Recent
Extreme Temperature Events
SIO 209 Weather Discussion
Winter 2012
Rachel Schwartz
Recent Case Studies:
• Europe- Winter 2012
• US - Summer 2011
Recent Case Studies:
• Europe- Winter 2012
• US - Summer 2011
- TripAdvisor.com
European Cold Snap -Jan. 27, 2012 ...
• Death toll > 500
people
• In Ukraine after first
3 days
– > 600 people sought
treatment for
frostbite &
hypothermia
– ~ 24,000 people
sought refuge in
shelters
sources: wunderground.com; BBC.com;
Accuweather.com
European Cold Snap -Jan. 27, 2012 ...
• Death toll > 500
people
• In Ukraine after first
3 days
– > 600 people sought
treatment for
frostbite &
hypothermia
– ~ 24,000 people
sought refuge in
shelters
sources: wunderground.com; BBC.com;
Accuweather.com
Duration and
Spatial Extent:
Surface temperature anomaly
since Jan. 16, 2012
Esrl.noaa.gov/psd/map
MODIS Image of the Day for
February 14, 2012
Snow in western Europe from
Aqua on Feb. 11, 2012
Credit: Jeff Schmaltz
Why & How:
Behavior of the jet
stream
•This winter,
unusually large
excursions from zonal
•Southward meander
allows cold air to spill
in behind
• Arctic Oscillation
(AO) Index: good
measure of the
tendency to form
bulges
Winds at 300 hPa
source: wunderground.com
500 mb Geopotential Height Anomaly
.... See the cold and upper level circulation
source: NOAA/ESRL; climatecentral.org
Sea Level Pressure Anomaly
.... Large surface high ..... Surface winds -->
source: NOAA/ESRL; climatecentral.org
Surface Wind Departures
.... Frigid air from Russia flowing westward!
source: NOAA/ESRL; climatecentral.org
What is the leading cause of
weather-related deaths in the U.S.?
Photo Credit: nationalgeographic.com
What is the leading cause of
weather-related deaths in the U.S.?
heat
Historically, from 1979-2003, excessive
exposure caused 8,015 deaths in the United
States. During this period, more people in this
country died from extreme heat than from
hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, floods, and
earthquakes combined. - CDC
Photo Credit: nationalgeographic.com
US - Summer 2011
NOAA
Visualizations
Source:
climatewatch.noaa.gov
Heat, drought, and flood
• US and state records
– New Mexico too
• Washington & Oregon
only lower 48 states
below average
• Highly variable
summer precipitation
– Wetter than normal in
Northeast (2nd wettest
August)
– CA wettest summer!
– Texas driest summer
– Oklahoma 3rd driest
• Record June flooding
– North Plains/ Midwest
Source: ncdc.noaa.gov
US Summer Heat Wave
• A persistent ridge of high
pressure bestrode the
eastern U.S
• West of the Rockies, a
persistent trough
• High suppress rain &
mixing
• Drought regions, no soil
moisture for heat to
evaporate
• Flood regions, additional
moisture source
– Heat index
source: wunderground.com
Maps_Animate
• 131°F at Knoxville, Iowa
July 18, 2012
Sources & Helpful links:
• http://www.climatecentral.org/blogs/whats-causing-the-deadlycold-in-europe/
• http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/video-wintersdeadly-grip-on-e/61532
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16786877
• http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/archive.html?y
ear=2012&month=02
• http://www.wunderground.com/blog/RickyRood/comment.html?
entrynum=200
• http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/national/2011/8
• http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlink/daily_ao
_index/ao.shtml