The December–February average temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 36.8°F, 4.6°F above the 20th century average, surpassing the previous record of 36.5°F set in 1999/2000. The exceptionally warm December boosted the contiguous U.S. winter temperature. The February temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 39.5°F, 5.7°F above the 20th century average, ranking as the seventh warmest on record and warmest since 2000.

The winter precipitation total for the contiguous U.S. was 8.05 inches, 1.26 inches above the 20th century average. This was the 12th wettest December–February on record for the Lower 48 and the wettest since 1997/1998. The February precipitation total was 1.93 inches, 0.20 inch below average, and ranked near the median value in the 122-year period of record.

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.

The maps below show how the average temperature, and precipitation values for the month of February 2016 deviate from the 30-year normals (1981-2010).

– Click on Map to Zoom In –

The post U.S. Climate Report: February 2016 first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

The autumn precipitation total for the contiguous U.S. was 8.32 inches, 1.44 inches above the 20th century average. This was the 15th wettest September-November on record for the Lower 48 and the wettest since 2004. The November precipitation total was the fourth wettest on record with 3.30 inches, 1.07 inches above average. Record and near-record precipitation was observed across the Great Plains and Southeast.

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.

The maps below show how the average temperature, and precipitation values for the month of November 2015 deviate from the 30-year normals (1981-2010).

– Click on Map to Zoom In –

The post U.S. Climate Report: November 2015 first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

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.

The maps below show how the average temperature, and precipitation values for the month of September 2015 deviate from the 30-year normals (1981-2010).

– Click on Map to Zoom In –

The post U.S. Climate Report: September 2015 first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

The summer precipitation total for the contiguous United States was 9.14 inches, 0.82 inch above average. Driven largely by rainfall early in the season, it was the 16th wettest summer on record. The August precipitation total for the lower 48 was 2.36 inches, 0.26 inch below average, and the 28th driest on record. Drought and wildfires plagued the West and severe drought emerged in the South.

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.

The maps below show how the average temperature, and precipitation values for the month of May 2015 deviate from the 30-year normals (1981-2010).

– Click on Map to Zoom In –

The post U.S. Climate Report: August 2015 first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

The July precipitation total for the contiguous United States was 3.16 inches, 0.38 inch above average. This was the 14th wettest July on record, and it marked the fourth consecutive month with above-average precipitation for the Lower 48. Above average precipitation was observed across much of the West, Great Plains, and Ohio Valley. Below-average precipitation was observed in parts of the Southeast, Great Lakes, and Northwest.

This monthly summary is provided by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.

The maps below show how the average temperature, and precipitation values for the month of May 2015 deviate from the 30-year normals (1981-2010).

– Click on Map to Zoom In –

The post U.S. Climate Report: July 2015 first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

Drought continued to intensify in the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains, while flooding rains impacted the Ohio Valley. The wet season ends in California and the Pacific Northwest by the end of April, minimizing the chance for significant drought improvement going into summer.

This monthly summary is provided by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina.

The maps below show how the average temperature, and precipitation values for the month of April 2015 deviate from the 30-year normals (1981-2010).

– Click on Map to Zoom In –

The post U.S. Climate Report: April 2015 first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

The May precipitation total for the contiguous United States was 4.36 inches, 1.45 inches above average. This was the wettest May on record, and the wettest month of any month, in the 121-years of record keeping. For the spring season, the contiguous U.S. precipitation total was 9.33 inches, 1.39 inches above average, and the 11th wettest on record.

This monthly summary is provided by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.

The maps below show how the average temperature, and precipitation values for the month of May 2015 deviate from the 30-year normals (1981-2010).

– Click on Map to Zoom In –

The post U.S. Climate Report: May 2015 first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

The March contiguous U.S. average temperature was 45.4°F, 3.9°F above the 20th century average—the 12th warmest March on record and warmest since 2012. Near-record warmth spanned from the Great Plains to West Coast and parts of the Southeast, while the Northeast was cooler than average. The March Lower 48 precipitation total was 2.08 inches, 0.43 inch below average, tying the 19th driest March on record. Below-average precipitation was widespread across the northern tier and the Southeast, with above-average precipitation in the Southern Plains and Ohio Valley.

