Record high temperatures far outpace record lows across US

From Physorg BPSDB

“This graphic shows the ratio of record daily highs to record daily lows observed at about 1,800 weather stations in the 48 contiguous United States from January 1950 through September 2009. Each bar shows the proportion of record highs (red) to record lows (blue) for each decade.

The 1960s and 1970s saw slightly more record daily lows than highs, but in the last 30 years record highs have increasingly predominated, with the ratio now about two-to-one for the 48 states as a whole. Credit: ©UCAR, graphic by Mike Shibao

Spurred by a warming climate, daily record high temperatures occurred twice as often as record lows over the last decade across the continental United States, new research shows. The ratio of record highs to lows is likely to increase dramatically in coming decades if emissions of greenhouse gases continue to climb.”

Coupled with the excellent Seth Borenstein Independent statisticians reject ‘global cooling’ fable this provides a definitive response to all of those moronic “my toes are cold, WHAT global warming?” articles and comments that the climate change Deniers bombard us with whenever it is cold in someones backyard.

And it couldn’t have come at a better time given:

United States Overview: October 2009

The average October temperature of 50.8°F was 4.0°F below the 20^th Century average and ranked as the 3^rd coolest based on preliminary data.

For the nation as a whole, it was the third coolest October on record. The month was marked by an active weather pattern that reinforced unseasonably cold air behind a series of cold fronts. Temperatures were below normal in eight of the nation’s nine climate regions, and of the nine, five were much below normal. Only the Southeast climate region had near normal temperatures for October.

Statewide temperatures coincided with the regional values as all but six states had below normal temperatures. Oklahoma had its coolest October on record and ten other states had their top five coolest such months.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

See the original post or the National Science Foundation (videos of an interview with Gerald Meehl as well) for the full story, and be sure to Bookmark these links!

• Record high temperatures far outpace record lows across US
• Independent statisticians reject ‘global cooling’ fable
• National Science Foundation: Record Highs

Use them every time you get a chance to, let’s stamp out the pestilence of ignorance and misinformation that is the hallmark of climate change Deniers.

UPDATE Nov 13

Scruffydan points us to Only in it for the Gold‘s making the point that this also refutes the “It’s land use changes” canard.

The first place to look for observational confirmation among extreme events would indeed be a smaller incidence of nighttime record lows without an accompanying increase of daytime record highs.

Record lows occur on clear nights when the surface radiates to space and the surface cools quickly. Greenhouse gases directly interfere with that process. Therefore all else equal less severe low temperatures are to be expected.

Deficit of Record Cold, Surfeit of Inexpertise

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“Since 1982, spring in East Asia (defined here as the eastern third of China and the Korean Peninsula) has been warming at a rate of one degree Fahrenheit per decade.”  Earth Gauge

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