The main purpose of this ongoing blog will be to track global extreme or record temperatures related to climate change. Any reports I see of ETs will be listed below the main topic of the day. I’ll refer to extreme or record temperatures as ETs (not extraterrestrials).
Main Topic: Record Warmth Dominates Most of North America Well into February
Dear Diary. After the first three weeks of January of record cold there was a big “January thaw” across most of North America but not anything that is typical. Usually, a January thaw is a weather regime that refers to warmth, which occurs during the first month of the year that temporarily disrupts very cold conditions which have dominated most of the United States since Thanksgiving. Mild air masses in association with historic January thaws are mostly not big record setters, nor do they last for weeks.
The thaw currently over North America is super warm, ramped up by climate change interacting with the jet stream to produce a mild Pacific flow southeast of Alaska. We can see the end result of this on Climate Reanalyzer charts:
By my count the cold waves of January produced 186 reports of all-time records in the U.S. indicating how brutality sharp chill was then. Coming off a record warm 2023 for the planet with January 2024 most likely being the warmest January in recorded history, I find that statistic startling. Don’t forget that December 2023 was the warmest December in recorded history for the U.S. by far. We saw the highest monthly ratios of daily high max and high min to low min and low max records in my data base, which now extends back into the 1880s. Now we are seeing a plethora of record warm records across the Pacific Northwest and Midwest that is truly historic. We are indeed seeing what I call “weather whiplash” ramped up by climate change.
Here is just one example of a historic record from yesterday. The “icebox of the nation,” International Falls, that mostly resides below 0°F during January, set a monthly record in the 50s:
Many would agree it was warm today, and we also broke some records! International Falls also broke their record for the month of January! Ashland sadly saw clouds for most of the morning, so they were shy of their record. pic.twitter.com/1jURtMJvQu
— NWS Duluth (@NWSduluth) February 1, 2024
Exceptional warmth in the North yesterday with 66F in Idaho,the Dakotas,Montana & Wyoming
— Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) February 1, 2024
Some monthly records fell including the first 50F in January in International Falls MN
IDAHO some records beaten by up to 5F!
66 Boise
65 Elk City
64 Nampa
61 Jerome tie
ND
65 Hettinger tie pic.twitter.com/fV1CQrtlOz
All this warmth has rapidly melted snow cover produced by storms in association with cold outbreaks in early January. Here was the snow cover at its peak on January 16th just after a system brought heavy snow to portions of the South:
And here is what we see today:
It is quite unusual for Minneapolis to not have snow cover on February 1st, and ice cover across the Great Lakes is paltry:
The 2nd warmest December on record for much of the Great Lakes led to a late start to the ice season. A decent cold snap in mid-January started to turn things around, but the coming 2+ week warm spell might mean peak ice cover has already occurred! Simply pathetic. pic.twitter.com/MHIgoEElkB
— Jeff Masters (@DrJeffMasters) January 31, 2024
Atypical warmth will last well into February, but don’t declare that “winter is over.” It appears that there might be one more stratospheric warming event leading to chillier times after Valentines Day:
In somewhat of surprise, models quickly rebuilding new stratospheric warming that may target pole by middle February. pic.twitter.com/B05RiZxZsT
— Commodity Wx Group (@commoditywx) January 31, 2024
ECMWF Weeklies: “They all said winter was over, and I took that personally.” pic.twitter.com/pOM4PuP1xG
— John Homenuk (@jhomenuk) January 31, 2024
I would love to say there's still hope in the East for #winter, especially based on climatology of Northeast #snowstorms. But with today's operational model runs (10-day snow forecast) my optimism wanes. There's still the end of Feb/start of March however pic.twitter.com/IWS1fckgw0
— Tom Niziol (@TomNiziol) February 1, 2024
I’ll keep all of my readers and followers abreast as to what transpires as we move through February.
