January Blooms!

Hello everyone... this was an email I received from from a colleague from the MSRC at Stony Brook, its some pretty interesting info, but also scary info...

Perhaps you have noticed trees and flowers blossoming around your
neighborhood. Attached are some images from New York City central
Park from a colleague there. Daffodils and irises are sprouting
everywhere. Forsythias bushes are erupting in yellow flowers,
something
normally seen there during the last week of March. Below is some more
climate info. Long-Range models are suggesting perhaps at least a brief
return to some more normal temps early next week, but we'll see....
Brian

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE UPTON NY
THE MONTH OF DECEMBER IN CENTRAL PARK NEW YORK WAS VERY MILD AND
QUITE DRY. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH CAME IN AT 43.6
DEGREES WHICH IS 6.3 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL AND THE THIRD WARMEST
DECEMBER ON RECORD IN NEW YORK CITY. THE WARMEST DECEMBER ON
RECORD WAS BACK IN 2001 WHEN THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS 44.1
DEGREES. THE SECOND WARMEST WAS IN 1984 WITH AN AVERAGE OF 43.8
DEGREES.

THE LAST TIME THAT WE HAD A DECEMBER WITHOUT MEASURABLE SNOW IN
CENTRAL PARK WAS IN 2001. WHAT MAKES THIS DECEMBER RARE IS THAT NOT
EVEN A FLURRY HAS BEEN OBSERVED. WE HAVE TO GO BACK INTO THE 1800`S
TO FIND A DECEMBER WITHOUT A FLURRY (TRACE OF SNOW). WHILE RECORDS
FROM THE 1800`S MAY NOT BE TOTALLY ACCURATE IN TERMS OF TRACE
AMOUNTS OF SNOW...AS BEST WE CAN TELL THE LAST TIME WE HAD A
DECEMBER WITHOUT EVEN A TRACE OF SNOW(FLURRIES) WAS BACK IN DECEMBER
1877.

LOCATION AVG DEC TEMP DEPARTURE PRECIP DEPARTURE

CENTRAL PARK 43.6 +6.3 2.15 -1.80
NEWARK 43.0 +6.6 2.19 -1.38
BRIDGEPORT CT 41.0 +5.9 2.66 -0.81
JF KENNEDY AP 42.9 +5.7 1.91 -1.40
LA GUARDIA AP 45.4 +7.5 2.21 -1.30
ISLIP 41.1 +5.4 2.15 -1.98

ON AVERAGE...2006 WAS WARM AND WET IN NEW YORK CITY. THE AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE CAME IN AT 56.8 DEGREES...WHICH IS 2.1 DEGREES ABOVE
NORMAL AND GETS PLACED IN THE TOP TEN WARMEST LIST AT SIXTH PLACE.
THE FIVE WARMER YEARS WERE 1998...1991...1990...1953 AND 1949. THE
WARMEST YEARS ON RECORD ARE 1998...1991 AND 1990 WITH AN AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE OF 57.2 DEGREES.

2006 WAS THE SIXTH WETTEST YEAR ON RECORD WITH 59.90 INCHES FALLING.
THAT DOESN'T COME CLOSE TO THE WETTEST YEAR WHICH WAS 1983 WITH A
WHOPPING 80.56 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION.

HERE'S SOME CLIMATE INFORMATION FOR OTHER CLIMATE SITES AROUND THE
REGION FOR 2006.

LOCATION AVG DEC TEMP DEPARTURE PRECIP DEPARTURE

CENTRAL PARK 56.8 +2.1 59.90 +12.65
NEWARK 57.0 +2.3 50.16 +3.91
BRIDGEPORT CT 53.9 +2.2 58.90 +17.32
JF KENNEDY AP 55.7 +2.1 44.80 +2.34
LA GUARDIA AP 58.4 +3.2 53.95 +9.59
ISLIP 53.9 +1.4 54.10 +7.50

2006 was the Earth's sixth warmest year on record, averaging 0.4C above
the 1961 to 1990 average, according to the World Meteorological
Organization. The records extend back to 1861. And the UK charted its
warmest year ever; its records go back to 1659.