NCDC, March 2012 global temps. coolest since 1999, Arctic sea ice largest since 2008, Antarctic sea ice 16% above avg., 4th lgest. March in 34 yrs.

4/16/12, "NCDC: March global temperatures were coolest since 1999," kxan.com

"From the "National Climatic Data Center, NCDC:"

"Month ranks 16^th warmest March for globe; La Niña expected to dissipate by the end of April

The average global temperature for March 2012 made it the coolest March since 1999, yet the 16^th warmest since record keeping began in 1880. Arctic sea ice extent during the month was below average but was the largest extent since 2008 and one of the largest March extents of the past decade. Additionally, La Niña conditions continued to weaken during March as temperatures across the equatorial Pacific Ocean warmed during the last two months. According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, La Niña is expected to dissipate by the end of April 2012....

The global land-only surface temperature was 1.31°F (0.73°C) above the 20^th century average of 40.8°F (5.0°C), making it the 18^th warmest March on record and the coolest global land-only March temperature anomaly since 2003. The margin of error is ±0.23°F (0.13°C).

Warmer-than-average conditions occurred across nearly all of Canada, the contiguous United States, Mexico, Europe, Argentina, Peru, and parts of northern and central Russia, India, China, and eastern Brazil. Cooler-than-average regions included Alaska, Australia, eastern and western Russia, and parts of New Zealand.

Norway experienced its warmest March since national records began in 1900, while Australia had its third coolest March maximum temperature since national temperature records began in 1950.

The United States also experienced its warmest March, with more than 15,000 warm temperature records broken and the average temperature of the lower 48 states being 51.1°F, 8.6°F above the 20^th century average for March....

Polar sea ice and precipitation highlights

The average Arctic sea ice extent during March 2012 was 3.4 percent below average, ranking ninth smallest March extent since satellite records began in 1979. This is the largest March Arctic sea ice extent since 2008 and one of the largest March extents of the past decade. Arctic sea ice reached its annual maximum extent on March 18^th, 12 days later than average.

On the opposite pole, Antarctic sea ice during March was 16.0 percent above average and ranked fourth largest March extent in the 34-year period of record.

The Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent during March 2012 was near the long-term average for March, with variability between North American and Eurasia. The North American snow cover extent was much below average, ranking as fourth smallest March snow extent on record. Eurasian snow cover for March was 1.1 million square km above average, or the ninth largest March snow extent."...

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