1. Alaska and Western Canada:
LARGE POSITIVE TEMPERATURE DEPARTURES REMAIN
Temperatures averaged 5°C to 15°C above normal during the past
week, with locally higher departures reaching +23°C in the western
portions of the Northwest Territories. Highs climbed above the freezing
mark as far north as central Alaska while readings below -20°C were
limited to northern Alaska and northwestern Canada [WARM - Up to 10 weeks].
2. South-Central Alaska:
HEAVY PRECIPITATION CONTINUES
Up to 200 mm of precipitation fell on parts of Kodiak Island and the Kenai
Peninsula during the past week. More than 1000 mm of precipitation fell
on Kodiak, Valdez, and Cordoba, resulting in 3-month excesses of
200 to 500 mm. Precipitation totaled 200 to 600 mm at most other locations
during the last 13 weeks, yielding moisture excesses of 50 to 250 mm. [WET
- Up to 13 weeks].
3. Western United States:
UNUSUALLY DRY WEATHER PREVAILS
Much of Oregon, northern California, and southern Washington received little
or no precipitation last week as the 2002-2003 hydrologic year got off
to a poor start. Four-week precipitation totals were generally below 120
mm and were among the lowest 10% of the climatological distribution for
November and early December [DRY - Up to 4 weeks].
4. Central United States:
VERY DRY CONDITIONS DOMINATE
Little or no precipitation was reported across much of the central United
States during the last week. Generally less than 150 mm of precipitation
accumulated during the last 8 weeks, resulting in precipitation shortfalls
of 50 to 100 mm [DRY - Up to 8 weeks].
5. Eastern United States:
BITTERLY COLD ARCTIC AIR COVERS MUCH OF EASTERN UNITED STATES,
TRIGGERS WINTER STORMS IN CAROLINAS AND MID-ATLANTIC
Weekly temperature departures ranged from -2°C in the central Plains
to -8°C in parts of New England and the Middle Atlantic States, with
lows plummeting to -20°C as far south as central Michigan and central
New England. Highs failed to reach the freezing mark across the northern
Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River Valley [COLD - Up to 3 weeks]. Snow,
sleet, and freezing rain spread across much of the South from Oklahoma
and Arkansas eastward to the Carolinas, and along the Atlantic Seaboard
from the Carolinas to southern New England. The wintry weather claimed
several lives, caused considerable damage, and disrupted transportation
according to press reports [Episodic Events].
6. Northern South America:
ABOVE-NORMAL TEMPERATURES REPORTED
Weekly temperature departures ranged from +2°C to +4°C, with highs
generally in the thirties (°C) and lows in the twenties (°C). The
largest positive departures were in eastern Brazil (see item below) [WARM
- Up to 4 weeks].
7. Eastern Brazil:
DRY ANOMALY DEVELOPS
Lack of rainfall and high temperatures has resulted in very dry conditions
across parts of eastern Brazil. Rainfall totals for October through November
were less than 50% of normal across much of the Brazilian states of Goais,
Minas Gerias, Espirito Santo and Bahia. These states include major agricultural
production areas. [DRY - Up to 8 weeks].
8. East-Central South America:
HEAVY RAINS PERSIST
Torrential rains (100 to 200 mm) soaked Uruguay, northeastern Argentina,
southern Brazil, and extreme southeastern Paraguay, with more than 200
mm of rain falling on northern Uruguay. Many locations received 500 to
1500 mm of rain during the last 13 weeks, accumulating moisture excesses
of 100 to 600 mm (with locally higher surpluses approaching 1220 mm in
Uruguay) [WET - Up to 15 weeks].
9. South-Central Europe:
UNSEASONABLY MILD WEATHER DOMINATES
Weekly temperature departures varied from +2°C to +7°C across south-central
Europe last week. Highs generally ranged from 5°C in the colder interior
portions north of the Alps to 20°C along the Mediterranean Coast while
subfreezing lows were generally restricted to the colder interior portions
of southern Europe [WARM - Up to 4 weeks].
10. Eastern Europe and Western Asia:
BITTERLY COLD WEATHER OVERSPREADS REGION
Very cold weather dominated eastern Europe and western Asia from Finland
and northern Ukraine eastward to central Siberia and eastern Kazakhstan.
The mercury failed to reach the freezing mark throughout the region and
remained below -20°C in central Siberia. Readings plummeted below -20°C
across all of the region, except for the southwestern fringes where lows
ranged from -10°C to -20°C [COLD - Up to 10 weeks].
11. Northwestern Africa:
HEAVY RAINS SHIFT EASTWARD
An active weather pattern has produced persistent wet weather and locally
heavy rains across eastern Algeria and Tunisia. The heaviest rains (50
to 200 mm, with locally higher amounts) fell from the Algerian capital
of Algiers eastward to the Tunisia border. Meanwhile, favorably dry
weather prevailed in Morocco. Between 100 and 500 mm of rain accumulated
in Morocco and northeastern Algeria during the past 8 weeks, resulting
in a wide range of short-term moisture surpluses (50 to 300 mm) [WET
- Up to 7 weeks].
12. Southeastern Africa:
MORE VERY DRY WEATHER
Little or no rain fell on Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and northeastern South
Africa. Precipitation totals were generally less than 150 mm during the
past 8 weeks, resulting in shortfalls of 50 to 175 mm [DRY - Up to 6 weeks].
13. Northeastern Australia:
STILL UNUSUALLY DRY AND HOT
Between 25 and 50 mm of rain fell on the southeastern portion of the York
Peninsula, and 10 to 25 mm dampened the southeastern Queensland Coast,
but most of Queensland received little or no rain. During the past 13 weeks,
northeastern Australia received fewer than 200 mm of rain, allowing moisture
deficits of 50 to 200 mm to accumulate. Further south, the media reported
significant wildfires in New South Wales, where the normally dry time of
year has commenced [DRY - Up to 11 weeks]. Temperatures averaging 2°C
to 4°C exacerbated the unusually dry conditions in Queensland, where
highs ranged from 38°C to 44°C [WARM - Up to 8 weeks].