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The data presented in this report are preliminary. Ranks and anomalies may change as more complete data are received and processed. The most current data may be accessed via the Global Surface Temperature Anomalies page.
Temperature anomalies for January 2009 are shown on the dot maps below. The dot map, below left, provides a spatial representation of anomalies calculated from the Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN) data set of land surface stations using a 1961-1990 base period. The dot map, below right, is a product of a merged land surface and sea surface temperature anomaly analysis developed by Smith and Reynolds (2005). Temperature anomalies with respect to the 1961-1990 mean for land and ocean are analyzed separately and then merged to form the global analysis. Additional information on this product is available.
During January 2009, warmer-than-average temperatures engulfed much of the land areas of the world, with the exception of cooler-than-average conditions across the northeastern and midwestern continental U.S., western Alaska, eastern Russia, western Europe, northwestern Africa, southeastern Asia, northeastern Australia, and northern Argentina. In contrast, warmest above-average temperatures occurred throughout Mexico, the Fenno-Scandinavia region, eastern Europe, southern Australia, the western half of the contiguous U.S., and most of Asia. Temperature anomalies in most of these regions ranged from 2.0°C-6.0°C (3.6°F-10.8°F) above normal.
Sea surface temperatures (SST) during January 2009 were warmer than average across most of the Indian, Atlantic, western Pacific oceans, while cooler-than-average conditions were present across the southern oceans and northeastern and central equatorial Pacific Ocean. SST anomalies in all Niño regions remained below average during January 2009, however some warming took place across the Niño 1+2 and Niño 3 regions. Please see the January 2009 ENSO discussion for additional information.
Notable temperature extremes during January 2009 include southern Australia's exceptional heatwave. The most extreme heat took place January 28-31, affecting southern Australia, which saw numerous new temperature records across the region. It was reported that southern South Australia and most of Victoria experienced their highest maximum temperatures since 1939. During this event, South Australia's highest maximum temperature was 48.2°C (118.8°F) recorded on January 28, while Victoria saw its highest temperature on January 29 and January 31 when temperatures rose to 45.8°C (114.4°F). Adelaide recorded its highest low temperature in the early hours of January 29 when temperatures only dropped to 33.9°C (93.0°F). Tasmania observed a new state maximum temperature record of 42.2°C (108.0°F) on January 30. The previous record was 40.8°C (105.4°F) set on 4 January 1976. A complete summary of Australia's heatwave is available, courtesy of Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BoM). Unlike the southern states, Queensland and Northern Territory had their coolest January since 1984.
In Europe, bitter cold temperatures gripped the northern and eastern region at the beginning of the month. Temperatures plummeted to -9.9°C (14.2°F) in Farnborough, Hampshire, the lowest temperature since January 1991. While in Poland, temperatures fell to -25.0°C (-13.0°F). The harsh temperatures were blamed for 10 fatalities. Germany experienced its coldest night in 22 years on January 6 as temperatures plunged to -28.0°C (-18.4°F).
Across the midwestern and northeastern contiguous U.S., arctic cold air brought below-freezing temperatures in some areas. Numerous low minimum temperature records were broken during January 16-17, including an all time state minimum temperature record of -45.6°C (-50.0°F) recorded on the 16th in Maine. Please see the January 2009 U.S. National Overview for additional information.
Additional details on extreme temperatures can also be found on the January 2009 Global Hazards page.
The mean position of the upper-level ridges of high pressure and troughs of low pressure (depicted by positive and negative 500-millibar height anomalies on the January map, respectively) are generally reflected by areas of positive and negative temperature anomalies at the surface, respectively. For other Global products, please see the Climate Monitoring Global Products page.
Images of sea surface temperature conditions are available for all weeks during 2009 at the weekly SST page.