Here are more “ET’s” recorded from around the planet the last couple of days, their consequences, and some extreme temperature outlooks, as well as any extreme precipitation reports:
Another very warm day for January in #Canada#ALBERTA
— Thierry Goose (@ThierryGooseBC) February 1, 2024
18.0°C Irvine & Cardston
17.9°C Raymond
17.3°C Pinhorn
16.7°C Masinasin
16.5°C Claresholm
16.3°C Blood Tribe#SASKATCHEWAN
17.5°C Maple Creek
16.3°C Rockglen
15.8°C Swift Current#MANITOBA
12.3°C Falcon Lake
12.1°C McCreary pic.twitter.com/b3Snwap7hy
HISTORIC HEAT IN CHILE
— Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) February 1, 2024
Brutal 42.9C at Marchigue it's the highest temperature ever recorded in the O Higgins Region, beating the 41.2C set in 2019. https://t.co/RESJO7Q9C0
ARGENTINA:
— Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) February 1, 2024
Another record set in January was the hottest night in its climatic history at Paso de Indios with a minimum temperature of 22.5C on the 22nd, beating by 0.1C the record set on 5 February 2019. https://t.co/QWZlYSQL3j
and the winner is….MALDIVES
— Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) February 1, 2024
It's not about tourism, but record heat:
First country to set a record this February 2024:
33.6C at Hanimadhoo today tied the highest temperature ever recorded in Maldives in February,few days after beating the January record. pic.twitter.com/NZCo247Azk
RECORD IN MARTINIQUE
— Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) February 1, 2024
33.1C on 31 January at Ducos it's the HOTTEST JANUARY DAY in Martinique history.
Previous record was 33.0C in 1984 at the same location.
Record also at Caravelle with 32.1C and yesterday at Lamentin with 32.3C. https://t.co/fpFaw4F8Mq
Sweden has set a new all-time wind speed record with a 10-minute average wind speed of 51.8 m/s measured at Stekenjokk during Storm Ingunn.
— Mika Rantanen (@mikarantane) February 1, 2024
The station is located at mountains, an altitude of 1037 metres. https://t.co/NNBFT7t8RE
One more 'hot take' before we return to our regular winter-weather programming. This is the first Winter on record where Boise has reached 60 or greater in each of the Winter months (Dec/Jan/Feb). #idwx
— NWS Boise (@NWSBoise) February 2, 2024
Here is brand new January 2024 climatology:
January 2024 was very warm in most of Central and Eastern #Canada. Very changeable temperatures in the west, but the extreme cold brought the average below normal in BC, AB, YT and NWT. No records broken this month. #wxtwitter pic.twitter.com/fHtyyReXUi
— Patrick Duplessis (@Pat_wx) February 1, 2024
January 2024 in was another very warm and wet month. Mean nationwide temp was 1.54c above the 1961-90 avg- the 3rd warmest Jan on record! (Behind 2019, 2013)
— Cameron H (@Hitchy04) February 1, 2024
Despite a delayed monsoon onset, Jan was 47.4% above avg- 9th wettest Jan on record pic.twitter.com/3bxo7uEUbe
After a record warm 2023, January 2024 in Japan opens very mild.
— Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) February 1, 2024
With a temperature anomaly of +1.25C vs 1991-2020 it's the 3rd warmest January on record, https://t.co/61lMs0FfHS
January 2024 was a cold one in the Antarctic Plateau:
— Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) February 1, 2024
SOUTH POLE average -31.2C 3.1C below 1991-2020 norm
VOSTOK average -34.4C coldest January since 1989 https://t.co/HBjAVoypaz
The December-January period was extremely wet in much of the eastern half of the Contiguous U.S. For areas in green, it was the wettest Dec-Jan since 1895 according to the Prism precipitation data set. pic.twitter.com/H4FPWXRgxZ
— Brian Brettschneider (@Climatologist49) February 2, 2024
Despite a substantial 2-week cold period in January, the December-January period is tied for the 2nd warmest Dec-Jan on record since 1895 using Prism data (range is 1st to 5th). This is unofficial. NCEI will have official numbers in a week. pic.twitter.com/BjdL7f9vcR
— Brian Brettschneider (@Climatologist49) February 2, 2024
Here is More Climate News from Thursday:
(As usual, this will be a fluid post in which more information gets added during the day as it crosses my radar, crediting all who have put it on-line. Items will be archived on this site for posterity. In most instances click on the pictures of each tweet to see each article. The most noteworthy items will be listed first.)
