September was the first month with cooler-than-average temperatures since May 2005, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported Monday. The average temperature for the Lower 48 states of the U.S. was 0.7 degrees below the 20th century average of 65.4 degrees.

Mild temperatures and declining gas demand from power generation contributed to a $1.847 drop in near-month futures prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange from $6.048 on Aug. 31 to $4.201 on Sept. 27.

“The rarity of below-average national temperatures is reflective of the overall long-term warming trend for the nation,” NOAA said. The January-September 2006 combined temperature was the warmest on record.

NOAA said temperatures were below average in 25 Lower 48 states in September. Above average temperatures occurred in only five states: Vermont, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon.

Overall, precipitation was above average. Precipitation over the last few months ended a drought in New Mexico and helped reduce drought severity in other parts of the Southwest. However, below average reservoirs and other longer-term hydrological effects remained widespread. About 33% of the continental U.S. was in moderate to exceptional drought at the end of September, a decrease of 11% since the end of August.

Meanwhile, despite the cooler U.S. temperatures September globally was still the fourth warmest September on record and the first nine months of this year were the fifth warmest since records began in 1880 for global land and sea surface temperatures, NOAA said. The agency noted that an El Nino episode began during the September in the equatorial Pacific Ocean that will impact winter weather in the U.S. Most of the U.S. is expected to see warmer than normal temperatures this winter, but temperatures also are expected to be slightly cooler than last winter, the agency said last week (see Daily GPI, Oct. 11).

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