Monitoring the Global Climate - Monthly Temperature Anomalies, December 2009
| The globe continues to exhibit well
above normal temperatures despite the recent cool weather in our part of the world. Here's hoping for an above normal Winter A summary is located below the global map. |
LINK to other months
LINK to Animation of Global Anomaly Maps
DECEMBER 2009: Global Highlights (From
the National Climatic Data Center)
- The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for December 2009 was 0.49°C (0.88°F) above the 20th century average of 12.2°C (54.0°F). This is the eighth warmest December on record.
- The global land surface temperature for December 2009 was 0.35°C (0.63°F) above the 20th century average of 3.7°C (38.7°F)—the coolest December anomaly since 2002—and tied with 1915 as the 31st warmest December on record.
- The worldwide ocean surface temperature for December 2009 was the second warmest—behind 1997—on record for December, 0.54°C (0.97°F) above the 20th century average of 15.7°C (60.4°F). This could be attributed to the strengthening El Niño across the equatorial Pacific Ocean. According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (CPC), El Niño is expected to continue through the Northern Hemisphere spring 2010.
- The persistent El Niño in the equatorial Pacific Ocean contributed to the warmth observed in the tropical belt and of the overall ocean temperature. According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (CPC), El Niño is expected to continue through the Northern Hemisphere spring 2010.
- For the year to date, the combined global land and ocean surface temperature of 14.5°C (58.0°F) tied with 2006 as the fifth-warmest calendar year on record. This value is 0.56°C (1.01°F) above the 20th century average.
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School of Natural Resources  |