Autumn temps hottest on record for nation

The average U.S. temperature in autumn was 57.6 degrees F (4.1 degrees above average) and surpassed last fall as the warmest on record, according to scientists from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. Precipitation during this period was about average for the nation, with wet extremes in the Northwest and dry extremes in the Central Rockies, Gulf Coast region and interior Southeast.

The month of November was the 2nd warmest on record, with an average temperature across the contiguous U.S. of 48 degrees F, 6.3 degrees above average. Every state in the Continental U.S. and Alaska were warmer than average during November. The precipitation total for the month was 0.50 inch below average.

The year-to-date (January-November) average temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 56.9 degrees F, 3.1 degrees above average. All Lower 48 states and Alaska observed above-average temperatures during this 11-month period. Precipitation during this time was 1.37 inches above normal.

Other noteworthy November climate events include:

--Drought: The area of extreme to exceptional drought in the Lower 48 increased from 4.9 percent to 8.7 percent; in the Southeast it nearly doubled from 19.7 percent to 36.2 percent.

-- Wildfires: In November, 8,560 wildfires raged across the Continental U.S. and burned more than 275,000 acres, most notably in the Southeast.

-- North Dakota experienced temperatures 12.8 degrees F above average, nearly 2 degrees above the previous record set in 1999.

-- Alaska experienced its warmest year to date on record, a full 6 degrees F above average.

-- Pacific Northwest experienced above-normal precipitation during autumn along the coast. Washington state was record wet.

NOAA’s report and related maps and images may be found at the NCEI website at https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/summary-info/national/201611.