Wright, Lori

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University of New HampshireUniversity of New Hampshire Scholars' RepositoryMedia Relations Administrative Offices1-16-2013It’s Official: 2012 Broke Record for Warmest Yearin New HampshireLori WrightUNH Media RelationsFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/newsThis News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It hasbeen accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For moreinformation, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.Recommended CitationWright, Lori, "It’s Official: 2012 Broke Record for Warmest Year in New Hampshire" (2013). UNH Today. 4132.https://scholars.unh.edu/news/4132January 16, 2013 It’s Official: 2012 Broke Record for Warmest Year in New HampshireDURHAM, N.H. – It may be snowy and cold outside, but Granite Staters should have no trouble remembering how hot it was last year. In fact, just­released climate statistics now show that 2012 was the warmest year for New Hampshire since official records began in 1895, according to Mary Stampone, assistant professor of geography at the University of New Hampshire and the N.H. state climatologist. It was also the warmest year for the Northeast region, with state records broken in eight  of the 12 Northeastern states: Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.The average temperature of 47.2 degrees Fahrenheit in New Hampshire was about 4 degrees above the average for the period of 1895 to 2012 and broke the previous record of 46.6 degrees set in 1998, Stampone said.“This new record makes 2012 the third consecutive year to rank as one of the 10 warmest since 1895 and the eighth since 1990. Four of the top 10 warmest years since 1895 occurred during the last decade, and eight of 10 occurred since 1990,” she said.The top 10 average warmest years in New Hampshire are: • No. 1: 2012, 47.2 degrees• No. 2: 1998, 46.6 degrees• No. 3: 1953, 46.3 degrees• No. 4: 2010, 46.2 degrees• No. 5: 2006, 46.0 degrees• No. 6: 1990, 45.9 degrees• No. 7: 1999, 45.8 degrees• No. 8 (tie): 2011 and 1949, 45.6 degrees• No. 10: 1991, 45.3 degrees   The coldest year for New Hampshire was 1926 (39.5 degrees), and no other year has ranked within the 10 coldest since.  “In addition, average monthly temperatures were above normal for 10 out of 12 months in 2012, with six months exceeding the range of normal variability and a new average monthly temperature record for March, which was unusually warm,” Stampone said.  The average temperature in March 2012 was 39.6 degrees, which was 9 degrees above the 1981­2010 normal for March and slightly above the previous record of 39.4 degrees set in 1946. Nearly Media RelationsPage 1 of 2UNH News: It’s Official: 2012 Broke Record for Warmest Year in New Hampshire2/6/2018http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/releases/2013/jan/lw16weather.cfm.html200 individual station records were also broken during the month, including 168 daily and 21 monthly station high temperatures records statewide. June and November were the only months in 2012 with an average monthly temperature below normal, however both months fell within the range of normal variability, and the differences are not significant. The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world­class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space­grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.GRAPHICSState­Averaged Mean Annual Temperature for New Hampshire, 1895­2012http://www.unh.edu/news/img/stampone_2012_1.jpgNew Hampshire average annual for 2012 are shown as a difference (departure) from the 1895­2012 average. The range of variability is shown as one standard deviation above and below the average for the period of record. The state­averaged mean annual temperature of 47.2 °F for 2012 ranks as the warmest year statewide since records began in 1895.Credit: Mary Stampone/UNH and NHSCO2012 State­Averaged Monthly Statistics for New Hampshirehttp://www.unh.edu/news/img/stampone_2012_2.jpgNew Hampshire average monthly temperatures for 2012 are shown as a difference (departure) from the 1981­2010 average (normal) for each month.  The “near­normal” range of variability is shown as one standard deviation above and below the 1981­2010 average for all months.  March 2012 was the warmest March since 1895.Credit: Mary Stampone/UNH and NHSCOTop 10 Warmest and Coolest Years in New Hampshirehttp://www.unh.edu/news/img/stampone_2012_3.jpgNew Hampshire mean annual temperature rankings for the period of record 1895 to 2012.  The largest ranking represents the warmest year; the smallest represents the coldest year.Credit: Mary Stampone/UNH and NHSCOMedia Contact: Lori Wright | 603­862­0574 | UNH Media Relations Secondary Contact: Mary Stampone | 603­862­3136 | UNH Department of Georgraphy/NH State Climatologist UNH Experts available for comment: • Mary StamponeCopyright © 2018, The University of New Hampshire  •  Durham, NH 03824  •  UNH main directory: (603) 862­1234. Media Relations is a unit of Communications & Public Affairs which is a division of University Advancement. ADA Acknowledgement | Contact the Webmaster | UNH Today | UNH Social Media IndexPage 2 of 2UNH News: It’s Official: 2012 Broke Record for Warmest Year in New Hampshire2/6/2018http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/releases/2013/jan/lw16weather.cfm.html

