Day: October 11, 2023

Assessing the U.S. Climate in September 2023 — NOAA

Click the link to read the article on the NOAA website:

Key Points:

  • Hurricane Lee, Tropical Storm Ophelia and a slow-moving coastal low brought record-breaking precipitation and widespread flooding across parts of the East Coast.
  • Near-record to record-warm temperatures were observed across much of the southern Plains and Upper Midwest this month.
  • Year-to-date averages across the eastern U.S. have been warmer than average throughout 2023 with 30 states experiencing a top-10 warmest January–September.
  • A total of 24 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters have been confirmed this year—the most events on record during a calendar year.
  • September 2023 was the seventh-warmest September on record for the nation, and precipitation ranked in the driest third of the historical record for the month.

Other Highlights:

Temperature

The average temperature of the contiguous U.S. in September was 67.8°F, 2.9°F above average, ranking seventh warmest in the 129-year record. Generally, September temperatures were above average across much of the contiguous U.S., with below-normal temperatures in southern parts of the West Coast and in parts of the Southeast. New Mexico and Texas ranked warmest on record for September while Minnesota ranked second warmest on record. An additional 10 states ranked among their top-10 warmest September on record.

The Alaska statewide September temperature was 40.6°F, ranking near normal in the 99-year period of record for the state. Near-normal temperatures were observed across much of the state with above-normal temperatures observed in parts of North Slope, the Aleutians and Panhandle, while below-normal temperatures were observed in parts of the Interior and southwest Alaska. 

For the January–September period, the average contiguous U.S. temperature was 57.0°F, 1.9°F above average, ranking 10th warmest on record for this period. Temperatures were above average from parts of the Southwest to the East Coast and along parts of the Northern Tier, with near- to below-average temperatures from parts of the northern Plains to the West Coast. Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida each ranked warmest on record while Delaware and Maryland each ranked second warmest for the January–September period. An additional 24 states had a top-10 warmest year-to-date period. No state experienced a top-10 coldest event for this nine-month period. 

The Alaska January–September temperature was 31.9°F, 1.8°F above the long-term average, ranking in the warmest third of the historical record for the state. Much of the state was above normal for the nine-month period while temperatures were near average across much of western Alaska and in parts of the Interior.

Precipitation 

September precipitation for the contiguous U.S. was 2.10 inches, 0.39 inch below average, ranking in the driest third of the historical record. Precipitation was below average across much of the Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes and Ohio and Tennessee valleys as well as in parts of the Southwest, southern Plains and Southeast. Precipitation was above average across much of the West and northern Plains and along parts of the East Coast. Connecticut had its third-wettest September on record, while two additional states ranked among their top-10 wettest for this period. On the dry side, Ohio ranked fifth driest on record for the month with two additional states ranking among their top-10 driest September on record.

Across the state of Alaska, the average monthly precipitation was 5.05 inches, ranking in the middle third of the historical record. Precipitation was near average across much of the state while wetter-than-average conditions were observed across parts of the North Slope, eastern Interior and Panhandle. Below-normal precipitation was observed in parts of Southwest Alaska, including parts of the Aleutians, during the month.

The January–September precipitation total for the contiguous U.S. was 23.32 inches, 0.12 inch above average, ranking in the middle third of the 129-year record. Precipitation was near to above average from California to the western Great Plains, in the Northeast and in parts of the Mid-Mississippi Valley, northern Great Lakes and Southeast. Massachusetts ranked second wettest, while Connecticut ranked third wettest on record for this year-to-date period. Six additional states ranked among their top-10 wettest for this period. Conversely, precipitation was below average along parts of the Northern Tier, from parts of the Southwest to the Gulf of Mexico and in parts of the upper and central Mississippi Valley and Mid-Atlantic during the January–September period. Iowa ranked 10th driest for this nine-month period.

The January–September precipitation ranked 14th wettest in the 99-year record for Alaska, with above-average precipitation observed across much of the state. Near- to below-normal precipitation was observed along parts of the Gulf of Alaska, while parts of the Aleutians experienced below-average precipitation during this period.

