December Heat Records Collapse Across N. America; Temps Across Much Of Plains, Rockies 35F Over Avgs

[hatrack]

Just six months after a “once in a thousand year” heat event in the Pacific Northwest, the same area is recording unprecedented warmth, which extends over much of North America. Below, see my Yale Climate Connections video on the June event. Nothing to see here, move along.

Axios:

A widespread and intense heatwave is roasting large portions of the U.S. and Canada, shattering daily and monthly temperature records. Why it matters: Winter is the fastest-warming season across the U.S., and the lingering warmth is shortening the snow season in places like Colorado and Montana, where mountain snowpack is a critical source of water during the summer months.

The big picture: On Wednesday, British Columbia saw its highest temperature ever recorded during the month of December, with a high of 72.5°F recorded in Penticton, which is 250 miles east of Vancouver. This tied the country’s all-time record high for the month.

EDIT

By the numbers: Temperatures across the Plains, portions of the Rockies and Central states are running as much as 35°F above average for this time of year.

Four states have tied or broken records for the hottest temperatures seen during December: Washington, Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota, according to weather historian Maximiliano Herrera. In Denver, Colorado, which often picks up heavy snow at the start and end of winter, it has not yet snowed, setting a record for the latest measurable snowfall. The forecast high temperature on Thursday is in the mid-70s, about 30°F above average for this time of year.

Records are expected to fall Thursday in Denver, Omaha, Oklahoma City and Kansas City, Missouri among other locations. According to Herrera, Hettinger, North Dakota, located just north of the South Dakota border, hit 71°F on Wednesday, setting a monthly record for the state. In Cheyenne, Wyo., the temperature reached 70°F on Thursday, setting a state record for the month of December. A monthly record was also set in Nebraska, according to the National Weather Service.

The warmth, combined with powerful atmospheric river events rolling in off the Pacific Ocean has eaten away at the snowpack in the Pacific Northwest and Canadian Rockies, contributing to flooding at lower elevations.



EDIT

https://climatecrocks.com/2021/12/03/december-heat-shatters-records-across-north-america/#more-69762

[MuseRider]

1. Our doors and windows

have been open a lot. We close up at night but never need to turn on the system for heat. We still have green stuff coming up in the pastures and I have not had to blanket my old horse. Only at night does it even feel cool enough to wear a heavy jacket outside. It is crazy, really crazy. NE Kansas, on the windy plain.

It has been a good year for the bills and for the planet except for the people who go from heat to air conditioning without even thinking of opening a window. Huge house with bills lower than I paid in an apartment.

EDIT: a good part of the bill story is because we have a couple of large solar panels. Ooops, I almost forgot about those.