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SoylentNews had a story last month about temperatures in the Arctic that were 20°C (36°F) warmer than usual. That was just a warm up.
Richard James, who holds a doctorate in meteorology, found November produced the most anomalously warm Arctic temperatures of any month on record after analyzing data from 19 weather stations.
In the middle of the month, the temperature averaged over the entire Arctic north of 80 degrees latitude spiked to 36 degrees [Fahrenheit] above normal.
Now, storm activity around Greenland has caused a warm spell in the vicinity of the North Pole, with temperatures 50°F (28°C) higher than usual.
As of the morning of Thursday, December 22 (3 a.m. EST), the International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP), operated out of the University of Washington, recorded temperatures from these buoy[s] up to 0°C or slightly higher.
There was a similar pattern of unusually warm weather in the Arctic in November and December of 2015.
The warm spell [...] marks the second straight December of freakish warmth spreading across the Arctic due to weird weather patterns.
additional coverage:
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 28 2016, @12:24AM
There are many different uses for climate data and related long term forecasting. This is the kind of function that makes sense for government to provide. I'd rather not be at the mercy of Google Weather(R) or Apple Weather(ugh)...then there is Exxon Weather, but you and I won't get to see that!
Farms plan planting, irrigation & harvest times, and might even change seed or crop variety with big swings. I'm assuming similar happens with fisheries (and fish farms) around the world. Energy companies stockpile for winter use (cold weather gasoline, natural gas storage for home heating). Highway departments budget for plowing and salt/sand--it's a big mess when they miss on their estimates. Some architects (the good ones) look closely at climate data before sizing the heating and A/C equipment for buildings.
Climate data is really useful stuff.