This monthly summary is provided by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.

The maps below show how the average temperature, and precipitation values for the month of March 2015 deviate from the 30-year normals (1981-2010).

– Click on Map to Zoom In –

The post U.S. Climate Report: March 2015 first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

* The groundbreaking for a new solar power plant in California
* Retrofitting buildings and facilities across the country to increase fuel efficiency dramatically
* The installation of photovoltaic roof solar panel systems in Massachusetts and New Jersey
* A new study in Wisconsin laying the groundwork for a food-waste-powered electrical power plant.

The answer is that all are projects of the U.S. Army Reserve. Surprised? That’s understandable, because the phrase “sustainability and energy security” probably isn’t the first one that pops into your mind when you hear the words “Army Reserve.”

The fact is, however, that in the last few years the Army Reserve has become a leader in environmental sustainability and energy security. Why? Because sustainability is not only good for the planet, it has also become critically important to the Army Reserve’s ability to carry out its mission. The ability to adapt quickly to future challenges, be they economic, environmental or geopolitical, is a critical aspect of the Army Reserve.

The Army Reserve is inextricably linked to local communities, because that’s where Reserve centers are located and where soldiers and families live. The goal to be a leader in energy security and sustainability not only supports the Army Reserve’s mission, but also supports the many cities and towns working to conserve resources and protect the local environment. The Army Reserve’s commitment to sustainability is part of an effort to be not only good neighbors but good stewards of the environment and the taxpayer’s dollar.

In addition, the Army Reserve – like the rest of the Armed Forces and all other government organizations – has to cope with budget cuts, now and in the foreseeable future. A great way to do that is to cut fuel bills by increasing fuel efficiency at facilities and developing more sustainable and renewable methods of power generation. Spending less on fuel means more dollars available for training, deployment activities and supporting communities during emergencies.

“That was a lesson I first learned while garrison commander of Fort Bragg, the largest populated military installation in the world,” says Tad Davis, chief executive officer of the United States Army Reserve. “I had the checkbook, and I had to pay the energy bill and the water bill every month. It didn’t take long for me to recognize the importance of conserving resources, and that money saved through implementation of sustainable practices could be used for infrastructure upgrades and newer, more energy efficient facilities.”

Finally, by embracing energy security, the Army Reserve is strengthening national security. Improving efficiency and using alternative and renewable sources of power lessens the nation’s dependence on foreign oil, which is produced in some of the most volatile regions in the world.

As the Army Reserve translates this commitment to energy security into programs and projects, results are already being seen, with the promise of many more benefits to come. The new California solar plant mentioned in the quiz is a 1-megawatt solar array being built at Fort Hunter Liggett. It will become operational later this year, providing one-third of the power for the nation’s largest Army Reserve training installation and ultimately saving $1 million in energy costs every year. The Army Reserve is also generating power from geothermal energy at the Devens Reserve Forces Training Area in Massachusetts and using hydrogen fuel cells at the Parks Reserve Forces Training Area in Dublin, Calif.

A number of new facilities the Army Reserve is building have been designed to meet the nation’s green building standards as outlined in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program for green buildings. Older facilities are also being renovated to make them more energy efficient and hybrid vehicles are being used at larger training centers.

And as part of the Army Reserve’s “Net-Zero” program, some of its largest facilities are being re-engineered so that they produce or recycle the same amount of resources they take from the surrounding community. The Net-Zero program is based on a simple model that uses five approaches to promote sustainability: reduction, repurposing, recycling and composting, energy recovery, and disposal.

The Army Reserve’s sustainability action list goes on and on because resource conservation and energy efficiency have become vital functions. Like leaders in the business community, the Reserve aims to be leaders in helping communities and the nation become better stewards of the environment.

The post Army Reserve: Sustaining the Environment and Supporting the Nation first appeared on The How Do Gardener.