NOAA Notes “A Warmer Normal” from Analysis of Latest Climate Data

This week the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released the “U.S. Climate Normals,” its analysis of U.S. weather for the past three decades that calculates average values for temperature, rainfall, and other conditions. Simply stated, the “Normals” are the basis for judging how daily, monthly, and annual climate conditions compare to what’s normal for a specific location in today’s climate. NOAA notes the data set reflects a “warmer normal” that demonstrates the influence of long-term global warming. To help demonstrate changes between the current and previous data sets, NOAA provides a series of maps that depict deviations from the average. In the collection of precipitation maps, NOAA notes few places exhibit a precipitation trend that is either steadily wetter or steadily drier than the 20th-century average. Instead, it observes drier areas and wetter areas shift back and forth without an obvious pattern. For entities interested in seeing monthly, seasonal, or yearly climate conditions for regions, states, and many cities, NOAA notes this information is available through its National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Read more at NOAA.