Global Surface Temperature Rankings

January Global Surface Temperature Rankings

February 20, 2015; 3:55 PM ET

Both NOAA and NASA GISS have confirmed that the January 2015 combined global land/ocean surface temperature was the 2nd warmest on record. Records go back to 1880.

While it was indeed cold across a large part of eastern North America in January, much of the globe experienced above-normal temperatures, especially in western North America and a large part of Asia.

The world's oceans combined to have their 3rd warmest January on record, even without the help of the warming influence of El Nino, according to NOAA.

NASA GISS data for January 2015

--The global land/ocean combined surface temperature anomaly for January 2015 was +0.75 deg. C, putting it only behind January 2007, which had an anomaly of +0.93 deg. C.

--For the Northern Hemisphere the January 2015 anomaly was +1.09 deg. C., which places it in second place behind the +1.31 deg. C set back in 2007.

--For the Southern Hemisphere the January 2015 anomaly was +0.41 deg. C., which makes it the 14th warmest on record.

NOAA data for January 2015.

The combined global land/ocean surface temperature anomaly for January 2015 was +0.77 deg. C., which also makes this past January the second warmest on record behind the +0.86 deg. C. set back in 2007. Records go back to 1880.

It was also the third warmest January for the Northern Hemisphere and the 19th warmest January for the Southern Hemisphere, according to NOAA.

As I mentioned above, this past January was the third warmest on record for ocean surface temperatures. This is impressive since the top two occurred during El Nino conditions. We were still in ENSO neutral conditions as of January 2015.

**Keep in mind, NOAA's temperatures are measured against the 20th century average, while GISS uses the 1951-1980 base period, which would partially explain the differences in anomalies.

Satellite measurements of the lower troposphere

For satellite measurements of the lower troposphere by Remote Sensing Systems (RSS), which are measured against the 1981-2010 average we see that January 2015 was the 6th warmest January on record going back to 1979. Keep in mind, four out of the top five warmest January's in the satellite record occurred during El Nino conditions. Satellite measurements of the lower troposphere are more sensitive to the warming influence of El Nino compared to the land surface.

Image courtesy of Remote Sensing Systems.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/climatechange/january-global-surface-tempera/42674651