Guest essay by Larry Hamlin

The graphs below from the NOAA April 2024 Climate Report  show comparisons of the latest April 2024 Global Land and Ocean average temperature anomaly results compared to all other April months from 1850 to 2024 and all January through April Global Land and Ocean average temperature anomaly results from 1850 to 2024

Unfortunately, NOAA’s latest climate report does not provide comparisons of the April 2024 average temperature anomaly results for all months over time which led to an incomplete and misleading evaluation of the April 2024 outcome. 

Fortunately, NOAA’s extensive climate temperature data base provides the information and data needed for making comparisons of April 2024 with all other months with that information and comparison results discussed below.

To provide better visibility of the differences between the results of all monthly measured average temperature anomalies (versus just looking at the month of April) a 30-year period from January 1995 to April 2024 is being used.     

The NOAA Global Land and Ocean region average temperature anomaly graph below shows all months during the last 30 years from January 1995 through April 2024 and establishes that the April 2024 result is only the 9th highest value with the peak value occurring in November 2023 as indicated in NOAA’s graph and table showing the November 2023 average temperature anomaly at 1.43 degrees C compared to the lower April 2024 value of 1.32 degrees C (highlighted in red).

This outcome suggests that the year 2023 – 2024 El Niño event may be beginning a weakening phase at this time.     

The NOAA Global Land region graph and table shown below for the period from January 1995 to April 2024 indicate this regions average temperature anomaly peaked in February 2016 (over 8 years ago during a prior El Niño event) with the April 2024 value of 1.97 degrees C (highlighted in red) being below the February 2016 peak result of 2.53 degrees C as presented in NOAA’s graphs and tables.

The Global Land region of the earth is where more than 8+ billion people live. This global region’s climate outcomes are of considerable importance and clearly merit visibility, analysis, and discussion none of which happened in NOAA’s latest climate report.

There are many other NOAA Global regions which are unaddressed in NOAA’s most recent climate report with these regions measured average temperature anomaly results establishing that their average temperature anomaly values peaked years ago.

These significant results clearly merited disclosure and discussion in NOAA’s latest climate report given that earth’s climate regions are numerous with largely different, unique, and varying climate result outcomes.         

The graph below shows NOAA’s Northern Hemisphere Land region average temperature anomaly results over the period from January 1995 through April 2024 establishing that this regions average temperature anomaly peaked in February 2016 (over 8 years ago during a prior El Niño event) with the April 2024 value of 2.53 degrees C (highlighted in red) being exceeded by the highest anomaly value of February 2016 of 3.17 degrees C as shown in NOAA’s graphs and tables.

The Asia Land region represents the largest population group on earth and is shown below by displaying  NOAA’s average temperature anomaly measurements over the period from January 1995 through April 2024 establishing that this regions average temperature anomaly peaked in February 2020 (over 4 years ago) with the April 2024 value of 2.61 degrees C  (highlighted in red) being well below the highest value of 4.13 degrees C as presented in NOAA’s graphs and tables.  

NOAA’s Oceania Land region is shown below for the period from January 1995 through April 2024 establishing that this regions average temperature anomaly peaked in December 2019 (over 4 years ago) with the April 2024 anomaly value 0.24 degrees C (highlighted in red) well below the highest anomaly value of 2.20 degrees C as presented in the NOAA’s graphs and tables.

NOAA’s East N Pacific Global Land and Ocean region results over the period from January 1995 through April 2024 establishes that this regions average temperature anomaly peaked in October 2015 (over 8 &1/2 years ago) with the April 2024 value of 0.83 degrees C (highlighted in red) below the highest anomaly value of 1.79 degrees C as presented in NOAA’s graphs and tables.  

NOAA’s Gulf of Mexico Land and Ocean global region results over the period from 1895 through April 2024 establishes that this regions average temperature anomaly peaked in March 2020 (over 4 years ago) with the April 2024 value of 0.89 C degrees C (highlighted in red) below the highest anomaly value of 1.82 degrees C as presented in the table.

NOAA’s Hawaiian Land and Ocean region results over the period from January 1995 through April 2024 establishes that this regions average temperature anomaly peaked in September 2015 (over 8 &1/2 years ago) with the April 2024 value of 0.39 degrees C (highlighted in red) well below the highest anomaly value of 1.76 degrees C as presented in NOAA’s graphs and tables.

NOAA’s Arctic Land and Ocean region results over the period from January 1995 through April 2024 establishes that this regions average temperature anomaly peaked in January 2016 (over 8 years ago during a prior El Nino event) with the April 2024 value 2.69 degrees C (highlighted in red) well below the highest anomaly value of 4.99 degrees C as presented in NOAA’s graphs and tables.

NOAA’s Antarctic Land and Ocean region results over the period from January 1995 through April 2024 establishes that this regions average temperature anomaly peaked in August 1996 (over 28 years ago) with the April 2024 negative value of -0.21 degrees C (highlighted in blue) well below the highest anomaly value of 2.25 degrees C as presented in NOAA’s graphs and tables.

It is completely inappropriate and absurd to attempt to characterize global temperature climate outcomes by using a global average temperature anomaly result when the earth is made up of such a huge number of significantly varying climate regions with each representing completely unique climate behaviors as reflected in this analysis.     

NOAA’s April 2024 latest climate data for the Contiguous U.S. are addressed here with the maximum temperature anomaly results shown below establishing there is absolutely nothing ominous about the Contiguous U.S. climate outcomes regarding the April 2024 climate results.

Furthermore, none of the 48 Contiguous U.S. states experienced an April 2024 maximum temperature record with that outcome also applying to the state of Alaska as addressed in the referenced report.  

NOAA’s April 2024 climate report missed very significant climate outcomes and analysis as provided and discussed above with these results clearly reflecting that the world is not facing a climate emergency.