HOTTEST U.S. WINTER RECORD FALLS FOR THIRD YEAR IN A ROW.Byline: Robert Monroe Staff Writer Overall, this winter has been warmer than average in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. , one of the warmest ever in California and the hottest in 105 years of record-keeping across the nation, climatologists said Friday. A new report from the National Climatic Data Center attributed the national warming trend - the third consecutive record-breaking warm winter - to a transition phase from El Nino to La Nina La Niña n. A cooling of the ocean surface off the western coast of South America, occurring periodically every 4 to 12 years and affecting Pacific and other weather patterns. and global warming global warming, the gradual increase of the temperature of the earth's lower atmosphere as a result of the increase in greenhouse gases since the Industrial Revolution. possibly caused by destruction of the ozone layer ozone layer or ozonosphere, region of the stratosphere containing relatively high concentrations of ozone, located at altitudes of 12–30 mi (19–48 km) above the earth's surface. by pollution. ``Even the global warming skeptics have come around and said: 'Yeah, things are happening,' '' said Mike Changery, chief of the Climate Monitoring Branch of the data center, a division of the National Weather Service. ``What's not answered by all of this is: Is it part of a cyclical pattern, or are there human influences?'' Until recent weeks of wet and cold weather, the national trend played out in the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. area. Weather watchers at Pierce College In 2006 the Library won a national Excellence award. Academics Pierce College offers associate's degrees, mainly in the arts and sciences. There are also certificate programs in early childhood education, social services, dental hygienist, and others. said December in the Valley was 1.6 degrees warmer than the historical average for that month and January was 1 degree warmer. In California, the three-month period was the fifth warmest in 105 years, with an average temperature of 48.2 degrees. The state's hottest winter on record was in 1990-91 with an average temperature of 49.2 degrees. Nationally, the average temperature for the months of December, January and February in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. was 38.4 degrees, six-tenths of a degree higher than the previous record set in 1998-99 and nine-tenths of a degree warmer than the record holder before that, 1997-98. All 48 states in the continental United States United States territory, including the adjacent territorial waters, located within North America between Canada and Mexico. Also called CONUS. were warmer than average, with one, but only one, Oklahoma, recording its hottest year ever. ``So many states were so close to the top that it made the winter season the warmest overall,'' said Changery. The records cap a warming trend seen since the mid-1970s. Before that, there had been a general nationwide cooling trend extending back about 20 years. Changery said the temperature increase in the latest warming trend has been much stronger than those seen in the early 1900s. Some scientists cautioned against reading a global warming scenario into the recent record-breaking string of winters. Jet Propulsion Laboratory “JPL” redirects here. For other uses, see JPL (disambiguation). Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a NASA research center located in the cities of Pasadena and La Cañada Flintridge, near Los Angeles, California, USA. ocean scientist Bill Patzert said what could be happening globally is not a general warming but simply a rearrangement of worldwide weather patterns. ``Just because the United States has three warm winters, it doesn't mean global warming necessarily,'' he said. ``Asia has had a really cold winter.'' La Nina is blamed for California's wacky weather. Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, had an unusually dry, warm fall. But a cold snap cold snap Noun a short period of cold and frosty weather Noun 1. cold snap - a spell of cold weather cold spell in February drove that month's temperature to 2.3 degrees below normal. And now an expected La Nina pattern has temporarily waned, allowing the jet stream to dip south and send winter storms to California. But, overall, the jet stream's dodge of the United States has been responsible for record-breaking warmth the past two winters. The cold-bearing wind blowing high in the atmosphere stayed north of the Canadian border, Changery said. ``It just never made its southern excursion this winter like it normally would,'' he said. Climate forecasters predict next winter will see a return to more normal temperatures. Jim Laver, deputy director of the Climate Prediction Climate prediction refers to :
``When you get into next winter, I think we're thinking now that it should be kind of a neutral winter,'' Lavin said. ``That could be one of the things that might break that string. One thing that would be interesting is if it doesn't break that string.'' CAPTION(S): Chart Chart: (color) HOT TOPIC The United States is experiencing the hottest winter in 105 years. California and the San Fernando Valley have also been warmer than normal. United States average temperature, December, January and February: 1999-2000......Historical Mean 38.4 degrees...N/A California average temperature: 1999-2000......Historical Mean 48.2 degrees...45.6 degrees Woodland Hills average temperature: 1999-2000......Historical Mean 54.7 degrees...54.6 degrees SOURCE: National Climatic Data Center, Continental Weather Service |
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