Tag Archives: Extreme Weather

Winter storm targets East Coast, nearly 1,400 flights canceled

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) – An expansive winter storm bore down on the U.S. East Coast on Monday, scuttling almost 1,400 flights and threatening a treacherous wet commute on Tuesday after the holiday weekend.

As much as 5 inches of snow were expected to blanket Washington by nightfall, with less accumulation in New York City, before turning to freezing rain and then rain amid rising temperatures, National Weather Service meteorologist Patrick Burke said.

“It could be pretty tricky for the morning commute on Tuesday,” he said.

The New York City Emergency Management Department issued a travel advisory for Monday and Tuesday, warning residents about potentially slick roads and possible coastal flooding.

After record-breaking cold intensified by gusting winds gripped the U.S. Northeast over the Presidents Day holiday weekend, temperatures on Tuesday were predicted to rise as high as 56 degrees Fahrenheit in New York and 53 degrees in Washington. The milder temperatures were expected to stretch into the upcoming weekend.

“This system pushes the Arctic air out of here,” Burke added.

By mid-afternoon on Monday, almost 1,400 U.S. flights were canceled, mostly at Washington, North Carolina and New York-area airports, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.com. Many airlines waived change fees as more flights were scrapped.

Washington’s streets were nearly empty due to the holiday as well as the snow falling in heavy, wet flakes. Neil Emery, 54, a tourist from Nassau, Bahamas, said he, his wife and daughter had been shocked by the bitter cold but were reveling in the snowfall.

“It’s very Christmasy, really,” he said. The cold weather “is a good excuse for hot chocolates through the day.”

On the southern edge of the cold front, Mississippi was hit by heavy rain and at least one tornado, which downed trees and damaged a high school in Wesson, Mississippi, said National Weather Service forecaster Anna Wolverton.

Tornado watches were in place in Alabama and Louisiana. Heavy rains also drenched Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

The vast storm stretched to western parts of Pennsylvania and New York, where Buffalo was expected to get more than 12 inches of snow.

New England ski resorts, struggling through a relatively warm and snowless winter, may receive up to 5 inches of snow, meteorologist Burke said.

(Reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York and Ian Simpson in Washington; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe, Dan Grebler and G Crosse)

Bitterly cold wind chills expected in 22 states this weekend

Wind chill warnings or advisories were issued in parts of 22 states on Friday afternoon, as the National Weather Service cautioned that perceived temperatures could reach bitterly cold levels.

The service warned that the eastern United States is poised to see the coldest air mass of the season this weekend, and high winds are forecast to create dangerously low wind chills there.

The National Weather Service says overnight lows are expected to be in the single digits across New England, the mid-Atlantic and the Great Lakes on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Many regions could see sub-zero temperatures, with high winds making it feel even colder.

Wind chill warnings have been issued in parts of New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In one of the more extreme cases, the National Weather Service warned that wind chills of 45 degrees below zero were expected on Saturday night and Sunday morning in Maine.

“This will result in frost bite and lead to hypothermia or death if precautions are not taken,” the service’s wind chill warning states. Other warnings say the cold temperatures may freeze pipes.

Wind chill advisories were issued in parts of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland and Delaware.

Some regions are expected to see wind chills of minus 25 or 30 degrees, the service said.

Winter storms are also in the forecast for some communities, and the National Weather Service issued lake effect snow warnings in portions of Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.

Some upstate New York communities were expecting as much as two feet of snow, and the service’s Buffalo office said negative-50 degree wind chills were possible in some areas.

In a statement, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said his state hasn’t seen temperatures this low in a year. He encouraged his state’s residents to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel.

Residents of all of the affected states were encouraged to monitor their local forecasts.

Historic winter storm causes $2 billion in economic losses, report finds

The deadly winter storm that brought historic snowfall totals throughout the mid-Atlantic last month caused more than $2 billion in economic losses, a reinsurance company said Tuesday.

