The Race for the Title of Warmest Year on Record
In the footrace for the climate change champion of the world and the title Warmest Year EVER (in current records), 2006 was trailing behind 1998 and 1934 by a mere 0.07°F (0.04°C). But in a sudden last minute victory effort 2006, fueled by a very warm December, was declared the victor.Marked as the warmest year on record, 2006 had an annual average temperature of 55°F which is 2.2°F (1.2°C) above the 20th Century mean. Also participating in this race were the last nine years consecutively. Each of the last nine years has earned a spot in the rankings of the 25 warmest years on record.
We Have a Winner!!
And the winner is...2006! However, according to a year end review released by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), although 2006 is the warmest year so far, the win was a close call. Data even suggests that 1998 may still be the warmest year on record. Although 2006 was ranked as the warmest year for now, it is likely that a photo finish will have to be analyzed.Due to some of the data uncertainties for the 1200+ stations in the US climate data network, new data sets are being analyzed which MAY overturn 2006 as the victor and give the record back to 1998 as warmest year on record. These reports, however, are not expected to be released until some time in 2007.
Previous Warm Year Record Setters
For your convenience, I have gathered a table of the 25 warmest years (on the next page of this article). The data is ranked in order from 1 to 25. The temperature are separated into two different versions.
- The USHCN Version 1 data set means the information is from the United States Historical Climate Network Version 1. The second set of data (beta version 2) is currently being re-worked and is scheduled to be officially released in 2007.
- All temperatures are reported in degrees Fahrenheit.
Why Use Two Different Weather Data Sets?
According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the new data set uses “recent scientific advances that better address uncertainties in the instrumental record. Because different algorithms were used in making adjustments to the station data which comprise both data sets, there are small differences in annual average temperatures between the two data sets. These small differences in average temperatures result in minor changes in annual rankings for some years”.
Several Critical Questions Remain
- What will the coming years bring?
- Will next year be even warmer?
- What can we do about these increased temperature changes?
- What are the global effects of increased yearly temperatures?
While these data sets are for the United States only, the data indicates that the global mean temperature has risen approximately 1 degree F since the start of the 20th century. And, among the three hottest years (1934, 1998, and 2006), the only year without a true concentration of warmth was 2006. What this means is that the entire United States was warm all over. No state was near or below average for 2006.
Looking at the temperature conditions and departures from normal in images from 1934, 1998, and 2006, you can see the differences between the images.
- 1934 Temperature Averages Image
- 1998 Temperature Averages Image
- 2006 Temperature Averages Image
- Overall Temperature Rise from 1895-2006
- Monthly Historical Climate Data
- Daily Historical Climate Data
- FTP Directory of Raw Historical Climate Data