January 2025 was the warmest on record when considering the global average. The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that the world’s average temperature was about 3.15°F higher than it was before industrial times.
This is the eighth month in a row that is the warmest on record for the respective month of the year.
Those of us across much of the United States, however, were feeling a completely different effect.
In simple terms, while one part of the world was experiencing record-breaking warmth, Florida and many other regions were freezing.
It was the United States' coldest January since 1988, according to NOAA, with an average of 29.23°F.
Across many parts of the country, temperatures fell well below freezing (32°F) and heavy snowfall, along with occasional power outages, made life quite challenging.
The month narrowly surpassed January 2011 (29.71°F) and January 1996 (29.70°F). The January temperature was 0.89°F below the 130-year average and 3.14°F colder than the 1991-2020 climate normals.
The severe cold in the U.S. was caused by a specific weather event—a polar vortex bringing frigid air from the Arctic.
Meanwhile, the overall warming trend we see globally is a long-term change driven primarily by greenhouse gas emissions and warm ocean waters. So, even if one region endures a short-term cold snap, the long-term trend of global warming can continue.
NOAA’s full January 2025 National Climate Report is scheduled for release on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.