Has 2020 Ended as the Warmest Year on Record?

Final numbers haven't been crunched yet, but a tie with 2016 is looking like a reasonable bet.

ImaGeo iconImaGeo
By Tom Yulsman
Dec 31, 2020 6:20 PMJan 7, 2021 9:09 PM
Projected Temperature Anomalies for 2020
One analysis using 2020 climate data from NASA shows this pattern of temperature anomalies for the year. The analysis also shows an overall tie for warmest year with 2016. But this is still a projection, since all data for December are not yet in. (Credit: Karsten Haustein)

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At the end of November, 2020 was looking like a sure bet to take the title as the warmest year on record.

But during December, the planet seems to have developed other plans.

This past month, unusually cool temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean intensified and fanned out west of South America. That's the fingerprint of a strengthening La Niña.

Here's how sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean departed from normal on Dec. 29, 2020. (Credit: Climate Reanalyzer)
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