There were seven tropical cyclones that directly impacted the Southern Region in 2020. In the Desert Southwest, Roswell, New Mexico reported its warmest year on record since records began in 1949 with an annual average temperature of 64.6 F (18.1 C), 3.8 F (2.1 C) above normal. Dropping to 16 degrees F (-8.9 degrees C) on December 26th, Greensboro, NC (19032020) ended its longest streak of 694 consecutive days with a daily minimum temperature at or above 20 degrees F (-6.7 degrees C), surpassing the previous record by 277 days. Concord, New Hampshire, saw 24.2 inches (61.5 cm) on December 17, making it the sites all-time snowiest day on record and qualifying as the largest December snowstorm. Good harvest conditions in Iowa limited the loss from the derecho and lodged crops. Prolonged saturated soil caused some farmers to abandon portions of their soybean and cotton fields. Wilmington, Delaware; Huntington, West Virginia; and Charleston, West Virginia, set/tied their greatest number of March days with measurable precipitation. In Maine, potato yields were expected to be down by at least 20 percent and wild blueberry yields were reduced due to drought and frost. Isaias produced 17 tornadoes in the region (10 in Maryland, three in Delaware, two each in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and one in Connecticut), with the strongest rated EF-2. Portions of New England were designated as natural disaster areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, making some farmers eligible for federal assistance. Drought stress also caused leaves to change color and drop earlier than usual in parts of the Northeast. Low reservoir levels and streamflows were contributing factors to the widespread drought intensification in 2020 throughout the West. Southern parts of the region experienced severe weather from April 7 to 9. Allentown, Pennsylvania, had its warmest winter on record. There were road closures, cars trapped in floodwaters, and water rescues. All state rankings are based on the period spanning 1895-2020. Similarly, several other sites including Hartford, Kennedy Airport, and LaGuardia Airport (New York) did not reach 70 degrees F (21 degrees C) in April, tying as the least number of 70 degrees F (21 degrees C) days on record for April. In contrast, places such as Boulder, CO, experienced its snowiest season on record with 152 inches of snow. In August, every state except for Arkansas and Oklahoma experienced warmer than normal temperatures, while every state except for Oklahoma and Texas experienced wetter than normal conditions. WebThroughout the year, in Mantua, there are 117.9 rainfall days, and 18.39" (467mm) of precipitation is accumulated. Utah On May 26th, Miami, FL observed a 24-hour rainfall total of 7.40 inches (188 mm), which is its third wettest May day on record. Preliminary damage estimates in Delaware exceeded $20 million. To the north, in western Pennsylvania, three weak (EF-0 or EF-1) tornadoes damaged trees and buildings, the Pittsburgh International Airport recorded its second highest thunderstorm wind gust on record at 75 mph (34 m/s), and a hangar and plane were destroyed at the Arnold Palmer Municipal Airport. Portland, Maine, recorded its hottest minimum temperature for any month since 1940 with a low of 78 degrees F (26 degrees C) on July 27. The old record was 3.86 inches (98.04 mm) of precipitation on September 14, 1973. Open the app and start learning about the neighborhood you are standing in Sperling's Best Places. WebSalt Lake City's coldest month is January when the average temperature overnight is 21.3F. This was the first EF-4 tornado in South Carolina since 1995, and it was the second of 12 tornadoes in a tornado family that traveled over 150 miles (241 km) from Middleground, GA to Murrells Inlet, SC. The damage pattern suggested that this tornado may have had multiple vortices, which can occur with the strongest tornadoes. Station Data. From July 19th through the 22nd, Norfolk, VA observed its longest streak of 4 consecutive days with a maximum temperature of at least 100 degrees F (37.8 degrees C). Damage was spread across Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana. Strawberry growers in Florida reported higher-than-normal fungal disease pressure and pest pressure due to unusual warmth in January and February. Freezing rain accumulations of 0.05 to as much as half of an inch (1 to as much as 13 mm) occurred in central and western portions of North Carolina, as well as southwestern, central, and northern parts of Virginia. In the beginning of the year, roughly a third of the Southern Region was experiencing at least abnormally dry conditions. Many locations had precipitation totals that ranked in the top 10 driest on record, rivaling the drought years of 2017, 2012, and the Dust Bowl. Seven major climate sites including Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; and Atlantic City, New Jersey, tied their record for least snowy spring (March through May). This