It’s Official: 2012 Broke Record for Warmest Year in New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository
Media Relations Administrative Offices
1-16-2013
It’s Official: 2012 Broke Record for Warmest Year
in New Hampshire
Lori Wright
UNH Media Relations
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/news
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has
been accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more
information, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.
Recommended Citation
Wright, Lori, "It’s Official: 2012 Broke Record for Warmest Year in New Hampshire" (2013). UNH Today. 4132.
https://scholars.unh.edu/news/4132
January 16, 2013 
It’s Official: 2012 Broke Record for Warmest Year in New Hampshire
DURHAM, N.H. – It may be snowy and cold outside, but Granite Staters should have no trouble 
remembering how hot it was last year. In fact, just­released climate statistics now show that 2012 
was the warmest year for New Hampshire since official records began in 1895, according to Mary 
Stampone, assistant professor of geography at the University of New Hampshire and the N.H. state 
climatologist. 
It was also the warmest year for the Northeast region, with state records broken in eight  of the 12 
Northeastern states: Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, 
Rhode Island, and Vermont.
The average temperature of 47.2 degrees Fahrenheit in New Hampshire was about 4 degrees above 
the average for the period of 1895 to 2012 and broke the previous record of 46.6 degrees set in 
1998, Stampone said.
“This new record makes 2012 the third consecutive year to rank as one of the 10 warmest since 
1895 and the eighth since 1990. Four of the top 10 warmest years since 1895 occurred during the 
last decade, and eight of 10 occurred since 1990,” she said.
The top 10 average warmest years in New Hampshire are: 
• No. 1: 2012, 47.2 degrees
• No. 2: 1998, 46.6 degrees
• No. 3: 1953, 46.3 degrees
• No. 4: 2010, 46.2 degrees
• No. 5: 2006, 46.0 degrees
• No. 6: 1990, 45.9 degrees
• No. 7: 1999, 45.8 degrees
• No. 8 (tie): 2011 and 1949, 45.6 degrees
• No. 10: 1991, 45.3 degrees   
The coldest year for New Hampshire was 1926 (39.5 degrees), and no other year has ranked within 
the 10 coldest since.  
“In addition, average monthly temperatures were above normal for 10 out of 12 months in 2012, 
with six months exceeding the range of normal variability and a new average monthly temperature 
record for March, which was unusually warm,” Stampone said.  
The average temperature in March 2012 was 39.6 degrees, which was 9 degrees above the 1981­
2010 normal for March and slightly above the previous record of 39.4 degrees set in 1946. Nearly 
Media Relations
Page 1 of 2UNH News: It’s Official: 2012 Broke Record for Warmest Year in New Hampshire
2/6/2018http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/releases/2013/jan/lw16weather.cfm.html
200 individual station records were also broken during the month, including 168 daily and 21 
monthly station high temperatures records statewide. 
June and November were the only months in 2012 with an average monthly temperature below 
normal, however both months fell within the range of normal variability, and the differences are not 
significant. 
The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world­class public research university with 
the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space­grant university, UNH is the 
state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.
GRAPHICS
State­Averaged Mean Annual Temperature for New Hampshire, 1895­2012
http://www.unh.edu/news/img/stampone_2012_1.jpg
New Hampshire average annual for 2012 are shown as a difference (departure) from the 1895­2012 
average. The range of variability is shown as one standard deviation above and below the average 
for the period of record. The state­averaged mean annual temperature of 47.2 °F for 2012 ranks as 
the warmest year statewide since records began in 1895.
Credit: Mary Stampone/UNH and NHSCO
2012 State­Averaged Monthly Statistics for New Hampshire
http://www.unh.edu/news/img/stampone_2012_2.jpg
New Hampshire average monthly temperatures for 2012 are shown as a difference (departure) from 
the 1981­2010 average (normal) for each month.  The “near­normal” range of variability is shown as 
one standard deviation above and below the 1981­2010 average for all months.  March 2012 was 
the warmest March since 1895.
Credit: Mary Stampone/UNH and NHSCO
Top 10 Warmest and Coolest Years in New Hampshire
http://www.unh.edu/news/img/stampone_2012_3.jpg
New Hampshire mean annual temperature rankings for the period of record 1895 to 2012.  The 
largest ranking represents the warmest year; the smallest represents the coldest year.
Credit: Mary Stampone/UNH and NHSCO
Media Contact: Lori Wright | 603­862­0574 | UNH Media Relations 
Secondary Contact: Mary Stampone | 603­862­3136 | UNH Department of Georgraphy/NH State 
Climatologist 
UNH Experts available for comment: 
• Mary Stampone
Copyright © 2018, The University of New Hampshire  •  Durham, NH 03824  •  UNH main directory: (603) 862­1234. 
Media Relations is a unit of Communications & Public Affairs which is a division of University Advancement. 
ADA Acknowledgement | Contact the Webmaster | UNH Today | UNH Social Media Index
Page 2 of 2UNH News: It’s Official: 2012 Broke Record for Warmest Year in New Hampshire
2/6/2018http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/releases/2013/jan/lw16weather.cfm.html


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It’s Official: 2012 Broke Record for Warmest Year in New Hampshire

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