Effective with the February 2006 report, NCDC transitioned from the use of the Operational Global Surface Temperature Index (Quayle et al. 1999) to the blended land and ocean dataset developed by Smith and Reynolds (2005). The differences between the two methods are discussed in Smith et al. (2005). The ranks found in the tables below are based on records that began in 1880.
The combined global land and ocean surface temperature was the seventh warmest on record in January. The global average land in January tied with 2005 as the eighth warmest on record, while the global average ocean SST was the seventh warmest on record.
| January | Anomaly | Rank (out of 129 years) |
Warmest (or Next Warmest) Year on Record |
|---|---|---|---|
GlobalLandOcean Land and Ocean |
+0.93°C (+1.67°F) +0.39°C (+0.70°F) +0.53°C (+0.95°F) |
8thwarmest 7th warmest 7th warmest |
2007 (+1.87°C/3.37°F) 1998 (+0.52°C/0.94°F) 2007 (+0.84°C/1.51°F) |
Northern HemisphereLandOcean Land and Ocean |
+1.05°C (+1.89°F) +0.33°C (+0.59°F) +0.60°C (+1.08°F) |
10th warmest 8th warmest 7th warmest |
2007 (+2.27°C/4.09°F) 1998 (+0.51°C/0.92°F) 2007 (+1.16°C/2.09°F) |
Southern HemisphereLandOcean Land and Ocean |
+0.53°C (+0.95°F) +0.45°C (+0.81°F) +0.46°C (+0.83°F) |
10th warmest 8th warmest 7th warmest |
2006 (+0.78°C/1.40°F) 1998 (+0.55°C/0.99°F) 1998 (+0.58°C/1.04°F) |
The most current data may be accessed via the Global Surface Temperature Anomalies page.
The maps below represent anomaly values based on the GHCN data set of land surface stations using a base period of 1961-1990. Precipitation during January 2009 was above average over areas that include Iceland, the British Isles, Alaska's panhandle, northeastern Australia, eastern and southern parts of Europe, northern South America, and southeastern Asia. Drier-than-average conditions were observed across eastern Asia, most of the continental U.S., eastern and southern parts of South America, and northern Europe.
According to Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), precipitation across the nation was 35 percent above normal, resulting in the 12th wettest January since records began in 1900. However, the southern states that suffered an exceptional heat during the last week of January were also affected by very dry conditions during the month, with Victoria experiencing its driest January since 1956 and sixth driest January on record when its precipitation was 82 percent below normal. South Australia and New South Wales had 80 percent and 67 percent below normal precipitation, respectively. In contrast, Queensland had its sixth wettest January (80 percent above normal) and January 2009 was the wettest since 1991.
Details on flooding and drought can also be found on the January Global Hazards page.
As shown in the adjacent animation, SST anomalies across the equatorial Pacific remained below average. However, the Niño 1+2 region anomalies showed a slight warming (-0.18°C [-0.32°F]) compared to December's values (anomaly of -0.41°C [-0.74°F]). The Oceanic Niño Index [three-month (November-December-January) running mean] was -0.6°C (-0.5°F), which is below its threshold of -0.5°C (-0.9°F), indicating La Niña conditions. A comprehensive summary of January 2009 ENSO conditions can be found on the ENSO monitoring page. For the latest advisory on ENSO conditions go to NOAA's CPC and the CPC ENSO Diagnostic Discussion.
Images of sea surface temperature conditions are available for all weeks since 2003 at the weekly SST page.
As shown in the time series to the right, the mean Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent during January 2009 was near average. The Northern Hemisphere had the 23rd lowest snow cover extent on record. The mean Northern Hemisphere January snow cover extent for the 1967-2009 period of record was 46.9 million square kilometers.
Across North America, snow cover for January 2009 was slightly above average, the 18th largest extent since satellite records began in 1967. The mean North America January snow cover extent was 17.5 million square kilometers for the 1967-2009 period of record. For information on the U.S. January snow events, please visit the U.S. 2008-2009 Snow Season Summary page.
