The maps below are a product of a merged land surface and sea surface temperature anomaly analysis. Temperature anomalies with respect to the 1971-2000 mean for land and ocean are analyzed separately and then merged to form the global analysis. Note that BLUE is BELOW normal and RED is ABOVE normal. The maps were "dot" maps through June 2012. The size of the dot is proportional to the magnitude of the anomaly. Temperature anomalies are noted in degrees Centigrade. The maps were converted to a color shading format in July 2012. The intensity of the color shows the magnitude of the anomaly. The maps and data analysis are from the National Climatic Data Center. This page was produced within the Applied Climate Science Group of the School of Natural Resources, UNL.
The global data set has 138 years of data (1880-2017). Scroll down to see all of the months for Year 2017.
NOTE: Short summaries for each month are found below the last map.
Global Highlights April 2017: April 2017 was the 2nd warmest on record for the globe
The combined global average temperature over the land and ocean surfaces for April 2017 was 0.90°C (1.62°F) above the 20th century average of 13.7°C (56.7°F)–the second highest April temperature since global records began in 1880, trailing 2016 by 0.17°C (0.31°F) and ahead of 2010 by 0.0.7°C (0.13°F). April 2017 also marks the 388th consecutive month that the globally-averaged temperature across the world's land and ocean surfaces was nominally above the 20th century average. December 1984 was the last time a monthly temperature was below average at -0.09°C (-0.16°F). Overall, April 2017 tied with March 2015, August 2016, and January 2017 as the 12th highest monthly global land and ocean temperature departure from average on record (1,648 monthly records).
Warmer-than-average temperatures during the month were observed across much of the world's land surfaces, with the most notable warm temperature departures from average across the Northern Hemisphere higher latitudes, specifically across much of central and eastern Asia, Alaska and the eastern half of the contiguous U.S., where temperatures were 3.0°C (5.4°F) above average or higher. Several locations across Russia's Far East had record warm temperatures during April 2017. Near- to cooler-than-average temperatures were observed across the northwestern contiguous U.S., much of Canada, central South America, Scandinavia, central and eastern Europe, western Russia, central and southeastern Asia, and much of Australia. The most notable cool anomalies were observed across northern Canada, where temperatures were 2.0°–3.0°C (3.6°–5.4°F) below average or lower. No land areas had a record cold April. According to NCEI's Regional Analysis, North America, Africa, and Asia had a top 10 warm April, while Europe had its coolest April since 2003. The average global temperatures across land surfaces was 1.37°C (2.47°F) above the 20th century average of 8.1°C (46.5°F)–tying with 2000 and 2010 as the fourth highest April temperature in the 138-year record, behind 2016 (1.87°C / 3.37°F), 2007 (1.52°C / 2.74°F), and 2012 (1.50°C / 2.70°F).
Global Highlights March 2017:: March 2017 was the 2nd warmest on record for the globe
The combined global average temperature over the land and ocean surfaces for March 2017 was 1.05°C (1.89°F) above the 20th century average of 12.7°C (54.9°F). This was the second highest for March since global temperature records began in 1880, behind the record year 2016 by 0.18°C (0.32°F) and ahead of 2015 by +0.15°C (+0.27°F). March 2017 marks the first time since April 2016 that the global land and ocean temperature departure from average was greater than 1.0°C (1.8°F) and the first time the monthly temperature departure from average surpasses 1.0°C (1.8°F) in the absence of an El Niño episode in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Overall, March 2017 tied with January 2016 as the fifth highest monthly global land and ocean temperature departure from average on record (1,647 monthly records). The record monthly temperature departure of 1.23°C (2.21°F) was set in March 2016.
March 2017 was characterized by warmer- to much-warmer-than-average conditions across much of Earth's surface. The most notable warm temperature departures from the 1981–2010 average were recorded across the contiguous U.S., Europe, Russia, Mongolia, and Australia, where temperature departures were +3.0°C (+5.4°F) or greater. Some areas in northern and eastern Russia, central Australia, and the south-central contiguous U.S. had a record warm March. Near- to cooler-than-average conditions were present across Canada, Alaska, China, and parts of central Asia, with the most notable cool March temperature departures across western Canada and Alaska (-3.0°C / -5.4°F or lower). However, no land area had a record cold March. According to NCEI's Regional Analysis, four of the six continents had at least a top seven warm March since continental records began in 1910, with Europe and Oceania having their second warmest March on record.
The average global land surface temperature was 1.98°C (3.56°F)–the second highest March global land temperature on record, trailing behind the record set in 2016 (+2.36°C / +4.25°F) and ahead of 2008 by +0.07°C (+0.13°F). This was also the third highest land monthly temperature among all months (1,647) on record, behind March 2016 and February 2016 (+2.25°C / +4.05°F).
Global Highlights February 2017: February 2017 was the 2nd warmest on record for the globe
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.
Warmer- to much-warmer-than-average conditions were present across much of the world's land surfaces, with the most notable warm temperature departures from average (3°C–5°C above the 1981–2010 average) across much of the contiguous U.S., southeastern Canada, and across much of central and eastern Russia. Record warmth was limited to parts of the eastern contiguous United States and northern and southern Mexico, according to the February 2017 Land and Ocean Temperature Percentiles Map. Near- to cooler-than-average conditions were observed across Alaska, western parts of Canada and the contiguous U.S., northeastern Africa, the Middle East, and much of central and western Australia, with monthly temperatures between 0.50°C–2.50°C (0.90°F–4.50°F) below average. No land area had a record cold February temperature. According to NCEI's Regional Analysis, four of the six continents had at least a top 10 warm February since continental records began in 1910. North America had the warmest February since 2000 and the fourth warmest February on record. South America had its third warmest February on record, while Europe had the coldest February since 2013 and the 17th warmest February on record.
Global Highlights January 2017: January 2017 was the 3rd warmest on record for the globe
The globally averaged temperature over land and ocean surfaces for January 2017 was 0.88°C (1.58°F) above the 20th century average of 12.0°C (53.6°F). This was the third highest January temperature in the 1880–2017 record, behind 2016 (highest) and 2007 (second highest). Separately, the global land surface temperature was also third highest for the month of January at 1.54°C (2.77°F) above the 20th century average of 2.8°C (37.0°F). The first month of the year was characterized by warmer to much-warmer-than-average conditions across much of the world's land surface, with the largest positive temperature departures from average across the eastern half of the contiguous U.S., eastern Asia, and much of Canada where temperature departures were 3.0°C (5.4°F) or greater. Cooler-than-average conditions were observed across New Zealand, the western half of the contiguous U.S., central and western Australia, northern and southern parts of Africa, western and southern Asia, and much of Europe. The most notable below-average temperature departures from average were observed across the northwestern contiguous U.S. and central Europe (-3.0 °C [-5.4°F] or colder). According to NCEI's Regional analysis, three of the six continents had at least a top six warm January, with South America having its second warmest January since continental records began in 1910, behind 2016. Meanwhile, Europe had its coldest January since 2010.