January Was the Fourth Warmest on Record. Period.

4 by Timothy Hurst on February 16, 2010

NOAA report shows combined land and ocean temperatures for January were 1 degree above 20th century average

As Donald Trump and Glenn Beck (along with the rest of Fox News) declare an end to global warming, the real world of climate science carries on: According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's "State of the Climate: Global Analysis" for January 2010, the combined global land and ocean surface temperature for January was 1.08°F (0.60°C) above the 20th century average, making it the fourth warmest January since recordkeeping began in 1880.

And in the southern hemisphere---the 'other' half of the planet, where 10 percent of the world's population lives---combined land and ocean temps showed the second warmest January on record.

But wait, there's more.

Climate Progress points out that the January 2010 satellite data show temperatures in the lowest troposphere were the warmest in 32 years -- the warmest since the satellite began collecting temperature data.

While global land-based temperature were not as anomalous (the 12th warmest), worldwide ocean surface temperature for January 2010 was the second warmest on record. The report goes on to credit some of the global ocean warming to the persistence of a strong El Niño in the equatorial Pacific.

Southeastern US, Europe and northern Australia cooler than average

As shown in the NOAA dot maps, warmer-than-average temperatures during January dominated much of the world's land areas. According to NOAA, "the warmest anomalies occurred in the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, specifically in Canada, the western contiguous U.S., and parts of northern Russia."

So, what has been fueling the climate skepticism from the Mid-Atlantic to the southeast is likely the same thing that has been fueling skepticism in the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe: Cooler-than-average conditions were present across western Alaska, the southeastern contiguous U.S., northern Australia, and most of Europe and Russia. The UK's Met Office says the UK as a whole had its coolest January since 1987.

All this is further evidence that just because it is colder on your front doorstep, doesn't mean it is colder on everyone's front doorstep.

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Zach

Great post, Tim. Saw this on Climate Progress as well, but nicely shared in a concise, simple way for more readers. Good stuff.

The fact that we step outside & it’s cold (for those of us in those areas) & we then think that proves decades of in-depth climate science wrong is either funny or sad or some combination, but I am leaning towards sad these days with the great assault that is occurring on credible science and scientists and the way most of the media is picking it up.

Thanks for this post.
Nel

This is another good post Tim. I think we must really start to care for the environment before it’s too late to change our lifestyle. To limit of carbon footprints, we must find ways to efficiently conserve our energy consumption. If you go to http://www.Tintbuyer.com and get totally independent quotes for solar control window film, you will find that people can reduce consumption without any visual effect on their windows for much less than other energy saving technologies. Window tint is one great “green product” readily available in the market. It is cost-effective, energy-efficient and above all, it is eco-friendly.
Uncle B

Cutting CO2 will help, and Tsinghue University in China has developed a high efficiency “Pebble Bed” reactor that for a given fuel input/waste output gives a much larger energy output than American designs!This breakthrough in design engineering is just the tip of the iceberg! China has amazing nuclear electricity powered electric bullet train networks up and running! Not dependent on fossil fuels, or oil of any sort, and 400% more efficient than rubber-wheeled transportation found in the U.S.A.! China’s engineers and scientists are financed by corporatists capitalists and communists looking beyond the grip of Middle East oil on world economies, and they have had successes! Is America, stubborn in it’s ways, still using “Imperial Measures over metric, still locked in the “Oil paradigm” bound to be the bigger polluter of the atmosphere in the near future? Yes! China sees it’s coal as finite and prepares to go Solar and Wind, Tidal and Hydro, and builds new reactors ten at a time! These efforts will reduce CO2 and increase energy supplies for China – Just what is America doing? Will we be buying from a nuclear fueled producers marketplace with oil based dollars? Not a good scenario for American consumers at all! Time to “Pull the Plug” America! Time to cut CO2 , time to develop clean energy sources, time to re-think the nuclear issue and time to stop dreaming about fusion and outer space and worry more about atmospheric space – the one we breath – even China sees the light!
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