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)
