Recent Maximum Temperature Anomalies at Albany, New York: Fact or Fiction

Abstract

Abstract An analysis has been conducted of a suspected daily maximum temperature (DMT) bias introduced by the replacement of the National Weather Service (NWS) HO-63 bygrothermograph with a modernized HO-83 instrument at Albany, New York, on 6 February 1985. The analysis involves an assessment of the bias before and after the changeover and has four components: 1) a bias comparison with seven surrounding NWS Cooperative Observer Network (COOP) stations; 2) a comparison of the DMT with the highest reported hourly temperature during the summer; 3) a comparison of 1800 and 2100 UTC model output statistics (MOS) operational temperature forecasts from the 0000 UTC forecast cycle during the summer with the observed temperatures; and 4) a comparison of the reported maximum surface temperature with the observed 850-mb temperature at the time of the surface maximum temperature in July for days with at least 75% of possible sunshine. The results show that the reported DMT at Albany has increased by ∼0.5°C relative ...