BREAKING: Earth’s oceans have preliminarily set a new all-time record high temperature yesterday at 21.10°C. The previous record was set only a few months ago in August 2023. pic.twitter.com/xhaKyvoDSa
— Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) February 1, 2024
Unprecedented ocean heating shows risks of world 3C warmer https://t.co/MPd4FwNuPC
— Paul Beckwith (@PaulHBeckwith) February 1, 2024
Scientists have uncovered vast stores of clean-burning hydrogen underground.
— Yale Environment 360 (@YaleE360) February 1, 2024
Says one, “Even if we could extract 1 percent of what I believe is down there, we could supply all our hydrogen needs for hundreds of years."https://t.co/E7Fswi2HOb
Happy to announce a new paper from me and @AriJLaaksonen:
— Mika Rantanen (@mikarantane) February 1, 2024
The jump in global temperatures in September 2023 is extremely unlikely due to internal climate variability alone
published today in @Nature_NPJ Climate and Atmospheric Science. https://t.co/chEEjKyTOw
Thread (1/8) pic.twitter.com/tYzSF5PIdN
In a warmer climate, snow levels rise and snow pack decreases by a HUGE amount. Why? Think about the difference in width of the mountain base vs peak. The drop in snow pack area is huge. (This is an idealized graphic, numbers are only to help explain). The result is this… 1/ pic.twitter.com/q8vmt9O20K
— Jeff Berardelli (@WeatherProf) February 2, 2024
The Paris limit of 1.5°C relies on modeling water in buckets.
— Prof. Eliot Jacobson (@EliotJacobson) February 1, 2024
"the Met Office relies on a 'bucket model' to estimate the water’s temperature before it was scooped up… The Met Office, for example, makes assumptions about what type of bucket was used…"https://t.co/ekVsCSF4iH
Your 'moment of doom' for Feb. 1, 2024 ~ At the root of the predicament.
— Prof. Eliot Jacobson (@EliotJacobson) February 1, 2024
"…there will be a tradeoff that some prevailing models don’t account for. The world will be getting warmer, which means plants and trees will be less able to draw down that CO2."https://t.co/GdGECD2dKA
Blood is on the hands of every oil and gas company – the financiers and the politicians who did nothing whilst knowing.
— Sophie Gabrielle (@CodeRedEarth) February 1, 2024
They knew,
They lied.
And they stole humanity's safe habitat forever.#ClimateEmergency
Meme quote @ExtinctionR pic.twitter.com/qXmIhX5Eyj
Variability and long-term decline of December #Arctic sea-ice thickness and sea-ice volume…
— Zack Labe (@ZLabe) February 1, 2024
+ Data information: https://t.co/UDsruDWRjx pic.twitter.com/9v6iy6h5zK
A story that will be repeated more and more frequently. Food prices are likely to rise I assume on exports. Spain: Catalonia declares drought emergency for Barcelona https://t.co/OJ3W8tU0Be
— Paul Noël, Citizen of the pale blue dot, our home (@JunagarhMedia) February 1, 2024
Catalonia declares drought emergency, extending restrictions to Barcelona https://t.co/gXktpdfgeg
— Guardian Environment (@guardianeco) February 1, 2024
"Francis Offers Fierce Hope for Hard Times" by Vincent Miller for Commonweal Magazine (@commonwealmag)https://t.co/iv7Hgh6mFk
— Prof Michael E. Mann (@MichaelEMann) February 1, 2024
We're getting about twice as much rain as expected here — a downpour over the last six hours with widespread flooding and rainfall rates in some cases over 1"per hour.
