NOAA: 2024 Sets Record as Hottest Year with 15 Billion-Dollar Disasters in US
Half of the 50 states, stretching from Minnesota across the Great Lakes to New England, experienced record or near-record year-to-date temperatures.
The first six months of 2024 have been the warmest on record.
The list of disasters included five tornado outbreaks, two winter storms, and two hail storms, with the global temperature averaging 2.32 degrees above normal and the contiguous United States at 3.4 degrees Fahrenheit above normal.
NOAA Chief of Climate Monitoring and Assessment Russ Vose highlighted that June marked the 13th consecutive record-warm month globally, with temperatures soaring 2.20 degrees Fahrenheit above average. In the United States, it was the second-warmest June, registering 3.4 degrees Fahrenheit above average.
In addition, Arizona and New Mexico set record average temperatures for June, while California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Florida experienced near-record averages.
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Most of the region also saw above-average precipitation, with Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan recording the highest amounts.
Virginia experienced its driest June on record, while North Carolina and several other states had below-average rainfall. Virginia set the only new record for the month.
NOAA’s global records date back to 1850, with the U.S. record dating back to 1895.
NOAA predicts a 59 percent chance of 2024 becoming the hottest year on record. Meteorologist Core Baggett expects above-average heat and rainfall, particularly in Florida and most southern and eastern states, due to an active hurricane season.
Appalachian states may see drought conditions improve, but the West is expected to experience worsening droughts from southwest Texas to Washington State.
NOAA also issued a La Nina watch, with a high probability of its development and continuation through 2025.
The U.S. Climate Report and Billion-Dollar Disaster Summary for July will be released on Aug. 8.
