Washington, DC – If the climate records of late 2016 were any indication, January 2017’s balmy global temperatures — and record-small polar ice extents — will come as no surprise.

January’s average global temperature was 1.58ºF above the 20^th Century average of 53.6 degrees, according to the analysis by scientists from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. This was the third highest for January in the 1880-2017 record, behind 2016 (highest) and 2007 (second highest).

More noteworthy findings for January included:

Record-low sea ice extent at the poles

• The average Arctic sea ice extent was 8.6 percent below the 1981-2010 average for January, and the average Antarctic sea ice extent was 22.8 percent below the 1981-2010 average. For both regions this was the smallest January sea ice extent since the satellite record began in 1979.

Above-average snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere

• The Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent was the sixth largest in the 51-year period of record. North America had its 13^th largest and Eurasia had its seventh largest.

Warmer-than-average lands and oceans 

• The globally averaged sea surface temperature was the second highest January on record, 1.17ºF above average.
• The globally averaged land surface temperature was the third highest January on record, 2.77ºF above average.

Continents experienced temperature highs and lows

• North America had its fourth warmest January on record; South America had its second; Asia tied as sixth; Oceania had its 13^th; and Africa had its 21^st. Cooler-than-average conditions engulfed much of Europe in January, which had its coldest winter since 2010.