Billion-Dollar Disasters

One new billion-dollar weather and climate disaster was confirmed this month after a drought and heatwave event that affected portions of the Southern and Midwestern U.S. this year.

There have been 24 confirmed weather and climate disaster events this year, each with losses exceeding $1 billion. These disasters consisted of 18 severe storm events, two flooding events, one tropical cyclone, one winter storm, one wildfire and one drought and heatwave event. For this year-to-date period, the first nine months of 2023 rank highest for disaster count, ahead of those of 2017 and 2020 which both saw 17 disasters. The total cost of the 2023 events exceeds $67.1 billion, and they have resulted in 373 direct and indirect fatalities. 

The U.S. has sustained 372 separate weather and climate disasters since 1980 where overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion (including CPI adjustment to 2023). The total cost of these 372 events exceeds $2.630 trillion.

Other Notable Events

Persistent heat brought record-breaking temperatures to portions of the U.S. during September:

  • It was the warmest September on record for Texas by nearly 0.3°F, and New Mexico tied with 2015 and 2019 as the warmest September on record. 
  • A total of 111 counties had their warmest September on record while an additional 582 counties ranked in the top-10 warmest for the month. For the January–September period, 317 counties were record warm while an additional 1,450 counties ranked in the top-10 for this year-to-date period. There are 3,143 counties in the U.S.
  • Record-high temperatures have persisted across much of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands during the month of September. San Juan reported a monthly average temperature of 85.8°F, making it the hottest month on record. Also, on St. Croix, Rohlsen Airport had their warmest September on record.
  • Warm temperatures and lack of rainfall resulted in persistent drought across parts of the Midwest, leading to near-record low water levels along parts of the Mississippi River and creating saltwater intrusion concerns in southern Louisiana.

Several notable storms impacted portions of the U.S. in September:

  • Hurricane Lee brought catastrophic flash flooding and damage to portions of New England.
  • On September 23, Tropical Storm Ophelia made landfall in eastern North Carolina and moved north along the East Coast. Ophelia brought heavy rainfall and flooding from North Carolina to Massachusetts, resulting in significant damage and power outages.
  • On September 24-26, a bomb cyclone brought heavy precipitation to much of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle had three of their five wettest days so far this year—the precipitation total was more than double of what the city received over the entire summer season.
  • On September 29, a slow-moving storm brought heavy rainfall to New York City, grounding flights, flooding roads and subways and trapping residents in their homes. Parts of Brooklyn reported more than 7 inches of rainfall, while John F. Kennedy Airport received 8.65 inches—setting a new 24-hour precipitation record for the month which was previously set by Hurricane Donna in 1960.

Drought

According to the October 3 U.S. Drought Monitor report, about 40.1% of the contiguous U.S. was in drought, up about 5.8% from the end of August. Moderate to exceptional drought was widespread across much of the Great Plains, Lower Mississippi Valley and Southwest, with moderate to extreme drought along the Northern Tier and in parts of the Florida Peninsula and Hawaii. Moderate to severe drought was present in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and New York, as well as moderate drought in parts of the Ohio Valley, Southeast and Puerto Rico.

Drought conditions expanded or intensified across much of the Ohio and Tennessee valleys and Lower Mississippi Valley, and in parts of the Northwest, Southwest, eastern Plains, Hawaii and Puerto Rico this month. Drought contracted or was reduced in intensity across portions of the Northern Tier, western Plains, Upper Midwest and Mid-Atlantic.

Monthly Outlook

According to the September 30 One-Month Outlook from the Climate Prediction Center, much of the contiguous U.S. and much of Alaska favor above-normal monthly average temperatures in October, with the greatest odds in parts of north-central U.S. and northern Alaska. Below-normal temperatures are not forecasted for any parts of the contiguous U.S. or Alaska this month. Large portions of the West and Alaska are favored to see above-normal monthly total precipitation while below-normal precipitation is most likely to occur from the Mississippi Valley to the East Coast and in small parts of the Northwest. Drought improvement or removal is forecast in parts of the Plains, Florida Peninsula and Puerto Rico, while persistence is more likely across the Northern Tier, Southwest, Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic and Hawaii. Drought development is likely in parts of the Northwest and Southeast.

