Abnormal warmth persists

Abnormally cold temperatures remain in a good bit of the continental United States and southeast Canada. Abnormally warm temperatures remain and have expanded in the far north, including Alaska. I wrote about this phenomenon six days ago, as the disrupted polar vortex was pushing deep into the southern U.S., bringing abnormal cold. As is often the case in these situations, the Arctic was simultaneously experiencing abnormal warmth.

The map below shows the situation as it is today. See my previous post for an explanation of where the data comes from. I would just add here that the displayed temperature anomaly is relative to a 1979-2000 temperature baseline, chosen because it represents the temperature record prior to significant warming observed across the Arctic since the early 2000s. The earth's climate has been warming rapidly in recent decades, with the Arctic warming far faster than the planet as a whole.

Temperature anomaly 2026-01-30

 Below is a map of the entire globe. Note the abnormal warmth covering much of Africa, Europe, and Asia. You can click on these images for a larger view.

Temperature anomaly 2026-01-30

 

 Copyright (C) 2026 James Michael Brennan, All Rights Reserved 

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