9 Billion Dollar Climate Events And 2nd Warmest YTD On Record For U.S.

The latest climate report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says this is the United States’ 2nd warmest year to date (see full report and article here). The warmest temperatures to date have been marked by a growing drought in the Northern Plains, and severe heat and wildfires in the Southwest.

June has been impressive when looking at the month quantitatively. 70.3 degrees Fahrenheit was the average temperature for the continental United States. Most people at this point are probably thinking “well, isn’t June supposed to be warm?” Yes, but 70.3 degrees Fahrenheit is 1.9 degrees Fahrenheit above average (20th Century). This makes June of 2017 the 20th warmest June on record.

Even more eye-opening is the year to date numbers. 50.9 degrees Fahrenheit is the average temperature for the continental United States. This is a staggering 3.4 degrees Fahrenheit above average (20th Century). This makes January-June, 2017, the second warmest first-half of the year on record.

Mean Temperature Departure From Average: YTD (NOAA)

Not only is the year-to-date temperature the second warmest in the 20th-Century records, there have been several noteworthy climate events that have occurred in the United States. The United States experienced 9 billion dollar weather and climate disasters. This period trails only 2011 and 2016 when 10 billion dollar events occurred from January through June.

June 2017 Notable Climate Events (NOAA)

The numbers and figures in this article are directly from NOAA. Again, to see their report click here.