Polar Regions Experience Smallest Sea Ice Extents for February

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February 2017 Second Warmest on Record —NOAA

It was the 41st consecutive February and the 386th consecutive month with temperatures exceeding the 20th century average.

The combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces for February 2017 was 0.98°C (1.76°F) above the 20th century average of 12.1°C (53.9°F)—the second highest for February in the 138-year period of record, trailing behind the record set in 2016 (+1.20°C / +2.16°F) and ahead of 2015 by +0.10°C (+0.18°F).

February 2017 was the highest monthly temperature departure from average since April 2016 (+1.07°C / +1.93°F) and the seventh highest monthly temperature departure among all months (1646) on record. This was the 41st consecutive February and the 386th consecutive month with temperatures above the 20th century average. The February global land and ocean temperature has increased at an average rate of +0.07°C (+0.13°F) per decade since 1880; however, the average rate of increase is twice as great since 1980.

 

The average global temperature across land surfaces was 1.78°C (3.20°F) above the 20th century average of 3.2°C (37.8°F) and the second highest February global land temperature on record, trailing behind 2016 by 0.50°C (0.90°F) and ahead of 2015 by 0.09°C (0.16°F).

This was also the highest monthly temperature departure from average since April 2016 (+1.86°C / +3.35°F) and the seventh highest among all months on record.

For the oceans, the February globally-averaged sea surface temperature was 0.69°C (1.24°F) above the 20th century average of 15.9°C (60.6°F), the second highest for February on record, behind the record-breaking year 2016 (+0.80°C / +1.44°F) and surpassing 2015 by +0.08°C (+0.14°F). February 2017 was the highest monthly temperature departure from average since October 2016 (+0.72°C / +1.30°F) and the 22nd highest among all months on record.

The average global sea surface temperature for the year-to-date was also the second highest in the 137-year record, at 0.67°C (1.21°F) above average, behind 2016 by 0.16°C (0.29°F).

The December–February seasonal global land and ocean temperature was 0.89°C (1.60°F) above the 20th century average of 12.1°C (53.8°F)—the second highest temperature departure from average for December–February in the 1880–2017 record, behind 2015/2016 by 0.23°C (0.41°F).

This was the highest three-month temperature departure since July–September 2016 (+0.89°C / +1.60°F) and tied with May–July 2016, June–August 2016, and July–September 2016 as the tenth highest three-month temperature departure from average since 1880.

The global land and ocean temperature during the three-month period of December–February has increased at an average rate of +0.07°C (+0.13°F) per decade since 1880; however, the average rate of increase is twice as great since 1980.

The globally-averaged temperature across land surfaces for December–February was also the second highest on record for the season, at 1.52°C (2.74°F) above the 20th century average of 3.2°C (37.8°F), behind 2015/2016 by 0.39°C (0.70°F).

This was the highest three-month temperature departure from average since March–May 2016 (1.81°C / 3.26°F) and the eighth highest in the 138-year record.

Across the world’s oceans, the December–February average sea surface temperature was 0.66°C (1.19°F) above the 20th century average of 15.8°C (60.5°F)—the second highest for December–February on record, trailing 2015/2016 by 0.17°C (0.31°F).

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, State of the Climate: Global Analysis for February 2017, published online March 2017, retrieved on March 18, 2017 from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/201702.

Highest Temp. Departure for April in 137 Years

Global Temperature Analysis – April 2016

The combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces for April 2016 was 1.10°C (1.98°F) above the 20th century average of 13.7°C (56.7°F)—the highest temperature departure for April since global records began in 1880, according to NOAA.

• Average global temperature across land for April 2016 was 1.93°C (3.47°F) above the 20th century average of 8.1°C (46.5°F).
• Globally averaged SST was 0.80°C (1.44°F) above the 20^th century monthly average, making it the highest global SST for April on record.
• Overall, 13 out of the 15 highest monthly temperature departures in the record have all occurred since February 2015, with February 1998 and January 2007 among the 15 highest monthly temperature departures.

Year-to-Date 

• Highest global land and SST average temperature for January–April at 1.14°C (2.05°F) above the 20th century average—beating the previous record set in 2015 by 0.30°C (0.54°F).
• Record high average land surface temperature at 2.04°C (3.67°F) above average, surpassing the previous record of 2015 by 0.59°C (1.06°F).
• Highest average SST temperature for the year-to-date at 0.81°C (1.46°F) above average.

 

April 2016 Selected Climate Anomalies and Events Map

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Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, State of the Climate: Global Analysis for April 2016, published online May 2016, retrieved on May 19, 2016 from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/201604.

