2016 Warmest Year on Record

NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration) 2016 Marks Three Consecutive Years a Record Warm for the Globe.

2016 was another year of record warmth for the world. Another troubling record is broken.

More noteworthy findings from 2016:

• The globally averaged sea surface temperature was the highest on record, 1.35 degree F above average.
• The globally averaged land surface temperature was the highest on record, 2.57 degrees F above average. 
• North America had its warmest year on record; South America and Africa had their second; Asia and Europe had their third; and Australia had its fifth.
• The average Arctic sea ice extent for the year was 3.92 million square miles, the smallest annual average since record-keeping began in 1979. 
• The average Antarctic sea ice extent for the year was 4.31 million square miles, the second smallest annual average since record-keeping began in 1979.