— Prof. Eliot Jacobson (@EliotJacobson) February 1, 2024
With global temperatures at 1.38°C above pre-industrial, the atmosphere holds almost 10% more water vapor . pic.twitter.com/yZlTuEtcjk
Devastating Flood in #Pemberton.
— Robert Redmayne Hosking (@rhosking252) February 1, 2024
Climate collapse is the most urgent and pressing catastrophic disaster to ever afflict our global societies.
Our leaders have decided that everything else is more important.
Carrying on like that will guarantee the loss of billions of lives. https://t.co/dMCwJYPb9E
More from the Weather Department:
VERY strong wording from the NWS tonight especially given the main event is still 3 days away. But the guidance is unanimous. This is simply a life-threatening situation facing SoCal on Sunday-Monday. #AtmosphericRiver https://t.co/BUMFtncFYG pic.twitter.com/NFtx7sNKe8
— Jeff Berardelli (@WeatherProf) February 2, 2024
My next live YouTube office hour will be @ 10am PT on Fri, Feb 2. Focus will be entirely on potentially *very* heavy rain & major flood event in SoCal Sun-Tue, including a detailed look at predictions, underlying meteorology, and flood risk.#CAwx #CAwater https://t.co/cnECmfHC09
— Dr. Daniel Swain (@Weather_West) February 1, 2024
Important context for recent and upcoming California storms/rain events: ocean temperatures both near the coast and extending southwestward across much of North Pacific are much warmer (+2-5F) than average. Why does this matter? #CAwx #CAwater [1/2] pic.twitter.com/am3mml6zzc
— Dr. Daniel Swain (@Weather_West) February 1, 2024
Concern is quickly growing for a very serious atmospheric river event in southern #California Sunday through Tuesday.
— Matthew Cappucci (@MatthewCappucci) February 2, 2024
The Weather Service is warning of a "very dangerous situation" with potentially "unprecedented amounts of rain."
5-15" mountains north of LA/Santa Barbara. pic.twitter.com/iANMUgahKp
A powerful atmospheric river affecting the West Coast was captured in this enhanced-color Air Mass imagery by @NOAA's #GOESWest yesterday. #Flood Watches and Warnings as well as #WinterStorm Warnings and #Wind Advisories are in effect in parts of California today.
— NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) February 1, 2024
Latest:… pic.twitter.com/JhBMOxmnrr
There has been some flooding from today's storm across parts of SoCal (especially in/near Long Beach), but the Sun-Tue system has *much greater* potential for more widespread and more serious flooding/debris flows in SoCal. Details TBD but this could be a significant event. #CAWx https://t.co/PrU8kwMTe5
— Dr. Daniel Swain (@Weather_West) February 1, 2024
How does Punxsutawney Phil stay cool in the summer?
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) January 31, 2024
He has many fans
We're just 2 days away from #GroundhogDay! Join us for our coverage from #Punxsutawney starting tomorrow and the big reveal on Friday! pic.twitter.com/uVq7um2My8
This is February? pic.twitter.com/slwfIr0ivK
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) February 1, 2024
Geeking out at how dynamic the atmosphere is right now!! A huge block (temps up to 50F above normal over Canada) – a traffic jam in the atmosphere- reroutes energy from the Pacific storm undercutting the block and delivering a strong southern stream storm to the Gulf Coast. pic.twitter.com/0KMooO0EIQ
— Jeff Berardelli (@WeatherProf) January 31, 2024
Interstate 5 transformed into a tumbleweed obstacle course as strong winds battered parts of California. pic.twitter.com/Va5EM2Jtnb
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) February 1, 2024
How does Punxsutawney Phil stay cool in the summer?