As depicted in the time series to the right, Eurasia's snow cover extent during January 2009 was slightly below average. This was a marked contrast from January 2008, which had the largest snow cover extent mainly due to the severe weather that brought heavy snow across China and central Asia. January 2009 had the 22nd lowest snow cover extent over the 43-year historical period. Much of this can be attributed to the above normal temperatures that covered most of Eurasia. Monthly mean temperatures ranged from 2.0°C-6.0°C (3.6°F-10.8°F) above average. The mean Eurasian snow cover extent in January was 29.4 million square kilometers for the 1967-2009 period of record.
Data were provided by the Global Snow Laboratory, Rutgers University.
According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, the January 2009 Northern Hemisphere sea ice extent, which is measured from passive microwave instruments onboard NOAA satellites, was below the 1979-2000 mean. This was the sixth lowest January sea ice extent on record. Sea ice extent for January has decreased at an average rate of 3.1 percent per decade (since satellite records began in 1979).
Meanwhile, the January 2009 Southern Hemisphere sea ice extent was above the 1979-2000 mean. This was the fifth largest sea ice extent in January over the 31-year historical period. Sea ice extent for January has increased at an average rate of 2.5 percent per decade.
For further information on the Northern and Southern Hemisphere snow and ice conditions, please visit the NSIDC News page, provided by the NOAA's National Snow and Ice Data center (NSIDC).
Temperatures above the Earth's surface are measured within the lower troposphere, middle troposphere, and stratosphere using in-situ balloon-borne instruments (radiosondes) and polar-orbiting satellites (NOAA's TIROS-N). The radiosonde and satellite records have been adjusted to remove time-dependent biases (artificialities caused by changes in radiosonde instruments and measurement practices as well as changes in satellite instruments and orbital features through time). Global averages from radiosonde data are available from 1958 to present, while satellite measurements began in 1979.
These temperatures are for the lowest 8 km (5 miles) of the atmosphere. Information on the UAH and RSS sources of troposphere data is available.
| January | Anomaly | Rank (out of 30 years) |
Warmest (or Next Warmest) Year on Record | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAH low-trop | +0.30°C/+0.54°F | 8th warmest | 2007 (+0.59°C/+1.06°F) | +0.16°C/decade |
| *RSS low-trop | +0.32°C/+0.58°F | 7th warmest | 2007 (+0.59°C/+1.07°F) | +0.16°C/decade |
*Version 03_0
These temperatures are for the atmospheric layer centered in the mid-troposphere (approximately 3-10 km (2-6 miles) above the Earth's surface), which also includes a portion of the lower stratosphere. (The MSU channel used to measure mid-tropospheric temperatures receives about 25 percent of its signal above 10 km (6 miles).) Because the stratosphere has cooled due to increasing greenhouse gases in the troposphere and losses of ozone in the stratosphere, the stratospheric contribution to the tropospheric average, as measured from satellites, may create an artificial component of cooling to the mid-troposphere temperatures. The University of Washington (UW) versions of the UAH and RSS analyses attempt to remove the stratospheric influence from the mid-troposphere measurements, and as a result the UW versions tend to have a larger warming trend than either the UAH or RSS versions. For additional information, please see NCDC's Microwave Sounding Unit page.
The radiosonde data used in this global analysis were developed using the Lanzante, Klein, Seidel (2003) ("LKS") bias-adjusted dataset and the First Difference Method (Free et al. 2004) (RATPAC). Additional details are available. Satellite data have been adjusted by the Global Hydrology and Climate Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). An independent analysis is also performed by Remote Sensing Systems (RSS) and a third analysis has been performed by Dr. Qiang Fu of the University of Washington (UW) (Fu et al. 2004)** to remove the influence of the stratosphere on the mid-troposphere value. Global averages from radiosonde data are available from 1958 to present, while satellite measurements began in 1979.
