2010 Warmest Year on Record for NH

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From Fosters
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll...=2011701219912


UNH climatologist: 2010 was warmest year on record for N.H.


Friday, January 21, 2011

Courtesy of NH State Climate Office This graph shows 2010 rankings for monthly and annual mean temperatures and total precipitation for New Hampshire. Click here to view Foster's prints for sale

DURHAM — Although New Hampshire will be bundling up for the next few days against extremely cold weather, residents may be interested to know the year 2010 was the warmest year since 1895, according to Mary Stampone, assistant professor of geography and New Hampshire state climatologist.

The 2010 mean annual temperature was 46.7 degrees Fahrenheit, which was nearly 3 degrees Fahrenheit above the climate normal of 43.8 degrees Fahrenheit, the average from 1971 to 2000, and 3.3 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the average from 1895 to 2010. As the warmest year on record, 2010 was only 0.1 degrees Fahrenheit greater than 1998, the second-warmest year. Precipitation was also above normal for 2010 with an annual total of 47.45 inches, which ranked as the 24th wettest year on record.

The warmth came early in the year with well above normal mean monthly temperatures for January, February, March and April of 2010 followed by near to slightly above normal temperatures for May through December.

During 2010, five months ranked within the top 10 warmest since 1895 including: February (#5), March (#3), April (#2), July (#5) and September (#7). Since 1895, three of New Hampshire's top 10 warmest years occurred during the last decade: 2010 (#1), 2006 (#4) and 2002 (#9).

The 1990s made the top 10 four times: 1998 (#2), 1990 (#5), 1999 (#6) and 1991 (#8). The coldest year for New Hampshire was 1926, which ended with a mean annual temperature of 39.5 degrees Fahrenheit. The range of mean annual temperatures from 1895 to 2010 is 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit.

The New Hampshire State Climate Office (NHSCO) resides within the Department of Geography at the University of New Hampshire. The mission of the NHSCO is to serve the residents of New Hampshire by providing access to climatological data and information, conducting climate-related research that is relevant to the needs of the state and its residents, and serving as a focal point for climate education and outreach.

[This'nThat]

And why was it so warm? Here's one theory:

Probably the most significant contributor to the extraordinary heat was the Arctic Oscillation and North Atlantic Oscillation, two weather trends that act in tandem. In January and February, the oscillations moved sharply toward the warm side, as high pressure reached record levels over Arctic. High pressure and warmer-than-normal temperatures over the Arctic trigger big changes in global weather. One effect is to squash the tradewinds over the tropical Atlantic. The tradewinds keep the Atlantic cool. So when high pressure over the Arctic reached unprecedented extremes in early 2010, the tradewinds shut down and the Atlantic climbed to record-breaking temperatures that persisted throughout the year.

[phoenix]

and they now predict this could be the coldest winter on many years