Weekly Global Climate Highlights

1. Canada:

RELATIVELY MILD WEATHER CONTINUES Temperatures averaged 6°C to 12°C above normal, with locally higher positive departures (up to +21°C) reported. Highs generally exceeded -10°C south of 60°N, but lows were generally below -20°C [WARM - Up to 13 weeks].

2. British Columbia:

SUBNORMAL PRECIPITATION PERSISTS Little or no precipitation was reported across most of British Columbia, but orographically-favored locations of coastal British Columbia and Vancouver Island reported 50 to 200 mm during the past week. Some interior locations reported fewer than 20 mm of precipitation during the last 4 weeks, with totals among the lowest 10% of the climatological distribution [DRY - Up to 6 weeks].

3. Western United States:

MORE PACIFIC STORMS DELIVER HEAVY PRECIPITATION Pacific storms dumped 50 to 250 mm of precipitation on much of northern California and southwestern Oregon during the past week. Four-week totals of 100 to 260 mm were among the highest 10% of the climatological distribution for the first 4 weeks of December [WET - Up to 5 weeks].

4. Central and Eastern United States:

WINTER STORM RAGES ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN STATES Up to 25 cm of snow fell on southwestern Missouri, northern Arkansas, and northeastern Oklahoma while up to 100 cm of snow buried parts of eastern Upstate New York and western New England. Although the storm delivered a "White Christmas" to many areas, press reports indicated that the storm claimed several lives and disrupted transportation as it trekked from the south-central states northeastward through New England [Episodic Events].

5. North-Central United States and Adjacent Canada:

STILL VERY DRY Fewer than 25 mm of precipitation fell on the region during the past week, allowing 8-week totals to remain below 100 mm. Precipitation shortfalls for the last 56 days ranged from 50 to 125 mm [DRY - Up to 11 weeks].

6. Northern and Central South America:

ABOVE-NORMAL TEMPERATURES PREVAIL Weekly temperature departures of +2°C to +4°C covered most of South America from central Brazil northward to the Caribbean, with highs generally in the thirties (°C) and lows in the twenties (°C) [WARM - Up to 7 weeks].

7. East-Central South America:

MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINS RETURN Showers and thundershowers dumped 50 to 200 mm of rain on much of Uruguay, extreme southern Brazil, and adjacent parts of Argentina as very wet weather resumed across the region. During the last 13 weeks, 300 to 1000 mm of rain has accumulated, with a few stations receiving 1000 to 1500 mm. Highly variable 91-day moisture excesses ranged from a low of 55 mm to a high of 1125 mm [WET - Up to 18 weeks].

8. Southeastern Europe:

LARGE SHORT-TERM MOISTURE SURPLUSES REMAIN Most of the region received 10 to 50 mm of precipitation, with locally higher totals (up to 200 mm) in east-central Italy and west-central portions of Former Yugoslavia. Total precipitation for the last 8 weeks ranged from 100 to 530 mm, resulting in short-term moisture excesses of 50 to 365 mm. The largest positive departures were in the northern portions of Greece and Italy [WET - Up to 8 weeks].

9. Northern and Central Europe:

STILL ABNORMALLY DRY Little or no precipitation fell on Europe from Sweden, Poland, and Slovakia eastward through European Russia to western Siberia. Light to moderate precipitation provided limited relief to Norway, Denmark, and Germany. Most of the extensive region received fewer than 150 mm of precipitation since November 3, resulting in shortfalls of 50 to 200 mm. Larger deficits (200 to 350 mm) were reported across Norway [DRY - Up to 8 weeks].

10. Eastern Europe and Western Asia:

COLD WEATHER DOMINATES REGION Weekly temperature departures ranged from -2°C across the western fringes of eastern Europe to -18°C in European Russia and western Siberia. The mercury failed to reach the freezing mark in most of Scandinavia and Russia while readings below -20°C penetrated as far west as Poland and as far south as Turkey. Lows of -30°C to -42°C dominated most of western Russia [COLD - Up to 13 weeks].

11. Kenya and Tanzania:

MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINS REPORTED Showers and thundershowers delivered 25 to 100 mm of rain to parts of Kenya and Tanzania last week, with locally higher amounts (up to 200 mm) soaking central Tanzania. Precipitation totals for December so far ranged from 100 to 325 mm, and were among the highest 10% of the climatological distribution for the first 4 weeks of December [WET - Up to 5 weeks].

12. Southeastern Africa:

SCATTERED SHOWERS DELIVER MORE RELIEF Highly variable precipitation last week ranged from 10 to 100 mm, with isolated heavier amounts (up to 200 mm) in western Zimbabwe. Eight-week rainfall was generally less than 150 mm, resulting in short-term moisture deficits of 60 to 260 mm [DRY - Up to 9 weeks].

13. Eastern Asia:

COLD AIR REMAINS ENTRENCHED Temperatures were generally 2°C to 12°C below normal across the region, with large negative departures (-12°C to -17°C) reported in Mongolia and adjacent parts of northern China. Minimum temperatures fell below -10°C across the region, with readings below -20°C pushing as far south as central China and northern North Korea. Lows in Mongolia ranged from -30°C down to -49°C. Despite subnormal temperatures, the mercury climbed above freezing across the southern half of the region [COLD - Up to 13 weeks].

14. Japan, Korea, and China:

HEAVY PRECIPITATION ABATES Precipitation totaled 25 to 100 mm in Guangxi, Guangdong, and southern Hunan provinces of southern China, and similar amounts fell on the northern and western coasts of Honshu Island of Japan. Elsewhere, fewer than 25 mm of precipitation were measured, providing some relief from the abnormally wet weather. Generally, 8-week totals ranged from 100 to 400 mm, yielding short-term moisture surpluses of 50 to 200 mm, with locally higher totals (up to 1100 mm) and excesses (up to +690 mm) in parts of southern Japan [WET - Up to 7 weeks].

15. South-Central and Southeastern Asia:

WARM ANOMALY WEAKENS Temperatures were only 1°C to 3°C above normal across the region, with highs in the thirties (°C). The mercury remained above 20°C across southeastern Asia, but lows dropped below 20°C across India [WARM - Up to 7 weeks].

16. Northwestern Australia:

WET ANOMALY DEVELOPS Between 25 and 50 mm of rain fell on the interior portions of northern Western Australia during the past week. Four-week totals of 160 to 230 mm were among the highest 10% of the climatological distribution for December 1 through 28 [WET - Up to 7 weeks].

17. Central and Eastern Australia:

VERY DRY CONDITIONS SPREAD Little or no rain fell on much of central and eastern Australia, except for 10 to 50 mm on parts of Tasmania. During the last 3 months, fewer than 100 mm of rain has accumulated, resulting in 13-week deficits of 50 to 240 mm [DRY - Up to 14 weeks].