Climate disasters breaking records

Winter arrived early across the Inland Northwest with widespread snowfalls on Oct. 23. For the 2020-21 snowfall season, Cliff measured an October record-smashing 7.9 inches. Even Spokane International Airport had a record with 7.5 inches on Friday, Oct. 23.

As I mentioned last week, this is the snowiest October, beating that month in 1957 when 6.8 inches fell. This is also the second October in a row with record snows in Coeur d’Alene and surrounding regions.

In addition to the snowfall, there was record cold for October. For approximately 92 hours beginning Oct. 23 through the following Tuesday morning, air temperatures were below freezing. According to Cliff’s records, that also broke a record of 52 hours set back in October 1935.

Temperatures have moderated a bit, but we see more cold air arriving around the end of the week. The upper-level wind patterns are also bringing in some moisture and once again, there is chance we’ll see more snowfall by this weekend or next week.

Although we had the record September and October snowfalls in 2019, November 2019 was practically snowless as only 0.1 inches fell. We don’t think this November will be like last year as we're already seeing indications of increased moisture and colder temperatures. The average snowfall for November in Coeur d’Alene is 8.7 inches. The normal precipitation for this month, which includes rain and melted snow, is 3.07 inches.

As I mentioned last week and other weeks, the chances are much higher for above normal snowfalls across the Inland Northwest due to the new cooler than normal sea-surface temperature event, La Nina, in the waters of the south-central Pacific Ocean. Our prediction for the 2020-21 snowfall season is approximately 110 inches in Coeur d’Alene, compared to a normal of 69.8 inches.

Assuming we get a final total of 100 inches or more at Cliff’s station, this would make the fifth season since the monster one of 2007-08 that we’ve had over 100 inches of snow. During that year, an incredible 172.9 inches fell.

The La Nina sea-surface temperature event is also contributing to the potential record-breaking tropical storm and hurricane season in the Atlantic and Caribbean waters. As of the weekend, there have been 27 named storms and 11 hurricanes.

Hurricane Zeta stuck the Louisiana coastline near New Orleans last Wednesday as a Category 2 storm. It was the earliest 27th named storm on record when it formed in the Atlantic Ocean. Zeta was also the 11th named storm to make landfall in the U.S., breaking the record of nine named storms to make landfall in 1916.

It was also the sixth hurricane to strike the U.S. coastline, which tied the record set back in 1985. Zeta was also the fifth storm to make landfall along the Louisiana coastline, breaking the record of four set back in the record season of 2005.

The Atlantic tropical storm and hurricane season does not officially end until the 30th of this month, so it’s very possible we’ll see several more named storms, which would break the record of 28 named systems back in 2005. Despite the season ending on the 30th, we wouldn’t be surprised to see another named storm develop in December.

One of the newest trends since the turn of the century, and it’s not a good one, is the increased frequency of climate and weather disasters in the U.S. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there have been 16 major events this year with damage exceeding $1 billion. There’s a good chance Zeta will add to the list and preliminary damage estimates for road damage alone will be at least $2 billion.

Damage from tropical storms and hurricanes have already topped $30 billion for 2020.

This is also the sixth year in a row in which there are 10 or more billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the U.S. Many of the disasters this year included not only tropical storms and hurricanes, but severe weather in the Midwest and Southeast, tornado outbreaks across the Southeast, a derecho in Iowa, hail storms in the Ohio Valley and Texas, a drought event plus the massive wildfires in the West.

The average number of big weather and climate events from 1980 to 2019 is 6.6, but in the last five years, it’s near 14.

In fact, both 2018 and 2019 each reported 14 billion-dollar climate and weather disasters.

Over the last three years, 2017-2019, there have been a total of 44 events in the U.S. that cost a total of near $461 billion. Since 1980, there have been 279 events and the total damage cost was a whopping $1.825 trillion.