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). Warm and dry conditions led to drought development in California and Nevada and major drought intensification in the Four Corners states during Calendar Year 2020. In October, Worcester, Massachusetts, took one of its reservoirs offline due to low water levels. Three more states had more than 2.00 inches (51 mm) above normal and another two (Illinois and Wisconsin) had more than 1.00 inch (25 mm) above normal. The California fire season started slow but then exploded due to a rare dry thunderstorm event in mid-August. There were more than 120 wind damage reports in western New England and eastern New York, where there were two storm-related fatalities. The contiguous U.S. average annual precipitation was 30.28 inches, which is 0.34 inches above the long-term average, ranking in the middle third of the historical record. Get in touch with us now. The greatest rain totals ranged from 4 to 9 inches (102 to 229 mm), with Allentown, Pennsylvania, having its wettest August day with 4.92 inches (124.97 mm) of rain. January 2021 Temperature Precipitation : February 2021 Temperature Precipitation : March 2021 Temperature Precipitation : April 2021 Temperature Precipitation : May 2021 . Hurricane Zeta made landfall near Cocodrie, LA on October 28th, with a wind gust of 91 mph (41 m/s) reported in Mobile, AL. Chart by Carbon Brief using Highcharts . March was an exceptionally warm month for the region, as three states (Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) experienced a top-5 warmest March on record, while Oklahoma experienced a top-10 warmest March on record. Prolonged dryness in April and May led to an outbreak of numerous wildfires across Florida. There were at least five storm-related deaths. 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. 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. 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. In addition, two weak (EF-0 or EF-1) tornadoes snapped trees and damaged houses in northern Maryland. For the West Coast fires, the exceptionally dry winter followed by a dry and hot summer and autumn were the main climate contributing factors. On June 26th, Tampa, FL tied its warmest daily maximum temperature for any month on record, at 99 degrees F (37.2 degrees C). The rapid drop in temperatures, from warm conditions just prior to the freeze, exacerbated the situation. Baker City, Oregon logged a record low 3.36 in (85.34 mm), 33% of normal, for the year to accompany the record high temperatures. Non-thunderstorm wind gusts of up to 70 mph (31 m/s) were recorded in New England and on New Yorks Long Island, with reports of downed trees and wires. Winter wheat was also impacted, with at least 15 percent of the crop in poor to very poor condition at the start of 2021 in Colorado (34 percent), Kansas (17 percent), and Nebraska (15 percent), according to the USDAs National Agricultural Statistics Service. 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. The snow from the storm helped Caribou have its second longest streak with at least an inch (2.54 cm) of snow depth at 159 days (November 12, 2019 to April 18, 2020). 2020 was the hottest year on record for six major climate sites: Scranton and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Atlantic City, New Jersey; Portland, Maine; Central Park, New York; and Providence, Rhode Island. For example, irrigation and labor costs exceeded $50,000 at a Massachusetts farm and were around $30,000 at a New Hampshire farm. Severe drought touched parts of the five western-most states and extreme drought affected parts of southwestern Missouri and western Iowa. Every state with the exception of Louisiana had at least one month that was top-10 wettest on record, and two states (Mississippi and Oklahoma) had one month that was top-5 wettest on record. Strawberry growers in Florida reported higher-than-normal fungal disease pressure and pest pressure due to unusual warmth in January and February. Through November 30, and the official end of the Atlantic hurricane season, several records were tied or broken. There were numerous impacts from the drought across the region, particularly in New England and New York. This years snow season (2020-2021) kicked off with several early snowfalls, starting in September. Of this 24-hour precipitation total, Key West observed 3.95 inches (100 mm) in a single hour, which is its second highest hourly rain rate ever recorded. Wilmington, Delaware; Huntington, West Virginia; and Charleston, West Virginia, set/tied their greatest number of March days with measurable precipitation. However, after the month of February, temperatures were at 0.80C (1.44F) or higher for the remaining months of 2021. Colorado saw its top three largest fires in 2020 which were not fully contained until late November or early December. Over 45 percent (77 of 168) of the long-term stations observed annual mean temperatures that were within their five warmest values on record. Collectively, the past eight years . On the 11th, Rocky Mount-Wilson Regional Airport, NC (20002020) observed its second wettest day for any month on record, with 6.02 inches (153 mm) of precipitation. There were at least 60 injuries and 4 deaths attributed to the storm system. Oklahoma experienced two months that were top-10 wettest on record (fifth-wettest March on record, sixth-wettest January on record). In October, Arctic sea ice concentration was the lowest value since the satellite records began. Eight of the Northeast states were drier than normal while four were wetter than normal. A rare tornado outbreak occurred on February 7 in Maryland where five tornadoes touched down: an EF-0 and four EF-1s. Five of the six largest wildfires