1. Canada:
COLD ANOMALY SPREADS
Temperatures were 3°C to 12°C below normal across much of Canada
from northeastern British Columbia and southwestern Northwest Territories
eastward to the Atlantic Ocean. Weekly lows ranged from -20°C to -50°C,
and the mercury failed to reach -10°C across the region, except in
parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan [COLD - Up to 3 weeks].
2. Southwestern United States:
COLD AIR REMAINS ENTRENCHED
Temperatures averaged 2°C to 8°C below normal across California,
Nevada, and western Arizona. Lows reached -20°C as far south as northern
Arizona and northeastern California while subfreezing lows dominated the
region, except at a few immediate coastal locations while highs of 20°C
or higher were restricted to parts of southern California and Arizona [COLD
- Up to 3 weeks].
3. Upper Midwest:
STILL UNUSUALLY DRY
Little or no precipitation fell on the region for the 9th consecutive week.
Since precipitation normals are generally low during the winter months,
short-term moisture deficits were generally below 70 mm [DRY - Up to 9
weeks].
4. Mid-Atlantic States:
SHORT-TERM MOISTURE DEFICITS REPORTED AS DRY WEATHER RETURNS
Precipitation totals were generally below 25 mm for the 3rd consecutive
week across much of the mid-Atlantic region. During the last 8 weeks, precipitation
totaled 40 to 140 mm, yielding shortfalls of 50 to 100 mm [DRY - Up to
7 weeks].
5. United States:
SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM TREKS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES
A powerful winter storm brought significant freezing rain to Oklahoma,
Kansas, and Missouri while up to 30 cm of snow buried parts of Nebraska,
Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan. The storm then moved eastward, bringing a
wintry mix to much of New England. According to press reports, the storm
claimed several lives, disrupted power supplies, and snarled transportation
across much of the affected region [Episodic Events].
6. United Kingdom:
STRONG STORMS BATTER UNITED KINGDOM
Powerful storm systems delivered strong winds and dropped 25 to 100 mm
of precipitation on the United Kingdom. According to press reports, the
severe weather claimed several lives, damaged ships, and caused significant
flooding [Episodic Events].
7. Morocco:
LITTLE OR NO RAIN DURING THE LAST FIVE WEEKS
Little or no precipitation occurred during the last week, but 8-week moisture
deficits were still generally less than 50 mm [DRY - Up to 5 weeks].
8. Southeastern Africa:
DRY ANOMALY DEVELOPS
Fewer than 50 mm of rain was reported across the region last week, except
for isolated total of 50 to 100 mm along the northern and western fringes.
Totals for the last 4 weeks were among the lowest 10% of the climatological
distribution at a few locations [DRY - Up to 4 weeks].
9. Central Asia:
UNSEASONABLY MILD WEATHER PREVAILS
Weekly temperature departures ranged from +6°C to +20°C across
the northern half of Kazakhstan and much of southwestern Siberia, with
highs climbing above the freezing mark at most locations. Lows were above
-20°C in many areas and the mercury stayed above -10°C in most
of Kazakhstan and a small section of southwestern Siberia [WARM - Up to
3 weeks].
10. Japan:
VERY WET WEATHER CONTINUES
Between 25 and 100 mm of precipitation soaked most of Honshu, with weekly
totals of 100 to 200 mm reported along the exposed western coastline. Short-term
moisture surpluses on Honshu ranged from 100 to 300 mm [WET - Up to 6 weeks].
11. China:
COLD CONDITIONS OVERSPREAD PARTS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL CHINA
Temperatures averaged 2°C to 6°C below normal across west-central,
central, and south-central China, with weekly departures reaching -7°C
near the India and Pakistan borders. Lows plummeted below -20°C as
far south as 30°N and reached -40°C at Bayanbulak (43°N)
[COLD - Up to 3 weeks].
12. North-Central Australia:
MOISTURE DEFICITS PERSIST
Fewer than 50 mm of rain fell on most of the northern portion of the Northern
Territory. Short-term moisture shortages of 100 to 410 mm accumulated since
December 9 [DRY - Up to 9 weeks].