The earth’s climate was influenced by a moderate El Niño in the tropical Pacific Ocean at the beginning of 2003. This ENSO warm event developed during October–November of 2002, and eventually dissipated during March–April 2003, giving way to near-neutral ENSO conditions for the remainder of the year. Despite the cessation of El Niño during the boreal spring, the ENSO warm event affected regional precipitation anomalies over a broad area of the Pacific basin, including wet anomalies along the west coast of South America, and dry anomalies in eastern Australia, the southwest Pacific, and Hawaii. The global mean surface temperature in 2003 was within the highest three annual values observed during the period of regular instrumental records (beginning in approximately 1880), but below the 1998 record-high value. Global surface temperatures in 2003 were 0.46°C (0.83°F) above the 1961–90 mean, according to one U.K. record, which ranked as third highest in this archive. In the U.S. temperature archive, the 2003 anomaly was also 0.46°C (0.83°F), equivalent to the 2002 value, which ranked second over the period of record. Similar to the surface temperature anomalies, satellite retrievals of global midtropospheric temperatures ranked 2003 as third warmest relative to the 1979–98 mean value.
Halpert, M. S.; Ropelewski, C. F.; Kopman, J. D.; Angell, J. K.; Bell, G. D.; Garrett, D. R.; Gelman, G. E.; Janowiak, J. E.; Kousky, V. E.; Miller, A. J.; Miskus, D.; Tinker, R.; Christy, J. R.; Spencer, R. W.; Heim Jr., R. R.; Stowe, L. L.; Karl, T. R.; Laing, M.; Parker, D. E.; Reynolds, R. W.; Ji, M.; Leetmaa, A.; Jones, P. D.; Dutton, E.; Peterson, J.; Van den Dool, H. M.; Smith, T. M.; Schultz, P. A.; Sabol, P.; O'Lenic, E. A.; Long, C. S.; Churchill, R. H.; Chaplin, J. M.; Basist, A. N.; Doty, B. E.;
Published Date:
1993
Series:
State of the Climate
Description:
This report is designed to present a timely summary of recent observations of the global climate system and an early assessment and interpretation of the major climate anomalies of the past year. Our priority is to present the summary of data as soon...
In 2015, the dominant greenhouse gases released into Earth’s atmosphere—carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide—all continued to reach new high levels. At Mauna Loa, Hawaii, the annual CO2 concentration increased by a record 3.1 ppm, exceedi...
The year was characterized by a transition from a waning La Niña to a strengthening El Niño, which first developed in June. By December, SSTs were more than 2.0°C above average over large parts of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific. Eastwa...
The State of the Climate in 2006 report summarizes the year’s weather and climate conditions, both globally and regionally. In addition, the year is placed into a long-term climatological context. Furthermore, notable events are also discussed. Ove...
From a global perspective, the annual average surface temperature in 2004 was the fourth highest value observed since regular instrumental records began in 1880. Global surface air temperatures in 2004 were 0.44°C (0.79°F) above the 1961–90 mean,...
Halpert, M. S.; Ropelewski, C. F.; Kopman, J. D.; Angell, J. K.; Bell, G. D.; Garrett, D. R.; Gelman, G. E.; Hansen, J.; Kroczynski, S.; Morgan, A.; Janowiak, J. E.; Kousky, V. E.; Miller, A. J.; Miskus, D.; Tinker, R.; Christy, J. R.; Spencer, R. W.; Heim Jr., R. R.; Stowe, L. L.; Karl, T. R.; Laing, M.; Parker, D. E.; Reynolds, R. W.; Ji, M.; Leetmaa, A.; Jones, P. D.; Dutton, E.; Peterson, J.; Van den Dool, H. M.; Smith, T. M.; Robinson, D. A.; Gruza, G.; Nagtani, R.; Tans, P.; Schultz, P. A.; Sabol, P.; O'Lenic, E. A.; Long, C. S.; Churchill, R. H.; Chaplin, J. M.; Basist, A. N.; Doty, B. E.;
Published Date:
1994
Series:
State of the Climate
Description:
The possibility of long-term climate change continues to be a concern and focus for scientific investigations, development of government policy, and planning of commercial interests, especially in agriculture and water resources. However, the year-by...
