2006 - Warmest Year on Record at Brookhaven Lab

January 4, 2007

UPTON, NY -While two late December blizzards paralyzed the Midwest, Long Islanders were enjoying mostly mild temperatures with no snow during the entire month. According to weather statistics recorded at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory since 1949, 2006 brought the warmest December on record for Long Islanders with a monthly average temperature of 40.9 degrees Fahrenheit (F), as well as the warmest November, with an average temperature of 48.6 degrees F. In fact, with an average annual temperature of 53.2 degrees F, 2006 was the warmest year ever recorded at the Laboratory.

"For the last decade, we've had above-normal yearly temperatures at Brookhaven Lab," said Brookhaven Lab meteorologist Victor Cassella. "I think that trend will continue, along with fairly frequent major weather events, including heavy rain, strong winds, and periods of drought. Fortunately, weather forecasting is more precise than ever, and meteorologists can keep the public informed so that those affected will be prepared to handle these events."

With total annual precipitation of 61.59 inches, 2006 was the fourth-wettest year on record at Brookhaven Lab. The most rainfall occurred on April 22 -23, when 5.25 inches of rain soaked the ground. A severe thunderstorm on July 18 brought 1.5 inches of rain and wind gusts of 72 miles per hour, causing power outages. October 27-28 brought another 3.5 inches of rain to the area.

Snowfall in the 2005-2006 snow season was 30.5 inches, slightly below the average seasonal snowfall of 31.2 inches and far below the 78.5 inches of snowfall recorded in the 2004-2005 snow season. On February 11-12, some 14 inches of snow fell on the Lab site, and 26.9 inches of snow fell in New York City, an event remembered as the "North American blizzard of 2006."

In contrast to the 2005 hurricane season, which brought numerous tropical storms and hurricanes to the U.S., including the devastating Hurricane Katrina, none of the five hurricanes or five tropical storms that developed in the Atlantic hit the U.S. mainland in 2006.

While no record daily low temperatures were set in 2006, three record daily highs were recorded. On January 21, the thermometer hit 57 degrees F, beating the record of 53.5 degrees F set in 1979. August 1 brought a high temperature of 96.5 degrees F, 1.5 degrees higher than the previous high set in 1999, and the temperature climbed to 99.5 degrees F on August 3, beating the record set in 2005 by three degrees.

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