The storm was just one of the instances of extreme weather chronicled in Aon Benfield’s most recent monthly report on global catastrophes, which recap the economic effects of the events.

The report also detailed the impacts of extreme cold weather in Asia, flooding fueled by the El Nino weather pattern and earthquakes, wildfires and droughts that occurred in January.

The mid-Atlantic snowstorm, which The Weather Channel was calling Winter Storm Jonas, killed 58 people and led 11 states and the District of Columbia to declare states of emergency, according to the Aon Benfield report. The report noted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently named the storm the fourth-biggest winter storm to hit that part of the United States in the past 66 years, according to its Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale.

The National Weather Service has said that snowfall totals reached double digits in 14 states, and portions of Connecticut, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia all received more than a foot and a half of snow.

That included a storm-high 42 inches near Glengary, West Virginia, the service reported. Totals also topped 30 inches in parts of Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Maryland.

Some areas received record snow, spurring road closures and hundreds of flight cancellations. The Aon Benfield report’s $2 billion figure includes both physical damage and lost business.

Last month, the NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information reported the United States experienced 10 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2015. If Aon Benfield’s numbers are accurate, the winter storm appears to be the first such disaster of the New Year.

Aon Benfield’s report also covers events that occurred outside the United States.

The company said Asia saw rare snowfall and some of its coldest temperatures in six decades, which killed at least 116 people in Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, South Korea and China last month. The report estimated the weather led to $2 billion in losses, $1.6 billion of which were in China.

Aon Benfield’s report also detailed several other January events with high economic impacts:

  • A hurricane-force windstorm led to hundreds of millions of dollars of losses in Europe
  • Severe drought caused South Africa’s agricultural industry to lose at least $250 million
  • Floods that killed 13 people in Ecuador and Brazil caused total losses to top $110 million
  • A five-day stretch of severe storms in California fueled more than $125 million in losses
  • A magnitude 6.7 earthquake in India killed 22 people and spurred $75 million in losses
  • A 176,000-acre wildfire in Western Australia led to $42 million in insurance claims alone

The report linked the California storms, South American flooding and South African drought to the El Nino weather pattern, which several scientists have said is one of the strongest on record.

The pattern occurs when a portion of the Pacific Ocean is warmer than usual, setting off a far-reaching ripple effect that brings atypical and often extreme weather across the world.

Tornadoes reported, flood warnings issued as powerful storm continues east

The powerful storm that shut down major highways and knocked out power to thousands of people across the United States continued to make its presence felt on Wednesday morning.

Portions of northern Wisconsin and Michigan remained under winter storm warnings and various flooding and flash flooding watches and warnings were issued in the mid-Atlantic and South as a storm that brought heavy snow and rain, high winds and tornadoes moved east.

According to the National Weather Service, double-digit snow totals have been recorded in 14 states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming — since Saturday, while wind gusts have surpassed 50 mph in eight states in the southwest, Rocky Mountains and Great Plains.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center received 15 reports of tornadoes in Alabama and Mississippi late Tuesday and early Wednesday. It’s possible that some of those are referring to the same tornado, as they stemmed from just six counties.

The accounts indicated that roofs were blown off houses in Beaverton, Alabama, and near Collinsville, Mississippi. Other reports said twisters toppled trees and damaged buildings.

Alabama Power said about 14,000 of its customers were without power early Wednesday morning, though was down to 6,400 a few hours later. Georgia Power reported about 1,700 customers near Atlanta were without power, and there were scattered outages in Mississippi.

The tornadoes and power outages were the latest impacts of the powerful storm, which had previously been blamed for thousands of power outages in California and Nebraska.

On Wednesday, National Weather Service showed rain stretching from Alabama all the way northeast to Maine. Heavy rain was falling in parts of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, where flash flood watches were issued. Other flood watches or warnings are scattered along the east coast, including the Washington and Baltimore areas that were recently hit by a major blizzard.

The Weather Channel is calling this storm Winter Storm Kayla.

