{"id":34284,"date":"2012-01-20T15:56:53","date_gmt":"2012-01-20T20:56:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/planetsave.com\/?p=27931"},"modified":"2012-01-20T15:56:53","modified_gmt":"2012-01-20T20:56:53","slug":"2011-hottest-la-nina-year-on-record-eleventh-hottest-overall-noaa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planetsave.com\/articles\/2011-hottest-la-nina-year-on-record-eleventh-hottest-overall-noaa\/","title":{"rendered":"2011 Hottest La Ni\u00f1a Year on Record, 11th-Hottest Overall (NOAA)"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

The U.S.\u00a0National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) both released their final evaluations of global temperatures in 2011 yesterday. They provide two of the longest-standing and most reliable annual evaluations of the climate, using data from the\u00a0Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) and\u00a0National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).<\/p>\n

While there are always going to be slight differences (since they use slightly different methodologies and instruments for collecting the data), their trends, as well as those from other notable temperature databases, line up pretty closely. Here’s a 2010 graph of global temperature anomalies<\/a> from these databases (as well as a few others) since 1890, to give you a graphic example of this:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

See how closely they match up?<\/p>\n

You can also see how closely the match up when non-human factors influencing temperature are removed<\/a>\u00a0(according to one recent study) in this graph below:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I’ll get into NASA’s 2011 data and notes<\/a> in another post in a moment; will just focus on NOAA’s findings in this one.<\/p>\n

2011 Global Temperatures & Weather (NOAA)<\/h2>\n

So, yesterday, NOAA scientists from the NCDC reported that while\u00a0La Ni\u00f1a events kept the world cooler than in some very recent years, “2011 tied with 1997 for the 11th warmest year on record.” Interestingly, in the 21st century, it was the 2nd-coolest year on record, while it tied the 2nd-warmest year of the 20th century.\u00a0La Ni\u00f1a, which has a strong cooling effect, kept it ‘mild’ in these days of extreme warming.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
"Global average temperatures during El Ni\u00f1o and La Ni\u00f1a years." 2011 was the warmest La Ni\u00f1a year on record. Credit: NOAA\/NCDC.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, it was pointed out that 2011 was actually the hottest\u00a0La Ni\u00f1a year on record.<\/p>\n

In the U.S., “the average temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 53.8 degrees F, 1.0 degree F above the 20th century average, making it the 23rd warmest year on record.”<\/p>\n

Average precipitation across the U.S. was fairly normal, but that’s actually a little inadvertently deceiving. Extreme, record-breaking drought in some areas of the country was essentially matched by extreme precipitation in other areas. In other words, exactly what the climate doctors have been predicting for many moons.<\/p>\n

\"climate<\/a>
"Selected Annual Climate Records for 2011 -- Green dots show the wettest, yellow dots the driest, red dots the warmest and blue dots the coolest records." (Credit: NOAA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As they also note, the U.S. had a record 14 weather extremes that each caused over $1 billion in damage (and perhaps one more that it still being analyzed).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
"From extreme drought, heat waves and floods to unprecedented tornado outbreaks, hurricanes, wildfires and winter storms, a record 14 weather and climate disasters in 2011 each caused $1 billion or more in damages \u2014 and most regrettably, loss of human lives and property." (Credit: NOAA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Here are some more national and global highlights from NOAA:<\/p>\n

Nationally<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n