2015 was Oregon's warmest year on record, data shows

NOAA average temperature data

Oregon is one of four states to experience record average temperatures in 2015. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

2015 was Oregon's warmest year on record, data show.

Oregon was one of four states to experience record average temperatures in 2015, according to preliminary data published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Washington, Montana and Florida also experienced record years, and 28 states were "much warmer than average," according to the NOAA.

An Oregon State University article published on Thursday about the NOAA data states that Oregon's average temperature last year was 50.4 degrees, which tops the previous high, set in 1934, by a half-degree.

The Oregon State article quotes Philip Mote, director of the on-campus Oregon Climate Change Research Institute, who said greenhouse gases and meteorological conditions led to the higher temperatures.

"There's little doubt that the insulation of the planet from greenhouse gas emissions played a role in the warming throughout the year," he is quoted as saying.

Mote also said, according to the article, that 2015 would have been a warm year -- regardless of greenhouse gases -- because of meteorological conditions.

2015 was also the second-warmest year on record for the 48 contiguous states, with average temperatures coming in at 54.4 degrees, according to the NOAA. That mark is second to only the 55.3-degree average temperature recorded in 2012.

The contiguous U.S. also experienced the warmest average December temperatures on record, at 38.6 degrees, topping the previous record of 37.7 degrees set in 1939, according to the NOAA.

The NOAA also said that although parts of the West and Northeast experienced dryer-than-average conditions in 2015, the year was the third-wettest in the contiguous U.S. in a 121-year period of record-keeping.

The NOAA said the "temperature and precipitation analysis is based on data back to 1895, resulting in 121 years of data. Data for 2015 should be considered preliminary."

Read more about the data on the NOAA and Oregon State websites.

-- Jim Ryan

503-221-8005; @Jimryan015

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.