Those in the storm’s path are encouraged to monitor their local forecasts.

Parts of Mississippi have received more than seven inches of rain since Saturday, according to the National Weather Service, including 7.73 inches near New Hebron. Selected cities in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Tennessee have all recorded more than three inches of rain.

Snow totals were far larger.

Some mountain passes in Colorado received more than 30 inches of snow, including 41 inches at Coal Bank Pass and 40 inches near Wolf Creek Pass. Denver was hit by 22 inches of snow.

Heavy winds were expected to generate blizzard conditions in some parts of the midwest.

The Colorado Department of Transportation shut down several roads as a result of the storm, including a 300-mile stretch of Interstate 70 that began in Denver and stretched into Kansas, though most reopened later Tuesday. Some state highways remained closed in Kansas and Nebraska on Wednesday morning, their state transportation departments reported, and many roads in southern Minnesota and Northern Iowa were still completely covered with snow or ice.

Parts of Minnesota received more than a foot of snow, the National Weather Service reported.

The Minnesota State Patrol said that Interstate 90 and many other highways in the southern part of the state were closed on Tuesday, though they were open again on Wednesday morning. A spokesman tweeted that troopers responded to 449 accidents in a 24-hour period statewide.

Flight monitoring website FlightAware.com indicated that more than 240 flights to or from Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport were cancelled on Tuesday and Wednesday morning.

While some interstates reopened, others were still closed.

That included a 200-mile stretch of Interstate 80 in Nebraska that spanned from North Platte to Beaver Crossing, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The National Weather Service’s flood warnings and watches issued for the mid-Atlantic and South warned rivers and streams could breach their banks, which may cause additional road closures.

U.S. braces for winter storm as thousands remain without power in California

Portions of 13 states were under winter storm warnings on Monday morning as a powerful storm that was already being blamed for thousands of power outages was set to move east.

More than 143,000 customers in southern California were without power on Sunday, local utility companies reported, after high winds toppled trees and knocked over power lines.

As of Monday morning, Southern California Edison reported about 40,000 customers were still in the dark (down from 80,000 earlier on Sunday) and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said it had turned the lights back on for 51,000 of its 63,000 affected customers.

Other parts of the country were bracing for the arrival of snow and high winds.

The National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings in parts of Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa, saying those areas could see between 8 and 13 inches of snow between tonight and Wednesday. The service called for wind gusts of up to 45 mph, which could blow snow and reduce visibility.

The broader winter storm warnings covered parts of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Residents in the warning areas should monitor local forecasts. The National Weather Service said some cities could receive 4 to 8 inches of snow, while higher elevations could see 1 to 2 feet.

The Weather Channel is referring to the impending storm as Winter Storm Kayla.

High wind warnings were issued for parts of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The service warned gusts of 70 to 75 mph were possible in some areas and could damage property.

Several areas already reported gusts far above those levels.

The National Weather Service said gusts reached 95 mph at San Augustin Pass near Las Cruces, New Mexico. In California, Malibu and Harrison Park saw gusts of 87 and 85 mph, respectively.

The wind gusts knocked down trees, in some cases blocking traffic.

The California Highway Patrol tweeted a downed tree temporarily blocked four lanes of the Ventura Freeway on Sunday. The agency also reported that snow shut down a stretch of Interstate 5 near Grapevine on early Monday morning, though the freeway later reopened.

The storm was complicating air travel, too.

According to flight monitoring website FlightAware.com, 508 flights to or from Denver International Airport had been cancelled as of 11:45 a.m. ET on Monday.

Some 225 miles southwest of the airport, the National Weather Service reported Colorado’s Kebler Pass was hit with 23 inches of snow between Saturday night and Monday morning. Snowfall totals reached 16 inches near California’s Mammoth Lakes, located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, while other parts of the state received more than two inches of rain.

