ROANOKE, Va. – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s monthly climate report shows that July 2023 was the hottest globally on record.
Records from NOAA have been kept for 174 years.
It was the 533rd consecutive month of above-average temperatures across the globe, and it’s likely to go down as the hottest month (overall) on record.
The Administration says part of this has to do with record sea surface temperatures, driven by a strong El Niño in the equatorial Pacific.
El Niño is a strong driving force in the weather across the United States, promoting heat in the West and a more active storm track in the East.
It was the country’s 11th-warmest July on record, and a lot of that was fueled by excessive heat in some southern and western parts of the U.S.
Phoenix shattered its record for the hottest month. Its average temperature (between day and night) was a record-obliterating 103°.
Closer to home, July 2023 was the 13th-warmest on record in the Roanoke Valley (where data has been kept since 1912).
What does El Niño mean for us down the road?
It usually is a force that acts against hurricanes, but NOAA’s most recent outlook suggests that record warm ocean waters could overcome that.
In the winter, the more active storm track in the Eastern U.S. creates more opportunities for snow.
Here at home, more-than-half of El Niño winters result in above-average snowfall.
There are more pieces to that puzzle, and we’ll work for you to put those together in the next few months.