February Was The World's Second Hottest On Record

Humans just experienced the second hottest February on record, according to a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Across the entire planet, the average temperature for the month of February was 1.76 degrees above the average for the 20th century.

And the hottest February on record, since researchers began keeping track in 1880? You probably remember it well. It was last year, in 2016.

These numbers aren't just statistical manifestations. In New York City, for instance — not an area known for its pleasant winter temperatures — residents were treated to a comfortable but unsettling smattering of days that reached 70 degrees.

The NOAA report also notes that the period of December 2016 to February 2017 as a whole also claimed the honor of being the second hottest on record.

In January, NASA reported that 2016 was the hottest year ever recorded.

“We don’t expect record years every year, but the ongoing long-term warming trend is clear,” said Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York.

While increases of a few degrees may not seem like much, researchers who study climate warn that even marginal changes can have big effects. High temperatures means melting glacial ice, which can lead to higher sea levels and wipe out inhabited areas of land. Broader changes to the climate can also result in more adverse weather events, like hurricanes and droughts. The Environmental Protection Agency has connected climate change to increasing ocean acidity, one of many effects that may lead to unpredictable consequences for the world and for human life.

Photo credit: NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center