Recent data highlights a series of alarming climate records: the United States experienced its hottest winter on record, with the average temperature 5.4°F above the seasonal average, surpassing the previous record set in the winter of 2015-2016. This phenomenon has been attributed to El Nino effects. Similarly, Canada recorded its warmest winter ever, with temperatures 5.2°C above average, and the USA was 3°C above average. Concurrently, the Arctic and Antarctic regions are facing significant sea ice challenges. The Arctic sea ice thickness and volume for February were reported to be anomalously low for 2024, with the sea ice extent being the 15th lowest on record. This is in stark contrast to historical data, showing a long-term decline when compared to past decades, with the extent about 290,000 km² above the 2010s mean, yet about 290,000 km² below the 2000s mean, 680,000 km² below the 1990s mean, and 1,140,000 km² below the 1980s mean. Additionally, global mean sea surface temperature anomalies for the year have been the warmest on record, according to data from NOAA ERSSTv5 averaged over January and February. Antarctic sea ice cover also remains far below average levels for the third consecutive year, raising concerns about whether this trend represents a permanent shift driven by climate change.
There were extremely large temperature anomalies in the highest latitudes of the Arctic in February 2024... [Plot shows zonal-mean surface air temperature anomalies, where latitude = y-axis (not scaled by distance). Data: GISTEMPv4 using a 1951-1980 baseline] https://t.co/hPsF3UtFqb
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Antarctic sea ice cover remains far below average levels for the third year in a row. But researchers are still uncertain whether this is a permanent, catastrophic shift driven by climate change or a natural fluctuation https://t.co/SoLiXDAbjq
Shocking North American Winter Warmth Blows Away Previous Records For meteorological winter (Dec 2023 - Jan 2024 - Feb 2024) #Canada was warmest ever; 5.2C above average, while USA was warmest ever; 3C above average. https://t.co/VGjgBO06xO #climate #weather #GlobalWarming https://t.co/uyGj7E5fBu
'These are numbers are just — wow': This winter was warmest in Canadian records by a huge margin. https://t.co/XUs4IXnSRi
#Arctic sea ice extent is currently the 15th lowest on record (JAXA data) • about 290,000 km² above the 2010s mean • about 290,000 km² below the 2000s mean • about 680,000 km² below the 1990s mean • about 1,140,000 km² below the 1980s mean Plots: https://t.co/tBkW5GBOxd https://t.co/TbFQW7p3a0
❖ The U.S. just had its hottest winter on record For the country as a whole, the meteorological winter (December, January and February) had an average temperature that was 5.4°F above average for the season, beating the winter of 2015-2016 for the title. https://t.co/xMRiJukZkL
U.S. just had its warmest winter in history thanks to El Nino https://t.co/E3IQfwGxc7
Global mean sea surface temperature anomalies (departure from average) so far this year ➡️ warmest on record [Data from @NOAA ERSSTv5 averaged over January to February] https://t.co/gfmRBXM3IO
The U.S. just experienced its hottest winter on record, and some states saw temperatures exceed the typical values by more than 10°F. https://t.co/hQ7ReWlQoR https://t.co/Hl3GLv8a5S
Variability and long-term decline of February #Arctic sea-ice thickness and sea-ice volume... (anomalously low for 2024) + Data information: https://t.co/PTJWaGkNua https://t.co/a51VTWKFVA