Halpert, M. S.; Reitenbach, R.; Sterin, A.; Nelson, P.; Salstein, D.; Wright, W.; Ropelewski, C. F.; Kopman, J. D.; Angell, J. K.; Bell, G. D.; Garrett, D. R.; Gelman, G. E.; Hansen, J.; Kroczynski, S.; Andrews, G.; Harrison, J.; Conway, T.; Dlugokencky, E.; Masarie, K.; Gray, W.; Rosenhagen, G.; Cullum, D.; Morgan, A.; Folland, C.; O'Donnell, M.; Brown, W.; Janowiak, J. E.; Kousky, V. E.; Miller, A. J.; Miskus, D.; Tinker, R.; Christy, J. R.; Spencer, R. W.; Heim Jr., R. R.; Stowe, L. L.; Karl, T. R.; Laing, M.; Parker, D. E.; Reynolds, R. W.; Ji, M.; Leetmaa, A.; Jones, P. D.; Dutton, E.; Peterson, J.; Van den Dool, H. M.; Smith, T. M.; Robinson, D. A.; Gruza, G.; Nagtani, R.; Tans, P.; Schultz, P. A.; Sabol, P.; O'Lenic, E. A.; Long, C. S.; Churchill, R. H.; Chaplin, J. M.; Basist, A. N.; Doty, B. E.;
Published Date:
1995
Series:
State of the Climate
Description:
The possibility of long-term climate change continues to be a concern and focus for scientific investigations and for the development of government policies and international agreements. However, for commercial interests, especially in agriculture an...
Bell, G. D.; Halpert, M. S.; Ropelewski, C. F.; Kousky, V. E.; Douglas, A. V.; Schnell, R. C.; Gelman, M. E.;
Published Date:
1999
Series:
State of the Climate
Description:
The global climate during 1998 was affected by opposite extremes of the ENSO cycle, with one of the strongest Pacific warm episodes (El Niño) in the historical record continuing during January–early May and Pacific cold episode (La Niña) conditio...
Halpert, M. S.; Ropelewski, C. F.; Kopman, J. D.; Angell, J. K.; Bell, G. D.; Garrett, D. R.; Gelman, G. E.; Janowiak, J. E.; Kousky, V. E.; Miller, A. J.; Miskus, D.; Sabol, P.; Tinker, R.; Christy, J. R.; Spencer, R. W.; Heim Jr., R. R.; Stowe, L. L.;
Published Date:
1992
Series:
State of the Climate
Description:
The purpose of this report is to present a technical resource which can be used to address questions concerning changes to the global climate system.
The global climate during 1997 was affected by both extremes of the El NiÒoñSouthern Oscillation (ENSO), with weak Pacific cold episode conditions prevailing during January and February, and one of the strongest Pacific warm episodes (El NiÒo) in ...
Bell, G. D.; Halpert, M. S.; Schnell, R. C.; Higgins, R. W.; Lawrimore, J.; Kousky, V. E.; Tinker, R.; Thiaw, W. M.; Chelliah, M.; Artusa, A.;
Published Date:
2000
Series:
State of the Climate
Description:
The global climate during 1999 was impacted by Pacific cold episode (La Niña) conditions throughout the year, which resulted in regional precipitation and atmospheric circulation patterns across the Pacific Ocean and the Americas that are generally ...
The climate of 1996 can be characterized by several phenomena that reflect substantial deviations from the mean state of the atmosphere persisting from months to seasons. First, mature cold-episode conditions persisted across the tropical Pacific fro...
Waple, A. M.; Lawrimore, J. H.; Halpert, M. S.; Bell, G. D.; Higgins, W.; Lyon, B.; Menne, M. J.; Gleason, K. L.; Schnell, R. C.; Christy, J. R.; Thiaw, W. M.; Wright, W. J.; Salinger, M. J.; Alexander, L.; Stone, R. S.; Camargo, S. J.;
Published Date:
2002
Series:
State of the Climate
Description:
Global temperatures in 2001 were 0.51°C (0.92°F) above the long-term (1880–2000) average, which places 2001 as the second warmest year in the 122-year instrumental record. Land temperatures were 0.75°C (1.35°F) above average and ocean temperatu...
Halpert, M. S.; Bell, G. D.; Kousky, V. E.; Ropelewski, C. F.;
Published Date:
1996
Series:
State of the Climate
Description:
The El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon is a major contributor to the observed year-to-year variability in the Pacific Ocean and in the global atmospheric circulation. The short-term climate system witnessed the return to the mature phase ...
The combined land and ocean surface temperature in 2007 fell within the 10 highest on record, while the average land temperature was the warmest since global records began in 1880. In the low to midtroposphere, the annual global mean temperature was ...
Neutral ENSO conditions at the beginning of 2002 gave way to a strengthening El Niño episode during boreal summer. Weather patterns in many areas of the world reflected the warm phase conditions. The average global temperature in 2002 was 0.45°C ab...
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