Hidden amid reports of recent warmest months and years based on global averages, there is a significant departure in North America. Those of us living in Canada and USA have noticed a distinct cooling, and our impressions are not wrong.

The image above shows how much lower have been April 2018 temperatures. The table below provides the numbers behind the graphs from NOAA State of the Climate.

CONTINENT ANOMALY (1910-2000) TREND (1910-2018) RANK RECORDS °C °F °C °F (OUT OF 109 YEARS) YEAR(S) °C °F North America -0.97 -1.75 0.11 0.19 Warmest 94ᵗʰ 2010 2.65 4.77 South America 1.34 2.41 0.13 0.24 Warmest 1ˢᵗ 2018 1.34 2.41 Europe 2.82 5.08 0.14 0.25 Warmest 1ˢᵗ 2018 2.82 5.08 Africa 1.23 2.21 0.12 0.22 Warmest 5ᵗʰ 2016 1.72 3.1 Asia 1.66 2.99 0.18 0.32 Warmest 9ᵗʰ 2016 2.4 4.32 Oceania 2.47 4.45 0.14 0.25 Warmest 2ⁿᵈ 2005 2.54 4.57

The table shows how different was the North American experience: 94th out of 109 years. But when we look at the first four months of the year, the NA is more in line with the rest of the globe.

As the image shows, cooling was more widespread during the first third of 2018, particularly in NA, Northern Europe and Asia, as well as a swath of cooler mid ocean latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere.

CONTINENT ANOMALY (1910-2000) TREND (1910-2018) RANK RECORDS °C °F °C °F (OUT OF 109 YEARS) YEAR(S) °C °F North America 0.44 0.79 0.16 0.29 Warmest 44ᵗʰ 2016 2.71 4.88 South America 0.94 1.69 0.13 0.24 Warmest 6ᵗʰ 2016 1.39 2.5 Europe 1.35 2.43 0.13 0.24 Warmest 13ᵗʰ 2014 2.46 4.43 Africa 1.08 1.94 0.1 0.18 Warmest 3ʳᵈ 2010 1.62 2.92 Asia 1.57 2.83 0.19 0.34 Warmest 8ᵗʰ 2002 2.72 4.9 Oceania 1.58 2.84 0.12 0.22 Warmest 1ˢᵗ 2018 1.58 2.84

The table confirms that Europe and Asia are cooler in 2018 than recent years in the decade.

Summary

These data show again that temperature indicators of climate are not global but regional, and even local in their manifestations. At the continental level there are significant differences. North America is an outlier, but who is to say whether it is an aberration that will join the rest, or whether it is the trend setter signaling a widespread cooler future.

See Also: Is This Cold the New Normal?