The global mid-troposphere temperatures were above average in January 2009. As shown in the table below, satellite measurement for January 2009 ranked from 9th warmest to 14th warmest on record.
| January | Anomaly | Rank (out of 30 years) |
Warmest (or Next Warmest) Year on Record | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAH mid-trop | +0.07°C/+0.13°F | 14th warmest | 1998 (+0.50°C/+0.90°F) | +0.05°C/decade |
| *RSS mid-trop | +0.10°C/+0.19°F | 12th warmest | 1998 (+0.53°C/+0.95°F) | +0.09°C/decade |
| **UW-UAH mid-trop | +0.20°C/+0.36°F | 9th warmest | 1998 (+0.64°C/+1.15°F) | +0.12°C/decade |
| **UW-*RSS mid-trop | +0.23°C/+0.41°F | 9th warmest | 1998 (+0.66°C/+1.18°F) | +0.15°C/decade |
*Version 03_0
The table below summarizes stratospheric conditions for January 2009. On average, the stratosphere is located approximately 16-23 km (10-14 miles) above the Earth's surface. Over the last decade, stratospheric temperatures have been below average in part due to the depletion of ozone. The large positive anomaly in 1982 was caused by the volcanic eruption of El Chichon in Mexico, and the sharp jump in temperature in 1991 was a result of the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines. In both cases the temperatures returned to pre-eruption levels within two years.
| January | Anomaly | Rank (out of 30 years) |
Coolest Year on Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAH stratosphere | -0.71°C (-1.28°F) | 4th coolest | 2006 (-0.80°C/-1.44°F) |
| *RSS stratosphere | -0.69°C (-1.24°F) | 3rd coolest | 2006 (-0.84°C/-1.50°F) |
*Version 03_0
For additional details on precipitation and temperatures in January, see the Global Hazards page.
Christy, John R., R.W. Spencer, and W.D. Braswell, 2000: MSU tropospheric Temperatures: Dataset Construction and Radiosonde Comparisons. J. of Atmos. and Oceanic Technology, 17, 1153-1170.
Free, M., D.J. Seidel, J.K. Angell, J. Lanzante, I. Durre and T.C. Peterson (2005) Radiosonde Atmospheric Temperature Products for Assessing Climate (RATPAC): A new dataset of large-area anomaly time series, J. Geophys. Res., 10.1029/2005JD006169.
Free, M., J.K. Angell, I. Durre, J. Lanzante, T.C. Peterson and D.J. Seidel(2004), Using first differences to reduce inhomogeneity in radiosonde temperature datasets, J. Climate, 21, 4171-4179.
Fu, Q., C.M. Johanson, S.G. Warren, and D.J. Seidel, 2004: Contribution of stratospheric cooling to satellite-inferred tropospheric temperature trends. Nature, 429, 55-58.
Lanzante, J.R., S.A. Klein, and D.J. Seidel (2003a), Temporal homogenization of monthly radiosonde temperature data. Part I: Methodology, J. Climate, 16, 224-240.
Lanzante, J.R., S.A. Klein, and D.J. Seidel (2003b), Temporal homogenization of monthly radiosonde temperature data. Part II: trends, sensitivities, and MSU comparison, J. Climate, 16, 241 262.
Mears, Carl A., M.C. Schabel, F.J. Wentz, 2003: A Reanalysis of the MSU Channel 2 tropospheric Temperature Record. J. Clim, 16, 3650-3664.
Peterson, T.C. and R.S. Vose, 1997: An Overview of the Global Historical Climatology Network Database. Bull. Amer. Meteorol. Soc., 78, 2837-2849.
Quayle, R.G., T.C. Peterson, A.N. Basist, and C. S. Godfrey, 1999: An operational near-real-time global temperature index. Geophys. Res. Lett., 26, 333-335.
Smith, T.M., and R.W. Reynolds (2005), A global merged land air and sea surface temperature reconstruction based on historical observations (1880-1997), J. Clim., 18, 2021-2036.
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