Monthly Report Summary Information

Global Summary Information - April 2015

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April 2015 fourth warmest on record;

Year-to-date warmest on record

The globally averaged temperature over land and ocean surfaces for April 2015 was the fourth highest for the month since record keeping began in 1880. The year-to-date (January–April) globally averaged temperature was record high.

Selected Climate Events & Anomalies for April 2015

Global highlights: April 2015

April 2015 Blended Land and Sea Surface
Temperature Percentiles April 2015 Blended Land & Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies in °C
• During April, the average temperature across global land and ocean surfaces was 1.33°F (0.74°C) above the 20^th century average. This was the fourth highest for April in the 1880–2015 record.
• The April globally-averaged land surface temperature was 2.00°F (1.11°C) above the 20^th century average. This was the 10^th highest for April in the 1880–2015 record.
• The April globally-averaged sea surface temperature was 1.08°F (0.60°C) above the 20^th century average. This was the highest for April in the 1880–2015 record, surpassing the previous record of 1998 by 0.05°F (0.03°C).
• The average Arctic sea ice extent for April was 310,000 square miles (5.5 percent) below the 1981–2010 average. This was the second smallest April extent since records began in 1979, according to analysis by the National Snow and Ice Data Center based on data from NOAA and NASA. This extent was 30,000 square miles larger than the record small April extent that occurred in 2007.
• Antarctic sea ice during April was 640,000 square miles (22.4 percent) above the 1981–2010 average. This was the largest April Antarctic sea ice extent on record, surpassing the previous record-large April extent of 2014 by 10,000 square miles.
• According to data from NOAA analyzed by the Rutgers Global Snow Lab, the Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent during April was 50,000 square miles below the 1981–2010 average. This was the 22^nd smallest April Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent in the 49-year period of record. Eurasia had a slightly larger-than-average April snow cover extent, while North America had its 15^th smallest.

Global highlights: Year-to-date (January–April 2015)

• During January–April, the average temperature across global land and ocean surfaces was 1.44°F (0.80°C) above the 20^th century average. This was the highest for January–April in the 1880–2015 record, surpassing the previous record of 2010 by 0.13°F (0.07°C).
• During January–April, the globally-averaged land surface temperature was 2.66°F (1.48°C) above the 20^th century average. This was the highest for January–April in the 1880–2015 record, surpassing the previous record of 2007 by 0.05°F (0.03°C)
• During January–April, the globally-averaged sea surface temperature was 0.99°F (0.55°C) above the 20^th century average. This tied with 2010 as the second highest for January–April in the 1880–2015 record, trailing 1998 by 0.04°F (0.02°C).
For extended analysis of global temperature and precipitation patterns, please see our full April report