1. Alaska:
BITTERLY COLD AIR REMAINS ENTRENCHED
Large negative temperature departures (-4°C to -9°C) dominated
western Alaska during the last week. Lows plummeted below -20°C across
most of the state while highs above the freezing mark were limited to the
Aleutians and the Alaska Peninsula [COLD - Up to 5 weeks].
2. North America:
MILD WEATHER DOMINATES
Temperatures averaged 6°C to 10°C above normal from northern Texas
northward to the Arctic and from the Rockies eastward through the Prairie
Provinces of Canada and the Corn Belt of the United States while weekly
departures of +3°C to +6°C covered the remainder of the region.
Highs above 20°C reached as far north as central Nevada in the West,
and penetrated as far north as the Dakotas farther east. Subfreezing lows
reached as far south as the southern Rockies, but only reached the southern
portions of Kansas and Missouri [WARM - Up to 5 weeks].
3. Central and Eastern United States:
HEAVY RAINS INUNDATE TEXAS; DRYNESS PREVAILS ELSEWHERE
Up to 330 mm of rain drenched parts of Texas, resulting in significant
flooding and loss of life, according to press reports [Episodic Events].
Little or no precipitation fell on the central and eastern states from
southern Georgia and the Gulf Coast of Louisiana northward to the Canadian
border. Most of the region received less than 100 mm of precipitation between
September 23 and November 17, resulting in 8-week precipitation shortfalls
of 50 to 200 mm. According to press reports, the dry weather aggravated
wildfire conditions. See the United
States Drought Monitor for more details [DRY - Up to 8 weeks].
4. Uruguay and Argentina:
WET ANOMALY PERSISTS
Torrential rains (100 to 200 mm) doused a few locations in northern Argentina,
but light to moderate precipitation (10 to 50 mm) prevailed across Argentina
and Uruguay. Precipitation totals for the last 13 weeks ranged from 100
to 700 mm, yielding moisture surpluses of 50 to 320 mm for the last 3 months
[WET - Up to 12 weeks].
5. Argentina:
COOL CONDITIONS OVERSPREAD REGION
Weekly departures of -2°C to -4°C dominated central Argentina,
with lows reaching 10°C as far north as San Luis (33°S). The mercury
remained below 30°C except at a few locations on the fringes of the
depicted region [COLD - 2 weeks].
6. Iberian Peninsula:
COLD ANOMALY DEVELOPS
Temperatures were 2°C to 5°C below normal in Spain and Portugal,
with departures approaching -7°C at a few isolated stations. Subfreezing
lows prevailed across the Iberian Peninsula while the mercury failed to
reach 20°C except in the southeastern portions of Spain [COLD - 2 weeks].
7. Southeastern Europe:
DRYNESS LIMITED TO THE BALKANS
Abundant rains (25 to 100 mm) ended the dryness across much of southern
Europe, but little or no rain fell on most of Bulgaria, central and southern
Romania, and eastern sections of former Yugoslavia. The region has received
fewer than 120 mm during the last 8 weeks, resulting in precipitation shortfalls
of 50 to 160 mm [DRY - Up to 9 weeks].
8. Southern Africa:
ABUNDANT RAINS CONTINUE
Moderate to heavy rains (25 to 100 mm) dominated most of the region, with
torrential rains (100 to 200 mm) drenching eastern South Africa. Between
100 and 300 mm of rain has fallen on the region since September 23, allowing
short-term moisture excesses of 50 to 200 mm to accumulate [WET - Up to
7 weeks].
9. China and Japan:
A FAVORABLY DRY WEEK
Except for 25 to 50 mm of rain in western Yunnan province of China, little
or no precipitation fell on most of the region during the past week. Short-term
moisture surpluses of 100 to 150 mm were restricted to western Yunnan while
8-week excesses of 100 to 250 mm dominated western Japan [WET - Up to 7
weeks].
10. Western Australia:
COOL CONDITIONS PERSIST
Weekly departures of -2°C to -5°C covered most of Western Australia
during the past week. Temperatures dropped below 20°C across most of
the region, except along the immediate northern coast, and lows dipped
below 10°C as far north as Charleville (26°S). Despite the large
negative weekly departures, highs soared above 30°C in most areas and
reached 40°C in northeastern Western Australia [COLD - Up to 7 weeks].