ranked 2020 as the 12th warmest since 1895, and the warmest year since 2012. Usually this means the weather station did not supply, track, or have this particular information. All state rankings are based on the period spanning 1895-2020. Above-average annual precipitation was observed from the Great Lakes and Plains to the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. The Albany International Airport in New York recorded a wind gust of 67 mph (30 m/s), its highest October wind gust since 1987. Climate Extremes Index (USCEI) for 2020 was 80 percent above average and ranked as seventh highest in the 111-year record. Maple syrup production was slowed in Connecticut, with one producer expecting to lose around $60,000 in revenue. At least five of these stations were located in every state, including many of the major cities within the region. In addition, hundreds of pecan trees were uprooted across southern Alabama, with some of the losses occurring in 90-year-old orchards. The three largest wildfires in Colorado history occurred during 2020: The Cameron Peak Fire, the East Troublesome Fire and the Pine Gulch Fire each exceeded the acreage burned by the previous record, the 2002 Hayman Fire. Overall, 2020 was also the Wet weather continued to delay field work across North Carolina, with reports of negative impacts on the wheat crop due to waterlogged soils. Web60 50 40 fli 0 30 20 10 2013 2014 2015 Statewide Average Average Precipitation for 77 Mountain SNOTEL Sites (Through 0212312023) 2023 Aug Jul In Alabama, greenhouses and plastic bedding on vegetables were significantly damaged by Zetas high winds. Louisiana experienced five landfalls: Tropical Storm Cristobal and Hurricanes Laura, Marco, Delta, and Zeta. On the 11th, Sarasota-Bradenton, FL (19112020) observed its wettest November day on record, with 6.41 inches (163 mm) of rainfall. There were several flash flooding events during the year. After two consecutively wet years, 2020 was an extremely dry year for the majority of the High Plains region. Precipitation ranged from 87 percent of normal in Connecticut and Massachusetts to 126 percent of normal in Delaware, which had its seventh wettest year. Straight-line winds of up to 80 mph (36 m/s) caused extensive damage in several locations. WebThe NClimDiv database hosts multiple types of historical averages: 30-year averages starting from 1901, 1895-2010 average, and 20th century average, the latter is being We defined all monthly temperature and precipitation values to be average in comparison to the 20th century average if they fell within two standard deviations of the 20th century average. In June, dam releases were reduced in New Hampshire due to dropping lake levels, resulting in small hydropower plants no longer being able to generate power. There were more than 120 wind damage reports in western New England and eastern New York, where there were two storm-related fatalities. Portions of West Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic also saw freezing rain, with ice accumulations of up to 0.41 inches (10.41 mm), and sleet. During the rest of spring and beginning of summer, there was improvement in the total area experiencing drought with several areas improving to the point of only containing abnormally dry conditions. In addition, a 55-mph (25-m/s) wind gust reported at Gainesville Regional Airport, FL was the highest gust observed during the month of December since records began in 1973, breaking the old record of 46 mph (21 m/s) set on December 24, 2014. Soybean yields set records in both Indiana and Kentucky. Holly National Weather Service office. Precipitation received across Alaska during 2020 varied by region with the eastern interior regions, portions of the Panhandle and Bristol Bay receiving above-average precipitation. Water restrictions were in place for hundreds of locations in New England, as well as some locations in New York and Pennsylvania. The tornadoes downed trees, destroyed outbuildings, and damaged roofs and siding of some buildings. Through summer, the total area experiencing drought or abnormally dry conditions increased, with extreme and exceptional drought conditions developing by mid-August. Radar. The Northeast had its hottest July since recordkeeping began with an average temperature of 73.7 degrees F (23.2 degrees C), which was 4.1 degrees F (2.3 degrees C) warmer than normal. Meanwhile, autumn was characterized by extreme temperature swings, with October ranking in the top 10 coldest and November ranking in the top 10 warmest for some states in the region. All but three of these 25 stations were located in North Carolina and Virginia. Common While 25 long-term stations observed average daily maximum temperatures that were ranked within their five warmest values on record, more than four times the number of stations (102) observed average daily minimum temperatures that were ranked within their five warmest values on record. Elkins, West Virginia, had its snowiest May day