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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Down To Earth

Are you 27 or younger? Then you’ve never experienced a colder-than-average month

In the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration's "State Of The Climate" there are more than a few scary findings. The winning statistic: If you were born in or after April 1985, or if you are currently 27 years old or younger, you have never lived through a month that was colder than average. 

Here's what the NOAA said about October 2012's weather: The average temperature across land and ocean surfaces during October was 14.63°C (58.23°F). This is 0.63°C (1.13°F) above the 20th century average and ties with 2008 as the fifth warmest October on record. The record warmest October occurred in 2003 and the record coldest October occurred in 1912. This is the 332nd consecutive month with an above-average temperature.  

Yikes. This image from the NOAA summarizes most of 2012:

As you can see, every land surface in the world saw warmer-than-average temperatures with the exception of Alaska and a tiny part of eastern Russia that Sarah Palin can see. The United States is covered in record warmth, especially the Eastern seaboard which created an atmosphere for Hurricane Sandy. What will the next 27 years look like? Is it time for you to officially freak out about climate change or whatever the kids are into these days?



Down To Earth

The DTE blog is committed to reporting and sharing environmental news and sustainability information from across the Inland Northwest.