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) January 31, 2024
He has many fans
We're just 2 days away from #GroundhogDay! Join us for our coverage from #Punxsutawney starting tomorrow and the big reveal on Friday! pic.twitter.com/uVq7um2My8
Punxsutawney Phil is likely to see his shadow on Friday, which means 6 more weeks of winter
— Ben Noll (@BenNollWeather) February 1, 2024
The latest long-range guidance agrees! Snow chances are likely return to the Northeast in the 2nd half of February pic.twitter.com/rc8MGcWSro
Today’s News on Sustainable Energy, Traditional Polluting Energy from Fossil Fuel, and the Green Revolution:
Shell made €26,2billion in profit in 2023.
— Greenpeace International (@Greenpeace) February 1, 2024
It was also the hottest year on record for the planet
Fossil fuels are the biggest contributor to the #climatecrisis
Tell Shell to phase out fossil fuels to make way for a green, safe and more just society#StopDrillingStartPaying pic.twitter.com/elucQXVQ2O
Q&A: What does Biden’s LNG ‘pause’ mean for global emissions? | @daisydunnesci @Josh_Gabbatiss
— Carbon Brief (@CarbonBrief) February 1, 2024
Read here https://t.co/UgoYnHK6GM pic.twitter.com/ghWyEzx5Mm
Scientists have uncovered vast stores of clean-burning hydrogen underground.
— Yale Environment 360 (@YaleE360) February 1, 2024
Says one, “Even if we could extract 1 percent of what I believe is down there, we could supply all our hydrogen needs for hundreds of years."https://t.co/E7Fswi2HOb
Wind and solar capacity in south-east Asia climbs 20% in just one year, report finds | @MollyLempriere @GlobalEnergyMon
— Carbon Brief (@CarbonBrief) February 1, 2024
Read here: https://t.co/epr88tzN9G pic.twitter.com/wHsN0vgvfb
Tory donor’s oil and gas company given North Sea licence after £150,000 fine
— Brian McHugh (@BrianMcHugh2011) February 2, 2024
Well nowhttps://t.co/Q2XR91YuJl
More on the Environment and Nature:
Sure there is going to be a lot of food on the table when the Bees are gone
— GO GREEN (@ECOWARRIORSS) February 1, 2024
You will not allow any land to be set aside for Bees
"In the EU, 84% of crops at least partially depend on pollination by insects, and restoring pollinator habitats helps improve future food security" https://t.co/ZPSi4OZ6B4 pic.twitter.com/lyHbHrLfci
As the #Earth's #climate continues to rise, more and more of its lungs (forests) are destroyed and replaced with scar tissue. A wildfire in #Argentina – Los Alerces National Park has been ongoing for 6 days and has burned more than 2,300 hectares. pic.twitter.com/gX5yU8HibK
— Peter Dynes (@PGDynes) February 1, 2024
Wildlife depends on trees and forests. Trees provide nesting sites, food, habitat and shelter for a wide variety of animals. From the smallest insects to large predators, everything is represented. We need the protection of existing forests and reforestation worldwide. pic.twitter.com/znBtQzh752
— Green is a mission (@Greenisamissio1) February 1, 2024
More on Other Science and the Beauty of Earth and this Universe:
This repetition is close to my heart
— Green is a mission (@Greenisamissio1) February 1, 2024
Amazing and without words
Founded in 1808, the Botanical Park of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is considered one of the most important in the world. pic.twitter.com/xrlJA3py21
Night thoughts
— Green is a mission (@Greenisamissio1) February 1, 2024
I love progress and technology, but……. pic.twitter.com/51xwDxtqyf
A wonderful relaxed good morning and a blessed day in front of the weekend to my beloved and much appreciated fellow inhabitants of planet Earth on a new day on the journey of life. May God bless you and all your wishes come true. pic.twitter.com/fY5eDSYkjS
— Green is a mission (@Greenisamissio1) February 2, 2024