Introduction

Using a 1992-2002 base period as shown in the adjacent blended temperature product of satellite and in-situ data, an expansive area of anomalous warmth during March was dominant across Asia. Cooler temperatures relative to average were observed across parts of North America, from the Canadian prairies southward into the plains of the United States. The mean position of upper level ridges and troughs of low pressure (depicted by positive and negative 500 millibar height anomalies), correspond to areas of positive and negative temperature anomalies, respectively. During March 2002, conditions in the tropical Pacific continued to indicate a developing El Niño episode.

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Temperature anomalies calculated from in-situ station data using a 1961-1990 base period also show the warmer than average temperatures across Asia, Europe and Alaska with cooler than average temperatures over central North America, central Australia and southern Argentina and Chile.

Temperature

Although surface temperatures in the tropics have not reached the warmth observed during the latter stages of the 1998 El Niño episode, the global land and ocean temperature in March 2002 was the warmest in the 1880-2002 record, 0.77°C (1.39°F) above the long-term average Temperatures averaged across land areas were second warmest on record globally, or 1.50°C (2.70°F) above the long-term March mean For the period January through March, combined land and ocean temperatures tied with the El Niño year of 1998 as warmest on record, 0.72°C (1.30°F) above the mean Land areas experienced record warmth during the period January-March, or 1.39°C (2.50°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 the period October 2001-March 2002 was 0.63°C (1.13°F) above the 1880-2001 mean, the second warmest such period on record Record high global monthly temperatures were established in January 2002 and November 2001

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, and monthly global temperatures (land and ocean) have been warmer than the 1971-2000 average for the last 71 consecutive months

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Precipitation

During March, much above average precipitation fell across parts of northern Argentina, Uruguay and the U.S. Tennessee Valley Drier than average weather prevailed across much of Australia, Brazil, western Europe and much of the central and western U.S. Additional regional analysis can be found on the Global Regional page

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Microwave Sounding Unit Data

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Temperatures in the lowest 8km (5 miles) of the troposphere were 0.21°C (0.38°F) above average Lower tropospheric temperatures were fifth warmest since 1979

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March temperatures were below average in the lower stratosphere, with a departure of -0.20°C (-0.36°F) March temperatures in the lower stratosphere have been below average each year since 1993. The overall cooling trend is consistent with the response to losses in stratospheric ozone while the warm anomalies in 1992-1993 are due to the warming influence of the Mount Pinatubo eruption which occurred in the Philippines in June 1991.

  For additional details on precipitation and temperatures in March 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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For questions about this report, please contact:

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email: Jay.Lawrimore@noaa.gov

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