The Last 30 Years Were The Hottest Ever In The U.S.

Every decade, the U.S. recalculates normal temperatures and the new normal is warmer than the last.

On May 4, 2021, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its new ‘climate normals.’ Instead of using average values from 1981 to 2010, the agency will now use average values from 1991 to 2020.

The average temperature across the contiguous U.S. went from 52.8°F between 1981 and 2010 to 53.3°F between 1991 and 2020.

The U.S. and other members of the World Meteorological Organization are required to update their climate normals every decade. When those averages are seen side by side, the fast pace of our changing climate is illustrated.

Comparing the stats from 1991 to 2020 against the stats from 1901 to 1930, average temperatures across a large portion of the country have risen by 1°F to 2°F, and no part of the country is cooler now than it was during the 20th century.