in California history also occurred during 2020. This EF-4 tornado, with a path length of more than 24 miles (39 km) and a maximum path width of 1,300 yards (1,189 meters), damaged and destroyed many residences, including mobile and single-family homes. These dry conditions were coupled with extreme heat, which helped fuel some of the largest wildfires in Colorados history. Key West, FL (18712020) received 9.37 inches (238 mm) of rainfall from the storm on the 12th, which is its fifth wettest day for any month on record. Five Category 4 and 5 storms formed in the Atlantic during 2020, tying with 1933, 1961, 1999 and 2005 for the record. Tropical Storm Zeta and another storm system trekked through the Mid-Atlantic, bringing rain, snow, and gusty winds to the region from October 29 to 30. This graph shows the change in global surface temperature compared to the long-term average from 1951 to 1980. Thousands of Christmas tree saplings died and some mature trees dropped excessive amounts of needles or turned yellow in New England. Annual Temperature Anomaly. The warmth kicked off in January with Boston, Massachusetts; Providence, Rhode Island; and Bridgeport, Connecticut, having their warmest January day on record with highs near or above 70 degrees F (21 degrees C). Power outages lasted five days in some locations. Caribou, Maine, received only 0.88 inches (22.35 mm) of precipitation during June, tying as the driest June on record. There were numerous closed roads, submerged vehicles, and dozens of water rescues. Portland, Maine, recorded its earliest 70 degrees F (21 degrees C) day on record on March 9. A few small pockets of moderate drought developed in north-central Puerto Rico during late December. The daily range of reported temperatures (gray bars) and 24-hour highs (red ticks) and lows (blue ticks), placed over the daily average high (faint red line) and low (faint blue line) temperature, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. In addition, snow fell across portions of West Virginia, western Maryland, western Pennsylvania, and western New York. Massachusetts cranberry growers reported losses. From the beginning of January through mid-March, a pocket of moderate-to-severe drought persisted along the eastern half of the Florida Panhandle. The winds caused water levels to rise significantly along Lake Eries eastern shoreline, resulting in flooding near Erie, Pennsylvania, and Buffalo, New York. The maps below show average temperature (left), rainfall (middle) and sunshine duration (right) compared to 1991-2020, across the UK last year. Six hurricanes made U.S. landfall, tying 1886 and 1985 for the most U.S. hurricane landfalls in a single season. Overall, Earth's average temperature has risen more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1880s. In addition, it was the first time on record with no measurable snow in both February and March for Bridgeport, Connecticut; Islip and Kennedy Airport, New York; and Allentown and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Every state except for Oklahoma experienced warmer than normal temperatures while every state except for Texas experienced wetter than normal conditions. There were at least four ground fires in Vermont this year, which is atypical. The 2020 fire season was very active and ramped up in mid-summer and extended well into autumn. More than 2.5 million customers lost power, making it one of the largest storm-related outages for two energy companies. Texas experienced landfalls from Hurricane Hanna and Tropical Storm Beta. The anomalies themselves represent departures from the 20 th century average temperature. Hawaii, for the second year in a row, saw above normal temperatures that were in some cases record-breaking. During August, conditions worsened in New England, with severe and moderate drought expanding and almost every part of that region experiencing some level of dryness. The states fire tower network was extended due to increased fire risk. Add to Cart . There were more than 250 wind damage reports in the Philadelphia/Mt. Several notable widespread wind events occurred in the Northeast this year. 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. Farther inland, winds gusted over 50 mph (22 m/s) in northern Georgia, Upstate South Carolina, and North Carolina, resulting in widespread downed trees and power outages. In addition, almost 400,000 customers lost power. Portions of the lower Mississippi Valley had daytime temperatures that were below average during 2020. The Central states also experienced a historic severe weather event the. Abnormal dryness appeared briefly in an area from central New Jersey to southeastern Massachusetts in mid-March but eased by months end. Only January-May of 2010 and 2016 were warmer. The tornadoes downed trees, destroyed outbuildings, and damaged roofs and siding of some buildings. NOAA Climate.gov maps from our Data Snapshots collection, based on data from NCEI. All state rankings are based on the period spanning 1895-2020. Report: Year: Month: Additional Resources Rankings Maps April 2023 Mar 2023 - Apr 2023 Nov 2022 - Apr 2023 May 2022 - Apr 2023 U.S. Overall, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year the region experienced a slight decrease in the total area of at least abnormally dry conditions. Seven major climate sites including Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; and Atlantic City, New Jersey, tied their record for least snowy spring (March through May). more than 0.4C cooler than March 2016, the warmest March on record. This is ~0.15 C (~0.28 F) cooler than in 2020. There were road closures, cars trapped in floodwaters, and water rescues.

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