Overview
Each month, we will provide information regarding the previous month’s climate. June 2015 was the warmest June since records began, with the combined average global land and ocean temperature at 1.58° Fahrenheit, or 0.88°Celsius, above the 20th century average.
Highlights Dataset
Dataset: 20150721 EarthNow: June 2015 Highlights
Dataset: 20150721 EarthNow: AUDIO June 2015 Highlights
This dataset shows some of the major June weather and climate highlights from the National Climatic Data Center’s (NCDC) monthly global climate analysis, and serves as an overview of what can be discussed in the datasets that follow. Highlights are noted below.
- Australia: Averaged 2.43° Fahrenheit above normal, making June 2015 the 5th warmest since national records began.
- Turkey: Above average precipitation, with some locations receiving nearly twice their monthly average rainfall.
- Spain: 6th warmest June with temperatures averaging 2.5° Fahrenheit above normal.
- South America: Above normal temperatures during June with some locations experiencing record-breaking warmth.
- United States: Average U.S. temperature for June was 71.4° Fahrenheit, or 2.9°F above the 20th century average, resulting in the 2nd warmest June on record. Meanwhile, drought conditions worsened in the west and northwest.
- Alaska: Extreme warmth combined with sparse snow cover to create dangerous wildfire conditions.
Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies Dataset
Dataset: 20150721 EarthNow: June 2015 SST Anomaly
Dataset: 20150721 EarthNow: AUDIO June 2015 SST Anomaly
- The real-time sea surface temperature anomaly dataset is a great way to visualize the El Niño – Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
- The global sea surface temperature for June 2015 was the highest on record and 1.33° Fahrenheit (0.74° C) above the 20th century average.
- According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, moderate El Niño conditions were present during June 2015. There is a greater than 90% chance that El Niño conditions will continue through the Northern Hemisphere winter, and around an 80% chance it will last into spring 2016.
- Remember blues indicate cooler than average temperatures and reds indicate warmer than average temperatures (white: average).
Snow and Ice Cover Dataset
Dataset: 20150721 EarthNow: June 2015 Snow and Ice Cover
Dataset: 20150721 EarthNow: AUDIO June 2015 Snow and Ice Cover
- Aside from helping to illustrate seasonal changes, the real-time Snow and Ice Cover dataset is a great way to convey sea ice change through time, including discussing how the current sea ice extent compares to other noteworthy years.
- The Arctic sea ice extent for June 2015 was 7.7% below the 1981-2010 average, making it the 3rd smallest June sea ice extent since satellite records began in 1979.
- In Antarctica, the sea ice extent was 7.2% above the 1981-2010 average, the 3rd largest on record for the month of June.
Seasonal Outlooks
Be sure to check out the 3-month seasonal outlooks for August – October.
- Global Temperature Outlook
- Global Precipitation Outlook
- U.S. Drought Outlook
Where do I find the datasets?
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First, check your SOS system to make sure it’s not already in the EarthNow category.
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In addition to the normal files, there is now a “digest” section. This section in the file structure has all of the normal files compiled into one video.
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If not, you can download the datasets and playlist files from this FTP Site.
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Then download and use playlist files at the top of the page (or create your own) and make sure they are in /home/sos/sosrc or /home/sosdemo/sosrc.
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More detailed information here
Helpful Resources for More Information
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http://go.wisc.edu/3nd6pg National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)
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http://go.wisc.edu/9y2618 About ENSO (El Niño/La Niña)
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http://go.wisc.edu/1nx2n3 NCDC’s Global Climate Report
Credits:
EarthNow Team
NOAA
References:
NOAA National Climatic Data Center, State of the Climate: Global Analysis for August 2014, published online September 2014, retrieved on September 29, 2014 from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/.
