How did 2017 rank in terms of global temperature?

By Brett Anderson, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

1/18/2018, 12:19:05 PM

Share this article:

NASA GISS just released their 2017 global surface temperature anomaly data. To no surprise, 2017 ranked as the second warmest year on record globally for land/ocean surface combined. Records go back to 1880.

Change in global temperature anomalies from 1880 to 2017. Video courtesy NASA GISS and YouTube.

According to NASA GISS, 2017 averaged 0.90 of a degree Celsius or 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit above the 1951-1980 mean for global average temperature. The warmest year on record is still held by 2016 with an average departure of +0.99 of a degree Celsius. In third place is 2015 +0.86 of a degree Celsius.

--The five warmest years on record have all taken place since 2010.

--A total of 17 of the 18 warmest years on record have all occurred since 2001, according to NASA GISS.

--NASA claims that the 2017 global average temperature anomaly is accurate to 0.1 of a degree Fahrenheit and has a 95 percent certainty level.

Image courtesy NASA GISS>

Key excerpts from the NASA GISS report.

Even without the warming influence of El Nino and with the cooling influence of La Nina late last year, 2017 was still able to rank as the second warmest year on record.

In an analysis where the effects of the recent El Nino and La Nina patterns were statistically removed from the record, 2017 would have been the warmest year on record, according to NASA GISS.

The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of AccuWeather, Inc. or AccuWeather.com

Comments

Comments that don't add to the conversation may be automatically or manually removed by Facebook or AccuWeather. Profanity, personal attacks, and spam will not be tolerated.

Global climate change

Annual winter maximum ice cover trend on the Great Lakes since the 1970s

Global climate change - July 18, 2018, 10:51:54 AM EDT

Data indicates that there has been a slight downward trend in the annual maximum extent of Great Lakes ice cover since the 1970s.
Future global warming may be double than what current climate models predict

Global climate change - July 10, 2018, 12:03:02 PM EDT

A new study concludes that global warming may eventually be twice as warm as what current climate model consensus indicates.
Air pollution from increased use of air conditioning may worsen in a warming world

Global climate change - July 06, 2018, 1:22:01 PM EDT

The increased use of air conditioning in a warming world may lead to a significant degradation of air quality in the eastern U.S. by mid-century.
A look back at how accurate James Hansen's climate projections were from the 1980s

Global climate change - June 29, 2018, 3:14:43 PM EDT

Dr. James Hansen's climate model projections from the 1980s have been mostly on target.
Arctic sea ice extent and volume update

Global climate change - June 27, 2018, 1:43:48 PM EDT

Arctic sea ice continues to run well below the 1981-2010 average.
Global temperature results for May and the spring/fall of 2018

Global climate change - June 21, 2018, 10:03:21 AM EDT

May 2018 and the spring of 2018 both ranked in the top five warmest on record.
Sharp increase in ice loss from Antarctica over the past decade

Global climate change - June 14, 2018, 12:59:22 PM EDT

Rate of ice loss in Antarctica has tripled over the past decade.
Morning low cloud cover is becoming less common along the Southern California coast

Global climate change - June 06, 2018, 11:44:15 AM EDT

A combination of a warming climate climate and increased urbanization (heat island effect) has caused a 25 to 50 percent decrease in low cloud cover in the greater Los Angeles area since the 1970s.