Introduction

Using a 1992-2002 base period as shown in the adjacent blended temperature product of satellite and in-situ data, anomalous warmth during the period December-February in the Northern Hemisphere was closely associated with the location of upper level ridges of high pressure. These ridges of high pressure (depicted by positive 500 millibar height anomalies) were centered across mid-latitude areas. Temperature anomalies calculated from in-situ station data using a 1961-1990 base period also show the warmer than average temperatures in these regions with cooler than average temperatures restricted to much of Australia and the Russian Far East. The temperature distribution across Asia was highlighted by a large area of above average warmth during February.

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Temperature

A slow evolution toward warm ENSO conditions continued in February 2002, and the global land and ocean temperature was the second warmest in the 1880-2002 record or 0.71°C (1.28°F) above the long-term average Temperatures averaged across land areas were also second warmest on record globally, or 1.39°C (2.50°F) above the long-term February mean Record warmth was noted across extratropical areas of the Northern Hemisphere, where combined land and ocean temperatures were 1.35°C (2.43°F) above the 1880-2001 average

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Based on data available at the time of this report, the global average land and ocean temperature for boreal winter (December-February) was 0.59°C (1.06°F) above the 1880-2001 mean, the second warmest winter season on record During December-February, temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere, also ranking as second warmest, averaged 0.76°C (1.37°F) warmer than the average Global land temperatures were third warmest for boreal winter, or 0.96°C (1.73°F) above the mean

Serial monthly global surface temperature departures with respect to a 1971-2000 mean are shown in the figure to the right The recent return to record or near record temperature departures is evident, as monthly global temperatures (land and ocean) have been warmer than the 1971-2000 average for the last 70 consecutive months

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Precipitation

During December-February, much above average precipitation fell across parts of Brazil, Bolivia, Indonesia and western Europe Drier than average weather prevailed across much of the U.S., the Argentinian Pampas, and the Mediterranean region A similar precipitation pattern was observed during February 2002

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Microwave Sounding Unit Data

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Winter temperatures in the lowest 8km (5 miles) of the troposphere were 0.19°C (0.34°F) above average This is the warmest winter season (averaged throughout the lower troposphere) since the 1997-1998 El Niño episode Lower tropospheric temperatures for boreal winter have been warmer in only 3 other years since satellite measurements began in 1970 Lower tropospheric temperatures in February were above average (0.21°C / 0.38°F)

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December-February temperatures were below average in the lower stratosphere, with a departure of -0.34°C (-0.61°F) Boreal winter temperatures in the lower stratosphere have been below average each year since 1993-1994. The overall cooling trend is consistent with the response to losses in stratospheric ozone while the warm anomalies in 1991-1992 and 1992-1993 are due to the warming influence of the Mount Pinatubo eruption which occurred in the Philippines in June 1991. This was the 9th consecutive February with below average stratospheric temperatures (-0.34°C / -0.61°F)

  For additional details on precipitation and temperatures in February see the Global Regional page .
*Based on preliminary data available at the time of this report.

References:

Peterson, T.C. and R.S. Vose, 1997: An Overview of the Global Historical Climatology Network Database. Bull. Amer. Meteorol. Soc., 78, 2837-2849.

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email: Jay.Lawrimore@noaa.gov

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