Cleanup from historic winter storm expected to last days

An exceptionally powerful and reportedly deadly winter storm that brought historic snowfall totals to large portions of the mid-Atlantic and New England finally moved out to sea on Sunday evening, though the fallout from the winter weather was still being felt on Monday morning.

The National Weather Service reported parts of six states received more than 30 inches of snow, including a whopping storm-high total of 42 inches near Glengary, West Virginia. Another seven states saw at least a foot of snow, and five states experienced wind gusts that exceeded 60 mph.

There were conflicting media reports on the death toll, though Reuters reported 31 people died.

Schools in several states remained closed on Monday as the cleanup process continued. The National Weather Service’s office for Baltimore and Washington, where some of the storm’s record totals were posted, said it would likely take several days to clear all roads and sidewalks.

The Weather Channel is referring to the storm as Winter Storm Jonas.

Record snow totals were seen in parts of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland, the National Weather Service said, and in some cases the previous marks were obliterated.

The service reported that Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania, saw 31.9 inches of snow in two days, including 30.2 on Saturday alone. The previous single-day and two-day records were 7.7 inches and 25.6 inches, respectively, and records dated back to 1922.

The service noted that Allentown usually only sees 32.9 inches of snow in a year, meaning the recent storm came within three-tenths of an inch of exceeding the region’s yearly snow total.

The storm also set snowfall records in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, (30.2 inches total, 26.4 inches on Saturday), Baltimore-Washington International Airport (25.5 inches on Saturday), JFK International Airport in New York (30.3 inches on Saturday), Laguardia Airport in New York (27.9 inches on Saturday), and Newark, New Jersey, (27.5 inches on Saturday), the service reported.

More than 8,000 United States flights were cancelled on Friday and Saturday, according to flight monitoring website FlightAware.com, a large percentage of them in the areas impacted by the storm. Another 1,509 U.S. flights were cancelled as of noon ET on Monday, the site reported.

Cities or airports that didn’t quite see record amounts were still busy digging out from the snow.

More than 22 inches of snow fell in Washington, the National Weather Service reported, and the city’s suburbs saw between 19 and 39 inches. The Office of Personnel Management said all federal government offices were closed Monday, and the city’s public schools were also closed.

In West Virginia, where the storm’s highest snow totals were posted, the state Department of Education reported that schools were closed entirely in more than 50 of the state’s 55 counties.

The storm also created hazardous travel conditions, in some cases stranding motorists.

In Pennsylvania, Governor Tom Wolf’s office reported that two trucks jackknifed while trying to climb a mountainous stretch of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, blocking traffic behind them. According to a news release, 250 first responders helped evacuate the motorists, and authorities also set up warming stations, passed out food and gave away gas to allow cars to remain warm.

The Virginia State Police responded to 1,410 crashes and 2,040 disabled vehicle calls between Friday and Sunday morning, according to a Twitter post. The agency reported five people in the state died from hypothermia.

Major winter storm begins hitting South, record blizzard possible for D.C. area

Some cities in the path of a powerful winter storm headed for the mid-Atlantic could face even more snow than the two feet originally predicted, the National Weather Service said Friday.

The service, which issued updated blizzard warnings for several major cities along the East Coast, said that some parts of Virginia and Maryland could receive up to 39 inches of snow.

The updated forecasts were issued after the storm began dumping snow, sleet and freezing rain across the south overnight, including 9 inches of snow in 10 hours in one part of North Carolina.

The National Weather Service’s radar showed more precipitation falling across a large stretch of the southeast on Friday morning. The storm, which The Weather Channel is calling Winter Storm Jonas, was expected to pummel Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia later today before arriving in New York, Long Island and southern New England early Saturday morning.

Watches, warnings or advisories were in effect in portions of 22 states from Arkansas to Massachusetts, including blizzard warnings for parts of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York and the entire District of Columbia.

Residents in the storm’s path are encouraged to monitor their local weather forecasts.

