TOLEDO, Ohio — How will you remember 2023 weather-wise? For much of the country and the world, this year brought mild conditions with record temperatures. Locally, 2023 will likely go down as the warmest year on record.
For an in-depth breakdown of the most notable weather events and storm systems this year, check out WTOL 11 Chief Meteorologist Chris Vickers' year in review breakdown.
In this final Climate Friday edition of 2023, Meteorologist John Burchfield will analyze the broader data about the weather across the world this year.
Globally, 2023 is poised to become the hottest year on record. With a mean temperature 2.63 degrees above average, this year has delivered abnormally mild conditions for much of the world. This global comparison to pre-industrial temperatures before manmade greenhouse gas emissions shows the impacts of climate change on thermometers across the world. Temperatures frequently surged to record levels this year, and over 31,875 daily high temperature records were set in America alone.
The month of December has delivered over 2,922 high temperature records. The frequency of these record temperatures exemplifies the broader warming trend of climate change. The number of record low temperatures this year was under 14,000, showing that while extreme cold occurred from time to time, it was far less frequent than record heat.
Globally, 2023 is poised to become the hottest year on record, surpassing 2016. Official data in the next few weeks will confirm 2023's place atop the list of hottest years in recorded history. Behind 2023 and 2016, 2020 and 2019 follow as other notably hot years.
In addition to warm temperatures, this year brought a number of record precipitation events, in part due to climate change. Across the country, over 25,211 daily rainfall records occurred. Increased moisture in the atmosphere resulting from evaporation of water from oceans and other bodies of water intensifies rainfall and makes these records more commonplace.
While some areas saw heavy snow, only 5,725 daily snowfall records occurred, just a fraction of the number of rainfall records. Warming temperatures and increased evaporation have ramped up heavy rainfall across the country.
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2023 brought similarly mild and wet conditions here in Toledo, northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. Eight of the 12 months this year were warmer than average. The calendar year started off with an exceptionally mild January measuring in at 7.6 degrees above average. February followed suit with anomalous warmth with temperatures 6.2 degrees above average. March and April, while both milder than normal, came closer to climatological averages.
May was the first month of the year that was cooler than average. June, July, and August also featured below average temperatures, making for a relatively cool and damp summer without any major heat. The warmest recorded temperature this summer was only 93, which occurred twice on August 23 and September 5. Fall kicked off a milder weather pattern and culminated in a November that was 7.9 degrees above average and an extremely mild December that is 8.9 degrees above average as of Dec. 29.
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Overall, 2023 is tied for the warmest year on record in Toledo history with an average temperature of 54 degrees. Sharing the title of warmest year with 2021, this year exemplified the overall warming trend in today's era of climate change. Other recent years have also delivered unusual warmth, including 2022, the eighth warmest on record; 2020, the fifth; and 2019, the 13th.
This year's average of 54 degrees is a significant outlier from the mean temperature over the last 30 years, exceeding that number by three degrees. This warming trend will likely continue in the coming years, delivering mild conditions for northwest Ohio, southeast Michigan, and across the globe.
How will you remember 2023? This year will go down as the mildest on record both locally and globally, continuing gradual uptick in temperatures associated with global warming.
The year 2024 will start off warmer than average, and the WTOL 11 10-day forecast is devoid of any major cold or snowstorms. Subscribe to the Climate Friday Newsletter for weekly content in 2024 pertaining to climate change and its local impacts.
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