Weekly Global Climate Highlights Map for November 2, 2002

1. Alaska and Adjacent Canada:

UNUSUALLY MILD WEATHER CONTINUES
Large temperature departures (+6°C to +12°C) dominated Alaska and adjacent parts of Canada. Highs for the week exceeded 10°C at many locations while lows remained above -20°C across the northern half of Alaska, and above -10°C across the southern half of the state [WARM - Up to 5 weeks].

2. South-Central Alaska:

VERY WET WEATHER EASES
Moderate to heavy precipitation (25 to 200 mm) was restricted to the southern coast of Alaska, with lesser amounts inland. Precipitation totals since September 8 ranged from 100 to 625 mm, resulting in short-term moisture excesses of 50 to 210 mm [WET - Up to 8 weeks].

3. Western United States and Southwestern Canada:

VERY DRY CONDITIONS PERSIST
Little or no rain fell on the Pacific Coasts of the United States and Canada from central California through central British Columbia. Generally less than 150 mm of rain has fallen during the last 4 weeks, yielding 28-day precipitation totals within the lowest 10% of the climatological distribution [DRY - Up to 6 weeks].

4. North America:

SUBNORMAL TEMPERATURES DOMINATE THE UNITED STATES AND SOUTHERN CANADA
Temperatures averaged 6°C to 10°C below normal across the northern Great Plains of the United States and the southern Prairies of Canada while weekly temperatures were generally 2°C to 6°C below normal elsewhere. Minimum temperatures below -20°C penetrated as far south as northwestern Wyoming and the higher elevations of central Nevada while subfreezing lows generally reached 35°N. Highs of 20°C or above were restricted to the southern United States [COLD - Up to 6 weeks].

5. Brazil:

HIGH TEMPERATURES ABATE
Temperatures were generally 2°C to 3°C above normal across most of Brazil, with locally higher temperature departures reaching +5°C. Highs were generally in the thirties (°C) while lows were generally in the teens and twenties (°C) [WARM - Ending at 7 weeks].

6. East-Central South America:

HIGHLY VARIABLE PRECIPITATION REPORTED
Scattered moderate to heavy rains (50 to 200 mm) fell on parts of the region while nearby locations received fewer than 25 mm. During the last 8 weeks, precipitation totaled 100 to 600 mm, resulting in short-term moisture surpluses of 100 to 500 mm [WET - Up to 10 weeks].

7. Scandinavia:

STILL ABNORMALLY COLD
Weekly departures of -2°C to -6°C covered much of Scandinavia. The mercury dropped below -20°C across the northern portions of Norway, Sweden, and Finland while subfreezing lows prevailed across the remainder of Scandinavia [COLD - Up to 5 weeks].

8. Europe:

MOISTURE SURPLUSES REMAIN
Light to moderate (10 to 50 mm) precipitation fell on much of the region, with heavier amounts (50 to 100 mm) reported in Great Britain, Ireland, Austria, Poland, and Slovakia. Precipitation totaled 100 to 500 mm during the last 8 weeks, resulting in short-term moisture excesses of 50 to 200 mm [WET - Up to 9 weeks].

9. Eastern Scandinavia:

DRY ANOMALY DEVELOPS
Little or no precipitation fell on Finland and eastern Sweden during the past week. Between September 8 and November 2, eastern Scandinavia received fewer than 110 mm of precipitation, allowing short-term moisture deficits to range from 50 to 125 mm [DRY - Up to 9 weeks].

10. Eastern Asia:

COLD AIR SHIFTS EASTWARD
Temperatures averaging 6°C to 10°C below normal covered much of Korea, Mongolia, and northern China while weekly departures of -2°C to -6°C prevailed elsewhere. The mercury plummeted below -20°C across much of Mongolia, Siberia, and adjacent parts of northern China while readings dropped below 20°C along the southern fringes. Highs failed to reach the freezing mark in Mongolia while the mercury remained below 30°C throughout central China [COLD - Up to 3 weeks].

11. Western Australia:

WARM ANOMALY WEAKENS
Temperatures were only 2°C to 3°C above normal across Western Australia this past week. Highs ranged from 40°C to 45°C across the interior northern portions, and readings were in the thirties (°C) elsewhere [WARM - Up to 3 weeks].

12. Eastern Australia:

RAINS BRING RELIEF TO COAST; STILL VERY DRY ELSEWHERE
Between 10 and 50 mm (with locally higher amounts) of rain fell on the coasts of southeastern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales, but the remainder of eastern Australia received little or none. Generally less than 100 mm of precipitation accumulated since September 8, allowing precipitation shortfalls to range from 50 to 100 mm [DRY - Up to 6 weeks].