The storm is expected to hit suburbs of Washington and Baltimore the hardest, with more than three feet of snow possible in those areas. Updated forecasts from the National Weather Service on Friday said 32 inches were possible in Washington and Baltimore could receive 30 inches.

If those totals materialize, they could break snowfall records for those cities.

The National Weather Service said the current three-day mark for Washington is 28 inches, and was set in January 1922. Baltimore had 26.8 inches of snow in three days in February 2003.

Many other cities were expecting double-digit totals.

Blizzard warnings issued for Philadelphia and New York said those cities could see up to 18 and 12 inches, respectively. One-to-two-foot totals were possible in large parts of the nation, and high winds were expected to make travel next-to impossible where the storm was at its worst.

In Washington and Baltimore, the service warned the storm could pack wind gusts of 60 mph in addition to the significant snowfall totals. The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority is shutting down all subway and bus service on Saturday and Sunday, according to a news release.

All federal offices in the Washington area closed at noon Friday, according to the Office of Personnel Management.

Winds were expected to be lighter in Philadelphia, though the National Weather Service warned that 40 mph gusts and wet, heavy snow could still trigger power outages and block local roads.

While forecasts were saying the worst of the storm had yet to be seen, states from Arkansas to Virginia reported significant snowfall totals overnight. According to the National Weather Service, more than 5 inches of snow fell in Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and the Carolinas, including an overnight national high of 9 inches near Waynesville, North Carolina. Parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, and the Carolinas also saw measurable amounts of freezing rain.

Nearly 800 flights into or out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport had been cancelled as of 11:15 a.m. local time Friday morning, according to flight monitoring website FlightAware.com.

The airport is a major hub for American Airlines, which cancelled 789 flights across the country — about 24 percent of those it had scheduled, according to FlightAware. The airline was offering to waive rebooking fees for travelers going through many airports in the storm’s path.

Several states declared states of emergency or preparedness ahead of the storm, urging would-be travelers to stay off the roads and take necessary precautions to prepare for its potential impacts.

The states where the National Weather Service issued watches, warnings or advisories for the storm include Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Blizzard watch expanded as major winter storm threatens U.S.

A powerful winter storm is expected to slam large portions of the country over the next four days, with people from Arkansas to New York potentially in its path.

The National Weather Service on Thursday issued updated watches, warnings and advisories for a storm it’s calling “potentially crippling,” saying it could bring two feet of snow to certain areas.

High winds could also create blizzard conditions in some parts, the service said, and “significant” amounts of ice are expected in Kentucky and North Carolina.

The Weather Channel is referring to the storm as Winter Storm Jonas.

Warnings, watches or advisories had been issued for portions of 18 states as of Thursday morning, including an expanded blizzard watch that included parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and New York. Previously, the service had only issued the blizzard watch in areas surrounding Washington and Baltimore.

The updated blizzard watch includes major cities like Philadelphia and New York.

Other watches, warnings and advisories had been issued in portions of Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia and Mississippi.

Residents of those states should monitor their local forecasts.

The National Weather Service had previously said the storm could impact the entire I-95 corridor, which also includes Boston, though on Thursday indicated that it did not know exactly how much snow is expected to fall north of New York, which is expecting 8 to 12 inches.

The service is calling for 18 to 24 inches of snow near Washington and Baltimore, while other regions in the storm’s path could see double-digit totals. Wind gusts of up to 55 mph are forecast in blizzard watch areas, which may lead to whiteouts and snarl travel.

The storm should begin dropping snow in eastern Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi tonight and continue to travel east before leaving the United States on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service forecast. The service’s office in Memphis warned travel will be “difficult if not impossible” by mid-morning on Friday, as 4 to 6 inches of snow and high winds could create near-blizzard conditions.

Similar forecasts about travel impacts were issued throughout the storm’s path.

The Maryland State Police and Virginia Department of Transportation both encouraged motorists to stay off the roads, according to news releases. West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin declared a state of preparedness and Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency.

