The Eastern Rivers and Mountains Network tracks ecosystem "vital signs" — including weather and climate — in national parks in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. This is its look at 2023 at Johnstown Flood National Memorial, using county data for Cambria County, Pennsylvania, back to 1895, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate at a Glance program.
The Unger House. NPS photo
Weather or climate? Weather is the short-term state of the atmosphere, from minutes to months — what is happening outside right now. Climate is what to expect from patterns over 30 years or more: climate is what you expect, like a hot summer; weather is what you get, like a warm rainy day.
2023 at a glance
- Temperature: very warm — the 4th warmest year since 1895, averaging 49.6°F (+2.5°F).
- Precipitation: close to normal — the 59th driest, with 43.2 inches, about 0.8 inches below average.
Temperature
Fall and winter were especially warm. Nine months ran above normal, with January, February and December each at least 8°F above average.
| Month | Average (°F) | vs. 1895–2022 average |
|---|---|---|
| January | 34.0 | +9.5 |
| February | 34.9 | +9.0 |
| March | 35.6 | +0.7 |
| April | 49.5 | +3.7 |
| May | 54.6 | −2.1 |
| June | 62.1 | −2.6 |
| July | 70.0 | +1.2 |
| August | 67.2 | +0.2 |
| September | 61.3 | +0.8 |
| October | 51.9 | +2.3 |
| November | 38.0 | −0.5 |
| December | 36.6 | +8.0 |
Seasonal and annual temperature rankings (winter is January–March, spring April–June, summer July–September, autumn October–December). Image from the National Park Service
Precipitation
The year's total was near normal, but the seasons swung: spring was very dry and summer quite wet.
| Month | Total (in.) | vs. 1895–2022 average |
|---|---|---|
| January | 4.54 | +1.19 |
| February | 2.43 | −0.42 |
| March | 3.13 | −0.66 |
| April | 2.69 | −1.03 |
| May | 2.36 | −1.88 |
| June | 4.40 | −0.15 |
| July | 6.08 | +1.70 |
| August | 5.61 | +1.74 |
| September | 3.16 | −0.47 |
| October | 3.78 | +0.61 |
| November | 2.22 | −0.94 |
| December | 2.76 | −0.47 |
Seasonal and annual precipitation rankings. Image from the National Park Service
The long view
Since 1895, Cambria County's average temperature has risen about 0.1°F per decade, and its precipitation about 0.45 inches per decade. National Park Service scientists project that by 2100 the memorial's average temperature will rise 3.2–9.4°F, best case to worst, and annual precipitation 6–12%.
Annual average temperature and total precipitation, 1895–2023; dashed lines show the linear trends. Image from the National Park Service
Rapid climate change is challenging parks as never before — altered wildlife migrations, more destructive storms threatening cultural resources and facilities, and disrupted habitats.
Sources
Based on "2023 Weather in Review: Johnstown Flood National Memorial," Eastern Rivers and Mountains Network, National Park Service; a work of the United States government in the public domain. Data from NOAA's NClimDiv dataset.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from www.nps.gov
1
0
0
0
Comments
