News
12/09/2022, 4:07 pm EST

November 2022 Wind/Solar Verification

Discussion: A tale of two regimes dominated the November 2022 U.S. climate pattern. In the West, a semi-permanent upper-level low-pressure trough caused almost the entire West to finish in the top 10 coldest late autumn seasons in the 1895-2022 historical record. Meanwhile, in the East, an upper ridge pattern with axis across the northern Mid-Atlantic States yielded all-time top 10 warm late autumn seasons for New England and Florida. The Southern States turned wetter than normal while the Midwest U.S. autumn dryness continued although less aggressively. In the U.S., cloud cover related to relative humidity (RH) at 5,000 feet (850 MB for “low” clouds) and 30,000 feet (300 MB for “high” clouds) was above normal for both levels in Florida and the Upper Midwest/South-central Canada (Fig. 1-2). Blow normal RH at each level identifying areas of above normal sunlight were observed across the northern half of California and Oregon. The Climate Impact Company forecast for November indicated a large area of below normal RH at 850 MB (Fig. 3). The forecast for below normal low-level cloudiness was too aggressive. Similarly, the low RH forecast at 300 MB for most of the U.S. implied widespread above normal sunlight (Fig. 4). However, only the West Coast observed above normal sunlight while the presence of above normal cirrus clouds to suppress sunlight was observed across the Southwest U.S. and much of Southern Canada. Fig. 1-2: November 2022 observed 850 MB and 300 MB relative humidity anomalies. Fig. 3-4: November 2022 forecast of 850 MB and 300 MB relative humidity anomalies. Areas with above normal zonal and/or meridional wind speeds during November 2022 were in short supply. Zonal wind anomalies were stronger than normal across North Dakota to Iowa and coastal New England during November. Below normal zonal wind speeds were dominant in the Continental Divide region and eastward across the Mid-south States to the Carolinas and Virginia (Fig. 5). Meridional wind speeds were above normal in Wisconsin and New England (Fig. 6). The Climate Impact Company November 2022 zonal wind speed forecast called for above normal across the northern tier of the U.S. (Fig. 7) and only the North-central States validated that claim. The tendency for less than normal zonal wind speed across the southern tier of the U.S. was hinted at by the CIC prediction. The November 2022 meridional wind speed anomaly forecast featured above normal for the Great Plains and Northeast U.S. (Fig. 8). Only parts of this large zone observed above normal meridional wind speeds in November. Fig. 5-6: November 2022 observed zonal and meridional wind anomalies. Fig. 7-8: November 2022 forecast of zonal and meridional wind anomalies.
12/09/2022, 2:42 pm EST

Western U.S. Chill During November 2022

The U.S. November 2022 thermal climate produced two distinct patterns: Cold West and warm East. The West U.S. finished the month in the top 10 coldest (for November) in the 128-year historical record. Idaho finished 4th coldest all-time. In the East, New England, North Carolina and Florida each finished in the top 10 all-time warmest for November. Nationally, the U.S. ranked 44 of 128 years where 1 is coldest and 128 is warmest.
12/09/2022, 7:46 am EST

U.S. Energy Daily Report: U.S. Summer 2022 Review

U.S. Summer 2022 Climate Review Discussion: The U.S. meteorological summer 2022 season ranked 3rd hottest in the 128-year historical record. During summer, 25 of the 48 contiguous states recorded all-time top-10 hottest summer seasons on record (Fig. 1). Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Texas experienced their 2nd hottest summer on record followed by California and New Jersey where the 3rd hottest summer was observed. All states except for Wisconsin were warmer than normal. Meteorological summer ranked 44th driest on record although that ranking was created by a wide mix of wet and dry zones. Arizona, New Mexico, Mississippi, and West Virginia were each much wetter than normal during the summer season (Fig. 2). The Southwest U.S. observed a strong summertime wet monsoon in 2022. A very dry climate for summer 2022 was observed in Nebraska and the coastal Northeast Corridor. A major drought evolved and centered on Nebraska during the summer season. June 2022 was the 15th hottest on record. Five Southern U.S. States observed all-time to-10 hottest early summer climate (Fig. 3). Although Washington/Oregon and Arizona/New Mexico were very wet in June, the majority of the U.S. was very dry especially in Nebraska and the Southeast U.S. (Fig. 4). The national rank for June was 12th driest on record. The dry national climate to start the warm season inevitably leads to a scorching hot mid-summer regime. July 2022 ranked 3rd hottest on record. Texas observed their hottest July on record (Fig. 5). A total of 21 states in the lower 48 contiguous U.S. observed all-time top-10 hottest summer seasons. July was notable for severe squalls in northwest flow aloft bringing historic rains to Kentucky and West Virginia (Fig. 6). The 4th wettest July on record was observed in Kentucky. Conversely, historical dryness occurred during July in Texas and New Jersey to Rhode Island. August 2022 brought more hot weather (ranking 8th hottest nationally) including record heat for 8 states: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire (Fig. 7). August 2022 was somewhat wetter than normal, ranking 19th wettest all-time. Mississippi received their wettest late summer on record while Nevada and Louisiana were each 3rd wettest on record (Fig. 8). Hot weather continued during the first month of meteorological autumn. September 2022 ranked 5th hottest on record nationally and included record heat for Nevada and Utah (Fig. 9). The U.S. ranked 10th driest on record for September due to a large swath of very dry weather stretched across the Central U.S. Fig: 1: NOAA state rankings for temperature for meteorological summer 2022. Fig: 2: NOAA state rankings for precipitation for meteorological summer 2022. Fig: 3: NOAA state rankings for temperature for June 2022. Fig: 4: NOAA state rankings for precipitation for June 2022. Fig: 5: NOAA state rankings for temperature during July 2022. Fig: 6: NOAA state rankings for precipitation for July 2022. Fig: 7: NOAA state rankings for temperature for August 2022. Fig: 8: NOAA state rankings for precipitation for August 2022. Fig: 9: NOAA state rankings for temperature for September 2022. Fig: 10: NOAA state rankings for precipitation for September 2022.      
12/06/2022, 8:17 pm EST

3rd Snowiest North America on Record for November

The November 2022 northern hemisphere snow cover was tied for 3rd most in the 1966-2022 record. In North America, November 2022 ranked 3rd most snowy on record while Eurasia was 12th most snowy of the past 57 years.