Warm December Pushes 2006 to Record Year
Jan 09 2:21 PM US/Eastern
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Last year was the warmest on record for the
United States, with readings pushed over higher than normal by the
unusual and unseasonably warm weather during the last half of
December.
Preliminary data from the National Climatic Data Center listed the
average temperature for the 48 contiguous states last year as 55
degrees Fahrenheit. That's 2.2 degrees warmer than average and 0.07
degree warmer than 1998, the previous warmest year on record.
Worldwide, the agency said, it was the sixth warmest year on
record.
In December the Center had predicted that 2006 would be the United
States' third warmest year, but unusual readings later that month
pushed the year into first place.
The Center said it is not clear how much of the warming is a result
of greenhouse-gas induced climate change and how much resulted from
the current El Nino warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean.
El Nino conditions occur every few years in the Pacific and can
affect climate around the world, including producing warmer
conditions in the United States.
The average U.S. and global temperature are both about 1 degree
warmer than at the start of the 20th century, a change many
scientists attribute to gases released into the atmosphere by
industrial processes.
The temperature data was collected from a network of more than
1,200 stations across the country.
The climate center said the unusual warmth in early winter reduced
residential energy needs by 13.5 percent compared to average
conditions for the season.
While December started cold, spring-like conditions reigned in the
eastern states during the last half of the month, making it the
nation's fourth warmest December. Five states had their warmest
December on record _ Minnesota, New York, Connecticut, Vermont and
New Hampshire. No state was colder than average in December.