.gov
NCDC / Climate Monitoring / Climate of 1999 / Help