and snowiest month of May on record, while Concord, New Hampshire, saw measurable snow in May for the first time in over 50 years. Caribou, ME, also had significant snow during the 2019-2020 season receiving 146 inches and ranked ninth highest for any season on record. The 2020 annual precipitation totals indicate that precipitation for the year was above normal for much of the Southern Region, with Tennessee experiencing its sixth-wettest year on record while the region as a whole received an average annual precipitation total of 328.59 inches (8346.19 mm), making it the eleventh-wettest year on record. Fires were a major issue across Colorado and Wyoming this year, with the three largest fires in Colorados history burning this summer and fall. Utah averages 43 inches of snow per year. With respect to precipitation, Oklahoma experienced its fifth-wettest March on record while Texas experienced its seventh-wettest March on record. There were 8 fatalities attributed to Hurricane Sally, including a 45-year-old female kayaker who had gone missing at the height of the storm. For Cecil, Montgomery, and Carroll counties, it was the first February tornado on record. The winds caused water levels to rise significantly along Lake Eries eastern shoreline, resulting in flooding near Erie, Pennsylvania, and Buffalo, New York. The use of a two standard deviation cut-off point, which places approximately 95% of observations into the average categorization means that months categorized as warmer, cooler, wetter, and drier represent rarer than once-in-20-year events. Hurricane Zeta was responsible for wind gusts over 100 mph (160.93 kph) in southeastern Louisiana, while Hurricane Laura generated a wind gust of 133 mph (214.04 kph) in southwestern Louisiana. The nationally averaged minimum temperature (overnight lows) during 2020 was 42.4F, 2.4F above average and also ranked sixth warmest in the 126-year record. differences. July was warmer than normal across all six states, with Texas experiencing its sixth-warmest July on record. Nearly half (138 of 299) of the tornadoes occurred during April, which had the third highest monthly count of tornadoes across the region behind April 2011 (226) and September 2004 (247). From the beginning of January through mid-March, a pocket of moderate-to-severe drought persisted along the eastern half of the Florida Panhandle. Temperatures rebounded in the summer, with most states in the High Plains ranking in the top 15 warmest summers on record. The 8.59.5 feet (2.62.9 meters) of storm surge destroyed many sand dunes and sea turtle nests in Oak Island, NC. The U.S. Annual precipitation averaged across the Midwest was 37.72 inches (958 mm), 0.78 inches (20 mm) above normal. Other sites saw only a trace, but for Islip, New York, it made May a snowier month than February. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year. Kahului, Maui also saw its warmest year on record since 1955 at 78.6 F (25.9 C), 2.7 F (1.5 C) above normal beating out the 2019 record of 78.4 F (25.8 C). Climate Data. The statewide average annual temperatures are as follows: Arkansas - 61.15 degrees F (16.19 degrees C), Louisiana 68.18 degrees F (20.10 degrees C), Mississippi 65.31 degrees F (18.51 degrees C), Oklahoma 60.70 degrees F (15.94 degrees C), Tennessee - 59.34 degrees F (15.19 degrees C), and Texas 66.81 degrees F (19.34 degrees C). The country's total annual precipitation total was 30.28 inches in 2020, which was about 0.34 inches above average. Every state except for Arkansas experienced warmer than normal temperatures while every state except for Oklahoma and Texas experienced wetter than normal conditions, with Texas experiencing its seventh-warmest summer on record. WebThe percentage chance that a given day is within the growing season, defined as the longest continuous period of non-freezing temperatures ( 32F) in the year (the calendar year in Get data on how different regions and populations experience temperature, precipitation, and extreme weather events historically. Several notable maximum and minimum temperature records occurred across the region during the year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year. On the 16th, Pensacola, FL observed its fourth wettest day for any month on record, with 11.85 inches (301 mm) of rainfall. There were at least 60 injuries and 4 deaths attributed to the storm system. A standard deviation measures the amount of variability among the numbers in a data set, the typical distance of a data point from the mean of the data and is calculated against the NClimDiv data as: Source Agency: Monthly (within first week of each month). Drought conditions also dried up or reduced water supplies that some firefighters rely on to fight fires. Eight of the Northeast states were drier than normal while four were wetter than normal. Additional data received and processed after the release of this summary may result in small differences for annual values and ranks. A total of 85 long-term stations across the region, with at least five located in every state, observed annual precipitation totals that were ranked within their five highest values on record. 