Highest March Temperatures Since Records Began

Global Temperature in March a record 1.22°C warmer 

The global temperature for March 2016 was the highest for this month in the 1880–2016 record, at 1.22°C (2.20°F) above the 20^th century average of 12.7°C (54.9°F), NOAA reported

• This tops the previous record for the combined average temperature for global land and ocean surfaces set in 2015 by 0.32°C (0.58°F).
• It’s also the highest monthly temperature departure among all 1,635 months on record.
• The nine highest monthly temperature departures in the record have all occurred in the past nine months.
• March 2016 also marks the 11^th consecutive month a monthly global temperature record has been broken, the longest such streak in NOAA’s 137 years of record keeping.

The average global temperature across land surfaces was 2.33°C (4.19°F) above the 20^th century average of 3.2°C (37.8°F), the highest March temperature on record, topping March record set in 2008 by 0.43°C (0.77°F).

• Most of northwestern Canada and Alaska, along with vast regions of northern and western Asia, observed temperatures at least 3°C (5°F) above their 1981–2010 average.
• The mean March temperature for Australia was the highest in the country’s 107-year period of record, at 1.70°C (3.06°F) higher than the 1961–1990 average.
• Arctic temperature over land for 66°–90°N overall was 3.34°C (6.01°F) higher than the 1981‐2010 average… the second highest March, 0.03°C (0.05°F) lower than the record set in 2011.
• Norway was 3.0°C (5.4°F) warmer than its 1961–1990 average.

March globally averaged SST remained 0.81°C (1.46°F) above the 20^th century monthly average… highest global ocean temperature for March in the 1880–2016 record, surpassing the previous record set in 2015 by 0.18°C (0.32°F)

March 2016 Selected Climate Anomalies and Events Map

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January – March period

January – March 2016 were the warmest such period on record (global land and SST), at 1.15°C (2.07°F) above the 20^th century average of 12.3°C (54.1°F), surpassing the previous record set in 2015 by 0.28°C (0.50°F)

•  January–March 2016 marked the highest departure from average for any three-month period on record.
• This record has been broken for seven consecutive months, since the July–September 2015 period.

January–March SST was the highest on record, at 0.82°C (1.48°F) above average… and 0.21°C (0.38°F) above previous records set in 2010 and 2015.

The average land surface temperature was also record high for the period, at 2.05°C (3.69°F) above average, surpassing the previous record set in 2015 by 0.47°C (0.85°F).

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, State of the Climate: Global Analysis for March 2016, published online April 2016, retrieved on April 21, 2016 from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/201603.

Global Temperature Analysis

2013 Ties with 2003 as the fourth warmest year on record: NCDC

2013 was the 37th consecutive year (since 1976) with the annual global temperature remaining above average.

Highlights from NCDC Report

• The combined land and ocean surface temperature was 0.62°C (1.12°F) above the 20^th century average of 13.9°C (57.0°F).
• Currently, the warmest year on record is 2010 with the temperature 0.66°C (1.19°F) above average.
• 9 of the 10 warmest years since records began in 1880 have occurred in the 21^st century.
• 1990, the third warmest year on record, is the only one of the top 10 records set in 20^th century.

Global combined land and ocean annually-averaged temperature rank and anomaly for  the 10 warmest years on record (since 1880). Tie is based on temperature anomaly in °C. Data Sourced from NCDC

Global Land Temperature

The average global land temperature in 2013 was 0.99°C (1.78°F) above the 20th century average and ranked as the fourth highest annually-averaged value on record.

Global Ocean Temperature

Globally-averaged ocean surface temperature in 2013 saw an anomaly of 0.48°C (0.86°F) above the 20^th century average, tying with 2006 as the eighth warmest year on record, reported NCDC.

The departure was just 0.04°C (0.07°F) below the record high of 0.58°C (1.04°F), which was set in both 1998 and 2003.

NOTE: The 1901-2000 average combined land and ocean annual temperature is 13.9°C (56.9°F), the annually averaged land temperature for the same period is 8.5°C (47.3°F), and the long-term annually averaged sea surface temperature is 16.1°C (60.9°F).

Billion-Dollar Weather/Climate Disasters

Some 151 weather/climate disasters have occurred between 1980 and 2013, with the overall damages/costs reaching or exceeding $1 billion (including CPI adjustment to 2013). The total cost of these 151 disasters exceeds $1 trillion, according to NCDC.

The 2013 toll of billion-dollar weather and climate disasters across the United States stands at 7 events, which included five severe weather and tornado episodes, a major flood episode, and the western drought/heat wave.