According to the One-Month Outlook issued on October 1 from the National Interagency Fire Center, Hawaii and from the Lower Mississippi Valley to parts of the Mid-Atlantic have above-normal significant wildland fire potential during October, while parts of southern coast of California are expected to have below-normal potential for the month.

This monthly summary from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information is part of the suite of climate services NOAA provides to government, business, academia and the public to support informed decision-making. For more detailed climate information, check out our comprehensive September 2023 U.S. Climate Report scheduled for release on October 13, 2023. For additional information on the statistics provided here, visit the Climate at a Glance and National Maps webpages.

Medians get a makeover in #Denver’s Central Park: Landscape transformation set to save millions of gallons of water along busy city corridor — News on Tap

Denver Parks and Recreation is replacing the Kentucky bluegrass in four medians along Quebec Street in Denver and turning it into a prairie grass meadow. The project will save millions of gallons of water every year. Denver Water and the Colorado Water Conservation Board are helping fund the project. Learn about the project in this video

Click the link to read the article on the Denver Water website (Jay Adams):

It’s not often that a median in the middle of a street gets a lot of attention, and that makes it a perfect candidate for a landscape makeover.

For decades, the four medians separating the north and southbound lanes of Quebec Street, just south of Interstate 70 between Smith Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, have featured 10 acres of thirsty Kentucky bluegrass. 

Now, the Denver Parks and Recreation department is transforming the grass fields into prairie grass meadows that will be home to a more appropriate type of ColoradoScape that needs significantly less water to thrive.

“The medians had what we call ‘nonfunctional grass,’ which means the grass was not being used for any type of activity. That made it a perfect location for landscape transformation,” said Ian Schillinger-Brokaw, a Denver Parks and Recreation urban ecology planner. 

“We were using around 9 million gallons of water every year to keep grass green that no one used, so it was really not a good use of water.”

Sprinklers irrigate the old, water-intensive Kentucky bluegrass fields before the project in June 2023. The bluegrass on the Quebec Street medians required additional irrigation to stay green during the summer. Photo credit: Denver Water.

The landscape transformation project on the four medians is being done in partnership with Denver Water, which is helping to fund the work. 

The project also received money from the Colorado Water Conservation Board’s Turf Replacement Program, which uses state funds to help transform water-intensive turf into a more natural ColoradoScaped environment.

What to expect

During summer 2023, the city shut off the sprinklers and let the bluegrass die. Then in September, landscape crews from Western States Reclamation planted more than 60 species of prairie grasses and wildflower seeds through the remains of the dead bluegrass. 

Learn more about ColoradoScaping at denverwater.org/Conserve.

After the seeds were in the ground, workers sprayed the field with “hydromulch,” which is the process of spraying water mixed with small particles of wood fiber on top of the seeds, so they don’t blow away or get eaten by birds.

The field will be watered over the next two to three years to help the seeds grow. Depending on the weather, some grasses will sprout this fall, while others will begin to grow next spring and summer. 

It will take roughly three years for the new plants to become established.

A tractor plants seeds across the Quebec Street medians in September. It will take about three years for the plants to be fully established. Photo credit: Denver Water.

“The field will have a variety of grasses with different heights, colors and textures and the wildflowers will provide an added boost of color,” Schillinger-Brokaw said.

The wide variety of plants will help the new prairie meadows thrive in different weather conditions. For example, some grasses and flowers will do better in dry years, while others will grow better in wet years.

Workers spray hydromulch on the field after seeding. The hydromulch is a mix of water and tiny wood particles that will protect the seeds from blowing away and improve germination. Photo credit: Denver Water.

“By adding a variety of grass species, we’re ensuring that each season the field will have plants that are in good shape,” he said.

“The field will look very similar to some of our other parks and open spaces in the area, such as Westerly Creek and Prairie Meadows parks.”

