NCDC: National Climatic Data Center. That's right. The governmental agency who often has an agenda so as to continue their funding stream. The graphics I am showing you can be reproduced from their website with a little effort. Here is their site if you are so inclined:
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/cag3/cag3.html
The number crunching which I show below in the graphics come from a website I peruse often; Watts Up With That, edited by Anthony Watts. Here, the various regions of the lower 48 US have been scrutinized as to their decadal temps in the summer months, the winter months, and their annual temps. These trends are compared to the averages over the previous century. You can clearly see that the trend is for colder winters and for the most part, cooler summers. Now I admit that 10 years does not make a great data sample timescale for the earth sciences, specifically atmospheric temps in the troposphere. Nonetheless, take a look for yourselves....first the winter temps....
Now the summer temps....
And finally the annual average temps.....look at how only the northeast region is the only region where the temps have increased...probably due to improper siting of temperature instrumentation as development increases in this region!
Hence, one can conclude as based on the data supplied by the National Climatic Data Center, it seems clear that during the last decade, there has been a cooling trend in the annual mean temperature of the lower 48 contiguous United States! Let's see how the GW crowd puts a spin on this?!?
However, our spell of mild November wx will continue through next weekend with a brief hiatus around Thursday of this week. But both the Euro and the GFS hint at above normal temps now through ~10 days from now. Take a look at both models side by side at days 8-10. Not perfect, but reasonable agreement.
And the GFS ensembles show a very warm beginning to next week as evidenced by this map for the surface temps running about +12F for early next week! That's bullish for warmth as it is the ensembles and at this medium range, they often tend to smooth extremes. However, don't get too used to this November warmth as the cold is building in Alaska and the NW Territories and the long range modeling is hinting that this cold will be unleashed SE by Thanksgiving week.
But that is a long ways away....so enjoy the current insouciant atmospheric blessings being bestowed upon us here in the eastern US. There is, just offshore, a major gale center that is whipping up the seas to 20'+. The sailing is not easy so to speak in the shipping lanes of the western Atlantic and will not be this week. Take a look.....
So kick back, enjoy your hour longer week's end last day, and watch what might be a rather entertaining NFL football game this evening on Sunday night football. Will it be as much of a defensive struggle as last night's clash between the titans of today's current college football powers? Time will only tell.....
Have a good week y'all.
Smitty
AA: Some rather interesting lack of global warming data as supplied by our governmental agency called the National Climatic Data Center. Nice weather for us through next weekend it now appears. In fact, early next week we could be +10-15F above normal! Steelers or Ravens tonight?