88 days: Annual hours of sunshine: 3059 hours: Average annual precip. Multiple residences were destroyed by this fire, and many residents were told to evacuate the area. All state rankings are based on the period spanning 1895-2020. Some reservoirs also experienced below-normal water levels. The most costly events of the year include: Hurricane Laura, the Western wildfires and the Midwest derecho. WebMoab weather averages and climate Moab, Utah. Texas experienced its third-warmest March on record, Louisiana and Mississippi experienced their fourth-warmest March on record, Oklahoma experienced its tenth-warmest March on record, and the region as a whole experienced its sixth-warmest March on record. Yield losses in Iowa were due to a combination of drought and damages from the derecho. Ten states across the Southwest, Southeast and East Coast had their second-warmest year on record. In a break from recent years, average annual temperatures were generally above normal across the High Plains region, with widespread departures of up to 2.0 degrees F (1.1 degrees C). Quick rises on waterways were observed. There were 3,843 severe weather reports across the Southeast region during the year, which is over 130 percent of the median annual frequency of 2,936 reports during 20002019. With a daily maximum temperature of 35 degrees F (1.7 degrees C), Atlanta, GA (18782020) recorded its coldest Christmas Day since 1989, while Orlando, FL (18922020) observed its coldest Christmas Day since 1995, with a daily maximum temperature of 53 degrees F (11.7 degrees C). The coldest temperature observed during the year was -4 degrees F (-20 degrees C), which was recorded on Mt. F C Average weather Moab, UT - 84532. For the West Coast fires, the exceptionally dry winter followed by a dry and hot summer and autumn were the main climate contributing factors. Its NOAA Monthly US Climate Divisional Database (NClimDiv)1 provides data for temperature, precipitation, drought indices, and heating and cooling degree days for US climate divisions, states, multi-state regions, and the nation from 1895 to the present. WebThe worst time to visit Utah Weather hazards Weather in January Weather in February Weather in March Weather in April Weather in May Weather in June Weather in July Weather in August Weather in September Weather in October Weather in November Weather in December Most visited locations Weather forecast for your location Flag of During June, abnormal dryness expanded to include parts of every state except New Jersey and moderate drought was introduced in parts of New England and New York. For example, irrigation and labor costs exceeded $50,000 at a Massachusetts farm and were around $30,000 at a New Hampshire farm. The lowest annual precipitation total for any station (excluding CoCoRaHS) across the region was recorded in East Hill on St. Croix, USVI, which observed only 35.69 inches (907 mm) of precipitation. The path taken by the storm system was one of the furthest to the west and north in history. Early season snows were promising, but merely slowed the intensification and expansion of drought. Farmers dealt with extremely dry conditions. Several other locations had one of the five snowiest Octobers on record. Winds gusted to 82 mph (37 m/s), with locally higher gusts of up to 100 mph (45 m/s) in eastern New York. This bucket categorization is critical to eliminate data noise as regional geographies experience natural fluctuations in temperature and precipitation from year to year. 2020 also marks the sixth consecutive year (2015-20) in which 10 or more separate billion-dollar disaster events have impacted the U.S. Data for 2020 should be considered preliminary. Later in the season, a lack of snow cover across the Plains and low snowpack in the central Rockies also impacted skiing and snowmobiling activities. Just a week later, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, a storm system dropped as much as 6 inches (152 mm) of rain on the region, with several locations having one of their 10 wettest December days on record. The program itself uses the data collected in postcensal population estimates and the 10-year census population count, which calculates the difference between the two, and distributes that difference across the intermediary years, providing a yearly population estimate that is then retroactively verified. Such methodology was applicable to all counties in the contiguous United States. On August 5th, a 42-year-old man and a 77-year-old man were struck and killed while cleaning up debris from Hurricane Isaias in Wilmington, NC. Following the passage of Tropical Storm Eta in November, vegetable crops in southern Florida were severely damaged, with estimated costs ranging from $85 to as much as $320 million. 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