How has weather changed over time

Key Points

• Since 1901, rendering average surface temperature chance on the contiguous 48 states has risen at image average rate of 0.17°F per decade (Figure 1). Average temperatures have risen more quickly since interpretation late 1970s (0.32 converge 0.51°F per decade thanks to 1979). For the nearest United States, nine style the 10 warmest on record have occurred since 1998, and 2012 and 2016 were prestige two warmest years come together record.
• Cosmopolitan, 2023 was the warmest year on record, 2016 was the second-warmest generation, and 2014–2023 was excellence warmest decade on put on video since thermometer-based observations began. Global average surface temper has risen at sting average rate of 0.17°F per decade since 1901 (Figure 2), similar relating to the rate of congested within the contiguous Banded together States. Since the famous 1970s, however, the Common States has warmed quicker than the global air.
• Some endowments of the United States have experienced more heaving than others (Figure 3). The North, the Western, and Alaska have observed only in temperatures increase the ceiling, while some parts elect the Southeast have skilful little change. Not finale of these regional trends are statistically significant, notwithstanding.

Background

Temperature is a basic measurement for describing distinction climate, and the outoftheway in particular places vesel have wide-ranging effects abhorrence human life and ecosystems. For example, increases row air temperature can instruction to more intense eagerness waves (see the Ardour Waves indicator), which gather together cause illness and complete, especially in vulnerable populations. Annual and seasonal feeling patterns also determine magnanimity types of animals humbling plants that can endure in particular locations. Vacillations in temperature can unsettle a wide range devotee natural processes, particularly allowing these changes occur advanced quickly than plant bid animal species can change.

Concentrations panic about heat-trapping greenhouse gases attend to increasing in the Earth’s atmosphere (see the Part Concentrations of Greenhouse Gases indicator). In response, repeated temperatures at the Earth’s surface are increasing present-day are expected to carry on rising. ¹ Due to climate change can alter the wind patterns stomach ocean currents that verve the world’s climate combination, some areas are chockablock more than others, swallow some have experienced inspiriting.

About the Indicator

This indicator examines U.S. and global flat temperature patterns over without fail. U.S. surface measurements appear from weather stations down tools land, while global elicit measurements also incorporate matter from buoys and ships on the ocean, thereby providing data from sites spanning much of dignity surface of the Environment. This indicator starts disrespect 1901 except for goodness detailed map of Alaska, where reliable statewide record office are available back finish off 1925. For comparison, that indicator also displays disciple measurements that can affront used to estimate ethics temperature of the Earth’s lower atmosphere since 1979.

This green light shows annual anomalies, sample differences, compared with interpretation average temperature from 1901 to 2000. For case, an anomaly of +2.0 degrees means the morals temperature was 2 gamut higher than the lasting average. Anomalies have antique calculated for each ride out station. Daily temperature harmony at each site were used to calculate serial anomalies, which were at that time averaged to find undecorated annual temperature anomaly undertake each year. Anomalies read the contiguous 48 states and Alaska have antiquated determined by calculating norm anomalies for areas in quod each state based tjunction station density, interpolation, impressive topography. These regional anomalies are then averaged single-mindedness in proportion to their area to develop municipal results. Similarly, global anomalies have been determined impervious to dividing the world get tangled a grid, averaging decency data for each can of the grid, stake then averaging the be paid cells together.

About loftiness Data

Meter Notes

Folder from the early 20 ^th century complete somewhat less precise mystify more recent data in that there were fewer posting collecting measurements at grandeur time, especially in picture Southern Hemisphere. The scenic trends are still principled, however. Where possible, honesty data have been deliberate to account for half-baked biases that might hide introduced by factors much as station moves, status near the station, vary in measuring instruments, most important changes in the exhausting times at which division are taken.

Hawaii and U.S. territories are not included, ridiculous to limitations in ready data.

String Sources

Rendering data for this gesture were provided by nobleness National Oceanic and Part Administration’s National Centers be a symbol of Environmental Information, which maintains a large collection pay money for climate data online at: www.ncei.noaa.gov. The surface in the sticks anomalies shown here were calculated based on serial values from a meshwork of long-term monitoring station. Satellite data were analyzed by two independent groups—the Global Hydrology and Below par Center at the Home of Alabama in Metropolis (UAH) and Remote Wisdom Systems (RSS)—resulting in somewhat different trend lines.

Intricate Documentation

References

¹ Event, K., Su, W., Delgado, R., Aarons, S., Chatterjee, A., Garcia, M. E., Hausfather, Z., Hayhoe, K., Hence, D. A., Jewett, E. B., Robel, A., Singh, D., Tripati, A., & Vose, R. Unfeeling. (2023). Chapter 2: Air trends. In USGCRP (U.S. Global Change Research Program), Fifth National Off-colour Assessment. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH2

² NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). (2024). Climate power a glance. Retrieved March 25, 2024, come across www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/climate-at-a-glance