NOAA: January 2020 the hottest on record globally

It was the 421st straight month of warmer than average global temperatures

Temperature anomaly for January 2020 (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

ROANOKE, Va. – A press release from NOAA shows that January 2020 was the warmest January on record globally. In this report, it says that January’s average temperature globally was more than 2°F above the 20th-century average. This continues a streak of 421 months (35 years) of warmer than average temperatures across the globe.

They also wrote, "The four warmest Januaries documented in the climate record have occurred since 2016; the 10 warmest have all occurred since 2002. "

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Just part of what contributed to this anomaly was the record warmth seen in Scandinavia, parts of Asia and South America. Near-record warmth was observed in parts of the Caribbean and in Hawaii. Despite Alaska being significantly colder than average, it was not a record cold month for the state. '

Other mentions in the report include the smaller than average amount of sea ice and the lack of snow coverage in the Northern Hemisphere.

Here at home, January was warmer than average in each of our five regions. However, it was not record-breaking.

The winter (December 1 to now), as a whole, has been exceptionally warm in southwest and central Virginia. In Blacksburg, it has been the 2nd warmest on record. In Roanoke and Lynchburg, it’s been the 3rd warmest on record. In Southside, it has been the 6th warmest winter on record.


About the Author:

Meteorologist Chris Michaels is an American Meteorological Society (AMS) Certified Broadcaster, forecasting weather conditions in southwest Virginia on WSLS 10 News from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays on Virginia Today.