Global Temperature Trend Update: January 2013 - 2nd Warmest

Every month University of Alabama in Huntsville climatologists John Christy and Roy Spencer report the latest global temperature trends from satellite data. Below are the newest data updated through Janaury 2013.

Second warmest January in past 35 years

Global climate trend since Nov. 16, 1978: +0.14 C per decade

January temperatures (preliminary)

Global composite temp.: +0.51 C (about 0.92 degrees Fahrenheit) above 30-year average for January.

Northern Hemisphere: +0.55 C (about 0.99 degrees Fahrenheit) above 30-year average for January.

Southern Hemisphere: +0.46 C (about 0.83 degrees Fahrenheit) above 30-year average for January.

Tropics: +0.38 C (about 0.68 degrees Fahrenheit) above 30-year average for January.

Notes: Globally, January 2013 was the second warmest January among the past 35, with an annual global average temperature that was 0.51 C (about 0.92 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the 30-year baseline average, according to Dr. John Christy, a professor of atmospheric science and director of the Earth System Science Center at The University of Alabama in Huntsville. January 2010 was the warmest January, while January 1998 is now pushed to third warmest.

Go here to see the monthly satellite data from 1978 to the present.

Comments

[robc]

Can we get more detail?

It says Northern Hemisphere was .55C above average, but what parts caused this, because the areas I know about (America and Europe) were below average.

So who or where was so freaking hot to make up for this?

[Matrix]

I think the hot air coming out of DC put us near the top.

[Auric Demonocles]

I still haven't gotten used to these mild Boston winters, but it seems like it was awfully warm here so far.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

warm winter you say?

[T o n y]

"Global warming is a total hoax, and I'll tell you how I know. Because it's cold, today, where I live. That's jus' science."

[OldMexican]

Weather is not climate!

Except where it is, that is.

[T o n y]

Weather and climate are not synonymous. Global climate change will, however, obviously, result in changes in weather.

[anon]

Shut up, shithead.

[Scarecrow Repair]

Time alone results in changes to weather. Did you have a point?

[Sam Grove]

Weather and climate are not synonymous. Global climate change will, however, obviously, result in changes in weather.

Weather patterns like climate, are always changing. Always have, always will.

[T o n y]

Never before at the rapid pace at which it currently is changing, and never before because of human activity. But thank you for your bromide.

[Pudgeboy]

What evidence do you have to support this nonsense?

[OldMexican]

Re: Tony,

Weather and climate are not synonymous.

Except when expediency dictates that they are, right Tony?

Global climate change will, however, obviously, result in changes in weather.

Yep. When expediency dictates, they're the same.

[T o n y]

Read a fucking book for Christ's sake.

[Auric Demonocles]

If it's snowing, it's warm.

[Almanian.]

Warming, not warming - whatever. I, for one, welcome our Global Warming Climate Change overlords here in Michigan. We'll be the new Florida in NO time!

SNOW BIRDS, WELCOME YOU (and your money) TO YOUR NEW HAVEN!

But with fresh water and an income tax instead of...the opposite.

[MSimon]

With CO2 rising this is the best climate can do? Burn DC.

[Drake]

This will make my feel better as a pay my thousand dollar propane bill and wait for the 2 feet of snow on the way.

[anon]

Pretty cool: Pick the absolute coldest year as a starting date and make a hockey stick graph.

Cool story bro.

[Lewis H]

What's 69 feet high and terrifying? The sea level rise from Greenland's melting glaciers. As one expert says: 'These giants are awake and they seem to have a bit of a hangover.

[R C Dean]

As one expert says: 'These giants are awake and they seem to have a bit of a hangover.

Why do I picture that guy from Ancient Aliens?

[Lewis H]

It's like something from a spy movie, with American billionaires funding a secretive organization to undermine the science of global warming. James Bond, anyone?

[johnl]

Wow. We set all time lows for a few days in January, including the day of tryouts for softball. February just isn't baseball weather this year, when it normally is. Hope everyone else is enjoying the heat that San Diego isn't getting.

[Sy]

Who fucking cares about these updates? It's almost like Ron wakes up, looks at a calendar and sees that the thermometer says 55 degrees, and decides to grab some heavily skewed data to reaffirm what he already believes to be true.

[Pudgeboy]

Wow! The second warmest in 35 years... How old is the earth again? I think it's at least 50-100 years, at least... this is really important... what a joke... give it up.

[Bob T-S]

Why all the useless fascination over whether warming is happening or not or if it is man-made.

I cede that human activities are contributing to a warming trend -- SO WHAT?

The earth's climate system, biosphere and the world economy are incredibly complex systems. Nobody really knows what the full impact will be (negative and positive) and nobody really knows what the economic and quality of life net impact will be from implementing some knee jerk Government policy, or just letting the market respond should reason win out.

The statist's have to use the intimidation argument of declaring anyone who dare question their imperative to action as a denier, focusing on the narrow scientific question of human caused warming, to hide from the real question of the impact in complex systems.

If A then B, if C then D; A therefore D. Our global warming zealots have missed the connection between B-warming and C-Global catastrophe to assert D-name your favorite government global warming intervention.