“All Virginians should take the threat of this storm seriously and take necessary precautions now to ensure they are prepared for travel disruptions and possible power outages during a cold weather period,” McAuliffe said in a statement.

The storm follows more winter weather that moved through the southern United States over the past few days. The Virginia State Police tweeted that troopers responded to 767 vehicle crashes on Wednesday alone.

Blizzard watch issued ahead of ‘potentially paralyzing’ snowstorm

The National Weather Service on Wednesday issued its first watches for a winter storm that could wreak havoc on the northeastern United States this weekend.

The blizzard watch includes the cities of Baltimore and Washington and surrounding areas in Maryland and Virginia. It will formally go into effect on Friday afternoon and remain valid through Saturday night, the service said.

The National Weather Service said it’s “monitoring the possibility” that a storm could drop 1 to 2 feet of snow along the I-95 corridor this Friday and Saturday.

The stretch includes other major cities like Philadelphia, Boston and New York, though no watches for those areas had been issued as of mid-day Wednesday.

The service’s Weather Prediction Center warned of a “potentially paralyzing winter storm for portions of the Mid-Atlantic,” including possible blizzard conditions in Baltimore and Washington, and said more than a half-inch of ice was possible in Kentucky and North Carolina. Coastal flooding was also possible.

The blizzard watch cautions that the area could receive more than a foot of snow, with a wintry mix possible on Friday night. The storm is also expected to bring 40 mph wind gusts, which could lead to whiteouts and power outages.

“Heavy snow and blowing snow will cause dangerous conditions and will be a threat to life and property,” the watch states. “Travel is expected to be severely limited if not impossible during the height of the storm Friday night and Saturday.”

The blizzard watch encourages people to stock up on necessary items.

The service also issued less-severe winter storm watches for portions of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia, though still warned that a foot of snow was possible in some areas and said blowing snow could pose travel hazards.

The Weather Channel is calling the potential storm Winter Storm Jonas.

The threat came as another winter storm was moving across the country.

National Weather Service radar showed precipitation falling throughout the south, and winter weather advisories or winter storm warnings were in effect for portions of Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia and the Carolinas.

On Tuesday, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency for 15 counties affected by winter weather.

It’s official: NOAA, NASA confirm 2015 is warmest year on record

The average global temperatures last year were the warmest on record, two United States agencies announced on Wednesday, officially confirming what had long been anticipated.

NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) both announced that Earth’s average temperatures in 2015 were the highest they’ve been since 1880, which is as far as records date back.

The agencies conducted separate analyses, but both reached the same conclusion.

The NOAA said global temperatures were 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average and beat last year’s record by .29 degrees.

It didn’t surprise the agency that 2015 set a new record, since it reported that record-high temperatures were recorded in 10 out of the 12 months of the year.

NASA calculated the temperatures in other ways, and had slightly different values than the NOAA, but agreed that 2015 was the warmest year since 1880.

The NOAA said an unseasonably warm December set some records of its own.

Average global temperatures during that month were 2 degrees above the 20th-century average. Not only was it the warmest December on record, but it was the only time since 1880 that any month has seen temperatures that far above its historic averages.

Though global temperatures reached new highs, not everywhere saw record warmth.

The United States, for example, experienced its second-warmest year on record, the NOAA said earlier this month. The nation’s average temperatures, while still well above average, were just shy of the all-time high established in 2012.

But record-high averages were recorded in parts of Russia, Europe, South America, and the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, the NOAA said Wednesday.

The latter is currently the site of one of the strongest El Nino weather patterns on record, which is known for producing extreme weather throughout the world. NASA officials said the phenomenon, paired with human-induced climate change, contributed to the new records.

“Last year’s temperatures had an assist from El Niño, but it is the cumulative effect of the long-term trend that has resulted in the record warming that we are seeing,” Gavin Schmidt, the director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said in a statement.

Despite the overall increases, the NOAA said some isolated areas witnessed cooler-than-average temperatures, including a swath of ocean near Greenland that posted record cold levels.