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Heaving in Coals by Moonlight, 1835

2003

A toasty, fiery summer

July was the hottest month in history for Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Cheyenne, and other Western cities. See the NOAA/NCDC summary. The heat and ongoing drought have exacerbated wildland fire across much of the West. With support from an interagency collaboratory based at NCAR, Doppler on Wheels probed the Robert Fire near Glacier National Park

Another big hurricane season?

As a new La Niña evolves, forecasters at CSU and NOAA are expecting another busier-than-average year for Atlantic tropical cyclones. Middle-school students can learn about hurricanes and their risk by following a simulated week-long threat in Hurricane Strike!, a multiagency Web site hosted by UCAR's COMET Program.

El Niño's distant relatives

Although the U.S. was 1°F above average last winter, this was among the 30 coldest winters on record for the Northeast. The Arctic Oscillation (AO) played a role in this regional chill, according to NCAR researcher Clara Deser. For more on the AO and its relatives, check out this UCAR Quarterly feature story and these Web sites on the North Atlantic Oscillation and the Arctic and Antarctic Oscillations.

2002

Global heat: 2002 tried harder

According to analyses from NOAA, NASA, and the WMO, 2002 muscled out 2001 as the second-warmest year in global record-keeping. El Niño tends to raise global temperatures by up to 0.3°C (0.5°F), so if the current El Niño continues, 2003 may unseat 1998 as the warmest year on record.

A warmup for winter?

October was unexpectedly chilly across the U.S., but a strengthening El Nino may change that picture by midwinter. NOAA predicts above-average readings across the northern U.S., which experienced record warmth last winter. The mild winter outlooks from NOAA and IRI are based largely on El Nino conditions, now updated weekly.

Keeping tabs on drought

The most widespread drought in decades is plaguing much of the country. A NOAA/CDC site spotlights U.S. droughts through time and allows you to plot 1-to-12-month rainfall history at any U.S. point. The multiagency Drought Monitor, updated each Thursday, outlines current conditions. For other sites and links, check out the NOAA Drought Information Center.

Hurricanes at bay this year?

With a new El Niño in the works (see the latest NOAA advisory), forecasters at CSU and NOAA are expecting fewer Atlantic hurricanes than in recent years. Meanwhile, in Florida, over 400 scientists have been probing cirrus clouds and their influence on climate in the giant, NASA-led CRYSTAL-FACE study.

Is El Niño on the way?

A new El Niño could materialize by this summer. NOAA is providing frequent updates and a comprehensive El Niño site. NCAR scientists have produced a study of early warning systems and a new El Niño index.

2001 takes second place for heat

NASA, NOAA/NCDC and the World Meteorological Organization have ranked 2001 as the second-warmest year on record. Meanwhile, NASA/GISS scientists are taking a closer look at US and global temperature change, including America's lag behind the world pace.

2001