Schillinger-Brokaw said the landscape will keep safety in mind by making sure plants around the corners of the medians will be shorter, so they won’t impact drivers’ ability to see other cars and make safe turns at the intersections.

The Quebec Street medians will have a native prairie grass look similar to the landscape at Westerly Creek Park in northeast Denver. Photo credit: Denver Water.
The new prairie meadow will feature a variety of wildflowers with different colors and bloom times. Photo credit: Denver Water.

Water savings

Before the landscape conversion, the field required roughly 9 million gallons of extra water every year to keep the Kentucky bluegrass green. By transitioning to a prairie meadow, the goal is to eventually stop watering the field and let Mother Nature provide all the moisture the plants need to survive, Shillinger-Brokaw explained.

The Denver Parks and Recreation department will continue to water the trees on the medians. However, by eliminating the extra irrigation that the bluegrass needed, the overall water use for the medians could be reduced by roughly 8.5 million gallons each year once the plants are established.

Carpio-Sanguinette Park near the National Western Center in Denver features native prairie grasses and wildflowers that use 70% less water than fields of water-intensive Kentucky bluegrass. Photo credit: Denver Water.

“Kentucky bluegrass has been used as the default form of landscaping for decades across many parts of Colorado, but it requires a lot of water,” said Austin Krcmarik, a water efficiency planner at Denver Water. 

“With water being such a scarce resource across the West, it’s great to see Denver Parks and Recreation switching to landscaping that fits our climate.”

Additional benefits

The new medians full of prairie grasses and wildflowers are an example of ColoradoScaping, which is landscaping that features low-water-use plants that thrive in our state’s semi-arid climate.

Along with water savings, ColoradoScaping provides additional benefits for Denver’s parks, such as:

  • Providing more resilient landscapes that can cope with extreme weather, such as drought.
  • Adding biodiversity to the city with new habitats for pollinators such as birds and bees. 
  • Establishing areas that improve stormwater drainage and improve water quality.
  • Eliminating the need for mowing the medians regularly throughout the summer.
  • Saving money on water bills that can be used for other park improvements. (The water savings on the Quebec Street project will save Denver Parks and Recreation roughly $20,000 each year.)
ColoradoScaping helps improve the biodiversity of the city. Adding new habitats in the Quebec Street medians provides “fuel stops” for birds and bees as they move around the city. Photo credit: Denver Water.

Saving water across the West

Water-saving projects like the Quebec Street median turf conversion are critical because Denver Water gets half of its water supply from the Colorado River Basin, which has seen drought conditions over much of the last 23 years.

“Denver Water and other utilities across the West are actively promoting and working with cities and park districts to look for areas of nonfunctional Kentucky bluegrass and see if other types of landscaping is a better fit to help save water,” Krcmarik said. 

It’s In Denver’s Nature

The transformation of the Quebec Street medians is an example of Denver Parks and Recreation implementing the Game Plan for a Healthy City.

The comprehensive plan serves as a roadmap to the future of Denver’s park system. A key aspect is investing in the fight against climate change through conserving water, transforming landscapes, growing the urban canopy and protecting habitats. 

A mix of seeds from more than 60 kinds of flowers and grasses will ensure that the medians, once a bland, expanse of water-intensive Kentucky bluegrass, will be home to a wide variety of prairie grasses and wildflowers sporting different textures and colors. Photo credit: Denver Water.

As part of the plan, in April 2023, Denver Parks and Recreation changed its policy of using thirsty turfgrass, like Kentucky bluegrass, as its primary landscaping groundcover in areas with no recreational value. The Quebec Street medians are an example of how the city is using drought-tolerant and ecosystem-friendly plants instead of turfgrass.

“We’re doing a lot across the city to reduce our water footprint and the Quebec Street medians project is one of the biggest landscape transformation projects we’ve done,” Shillinger-Brokaw said.

“We ask for patience as these new grasses grow, and we’re excited to see the new look coming soon to this part of the city.”

For more information about landscape transformation across the city, check out Denver Parks and Recreation’s It’s In Denver’s Nature campaign and denverwater.org/Conserve.