Normal Temperature Maps
A common misconception is that a climate "normal" describes the "typical" state of the atmosphere. "Normal" is simply a 30-year arithmetic mean, computed once per decade. The temperature normals data presented in the maps below summarize the observation period 1971-2000. These values are benchmarks to be used throughout this decade as a measure of central tendency. Normals data can be useful in placing ongoing weather conditions in historical context. Additionally, normals data offer an excellent tool for describing climate variability across space.
Clicking on a map below will bring the user to a page displaying larger versions of mean temperature normals maps. Maximum and minimum temperature normal maps are also provided for each month.