From: bath@dw3f.ess.harris.com (Kenneth Bath)
Subject: Re: weather
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 18:25:16 GMT
Reply-To: bath@dw3f.ess.harris.com (Kenneth Bath)
Organization: Harris GISD

I thought I'd follow up what I posted about weather the other
day with the following 1992 weather summary provided 
by the U.S. National Weather Service.

Quote

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
355 PM EDT THU DEC 31 1992

TO:     NWS EMPLOYEES, FAMILY OF SERVICES SUBSCRIBERS, NOAA
        WEATHER WIRE SERVICE SUBSCRIBERS, OTHER NWS PRODUCT USERS

FROM:   NOAA/NWS OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
        CONTACT:   Frank Lepore                     
                   (301)713-0622
                                
                 1992: WEATHER IN ITS EXTREMES 

The weather in 1992 was notable in its extremes, but well within
the expected range of weather and climate variations, according to
meteorologists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's National Meteorological Center.

Ron McPherson, Director, National Meteorological Center, and NOAA
climate researchers, characterized the most "notable" climate
events over North America in their annual weather wrap-up. The year
brought continued drought in the Far West; a very mild winter
(1991-92) in southwest Canada and the northwest and north central
United States; a cool, wet summer and growing season (1992) in the
central and eastern portions of Canada and the U.S.; and severe
storms with record setting devastation across the nation.

Long term drought in the Far West, considered by some experts to be
a once in 400-year event, is now entering its seventh consecutive
year in some places.  Although southern sections of California
recorded surplus winter-time precipitation, drought continued to
adversely affect California's water storage.  Nearly all of the
state's reservoirs are located in the north, and most of this area
received less than 75-percent of its normal November-March
precipitation. Forest fire potential increased in several western
states.

NOAA Climatologists noted that the recent El Nino (1991-92)--a
warming of South Pacific waters-- and the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo
(June 1991), with its global distribution of volcanic particles
high in the atmosphere, may have played some role in the year's
winter and summer temperature anomalies. 

A large portion of North America experienced winter temperatures
which averaged between four and thirteen degrees Fahrenheit above
normal, making the winter of '92 the warmest on record nationally
(since records began in 1895) and the third consecutive December-
March with national temperatures above the long-term average. 
                                                     
Spring-Summer (April through November) temperatures averaged from
one to four degrees Fahrenheit below normal across the eastern two
thirds of the U.S. and Canada.  Despite temperatures much above
normal in the Far West, the eight month average for the entire U.S.
ranked as the 20th coldest such period since 1895. 
                                
The mild winter and cool summer helped reduce natural gas usage and
electric power demand officials said. The nation's gas home heating
customers spent about $1.5-billion less than expected for heating
during the 1991/92 heating season.

The 1992 Atlantic Hurricane season was below normal with six named
storms, four reaching hurricane intensity. The late starting season
developed a small, but brutal, Hurricane Andrew which devastated
parts of the Bahamas, South Florida, and Louisiana in late August. 
Andrew was the third most intense hurricane to make landfall this
century and the most destructive natural disaster in the nation's
history. Andrew took 59 lives, destroyed 61,000 homes, damaged
75,000 others and left 250,000 people homeless according to the
National Association of Independent Insurers.

The eastern Pacific storm season was a record breaker with 27
tropical cyclones and 24 named storms.  The National Weather
Service exhausted its list of storm nicknames prompting the
announcement of a back-up contingency, the Greek alphabet. 

Tornado activity was at near record levels over the United States
for the third consecutive year. Preliminary numbers show as many as
1,300 tornadoes reported across the nation.  Despite this unusually
high number for the year, there were 38 tornado-related deaths,
about half the average for the last 20 years. 

Two record hailstorms pounded central Florida during March.  A hail
storm with hail "drifts" a foot deep in southern Seminole County
caused $25-million dollars in damage.  A second storm with hail
stones as large as grapefruit and softballs produced $60-million
dollars in damage.

NOAA climate analysts say the weather outlook for this winter
(January through March, 1993) is for above normal temperatures (55
percent probability) from Lake Superior across the northern Great
Plains and Intermountain region to the Oregon coast. The northwest,
and western sections of Nevada and Arizona, should expect above
normal temperatures. There is a 65-percent chance for extra warmth
over northwestern Minnesota, the extreme northern Great Plains and
for central and northern California. 

There is a 55-percent chance of below normal winter temperatures in
an area south and east of a line running from west-central Texas
across the middle Mississippi Valley to the eastern Great Lakes and
northern New England, except Maine. Within this area forecasters
say there is at least a 70-percent chance for sub-normal
temperatures in Georgia and at least a 75-percent over the southern
Appalachian region.

Elsewhere temperature forecast probabilities do not depart
significantly from seasonal norms.

Below median precipitation is forecast for the northern Rockies and
Central Intermoutain Region and western sections of the northern
Great Plains, the upper and middle Mississippi Valley, the Great
Lakes Region, the Ohio Valley and Tennessee. There is a 60-percent
chance for below median precipitation over Illinois, Indiana and
southwestern Michigan.

Above median amounts of precipitation are expected (55-percent
probability) over southern sections of New Mexico and Texas and
much of Florida.  Elsewhere precipitation amounts do not depart
significantly from seasonal norms.

End of Quote

Ken Bath
Harris Corporation