Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for Alaska and Northwestern Canada for September – November 2020; outlook for January – March 2021. Dated December 2020.
A strong storm moved from the northwest Bering Sea, across Chukotka and into the southwest Chukchi Sea November 5 to 7. The storm brought snow and rain to St. Lawrence Island, the Bering Strait and most of the Seward Peninsula. Heavy snow also fell over parts of Interior Alaska on November 5-7 from the same storm system.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for September – November 2020. Dated December 2020.
Temperatures were above-average during the fall west of the Rocky Mountains, favored by a strong high pressure ridge anchored along the coast. Although fall is typically dry in the southern half of the West, the persistent ridge prevented landfalling Pacific storms, leading to well-below normal precipitation in many regions.
Provides information on the typical La Niña winter pattern; the La Niña outlook; potential impacts; and comparisons of conditions during previous La Niña years.
NOAA’s Regional Climate Services Program created these outlooks to inform the public about climate impacts within their respective regions. Each regional report contains easy-to-understand language, and anyone can access them through the Drought Portal.
A presentation at the Inland Pacific Northwest DEWS Water Year Outlook meeting, November 10, 2016.
Discussion of evaporative demand (how “thirsty” the atmosphere is), how to calculate the evaporative demand index, and why it matters as a leading indicator of drought.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for June – August 2020. Dated September 2020.
Summer temperatures were well above normal in California, Nevada, the Four Corners and Wyoming. Pacific Northwest and Montana temperatures were near normal or above normal with a few small pockets below normal. Large areas of the West observed a drier than normal summer with southeast California into Arizona being the driest. This is the second year in a row with “missing” monsoon rains.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for September – November 2019. Dated December 2019.
Autumn temperatures were well below normal across the northern tier of the region while near to above normal temperatures were observed across California and the Southwest. Several areas of the West reported below normal autumn precipitation including northern California, eastern Utah, and western Colorado. Montana, northern Wyoming, northwestern Utah, and the Southwest reported above normal precipitation.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for June – August 2019. Dated September 2019.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for March – May 2019. Dated June 2019.
Spring temperatures were variable across the West. The North Pacific storm track remained active through the spring season bringing above normal precipitation to much of the West.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for December 2018 – February 2019. Dated March 2019.
Persistent stormy conditions helped to maintain near-to-below normal temperatures across much of the West this winter. Abundant precipitation and moderate temperatures helped alleviate drought conditions in large areas of the West.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for December 2019 – February 2020. Dated March 2020.
Winter temperatures were above normal for much of the West. Near to below normal temperatures were observed in the Central Rockies states. Scattered areas across the northern tier of the West reported above normal precipitation due to an active, poleward shifted storm track. In contrast, western Oregon and the Southwest observed near-to-below normal precipitation, due to persistent ridging during January and February.