The Version 6.0 global average lower tropospheric temperature (LT) anomaly for December, 2020 was +0.27 deg. C, down substantially from the November, 2020 value of +0.53 deg. C.



For comparison, the CDAS global surface temperature anomaly for the last 30 days at Weatherbell.com was +0.31 deg. C.

2020 ended as the 2nd warmest year in the 42-year satellite tropospheric temperature record at +0.49 deg. C, behind the 2016 value of +0.53 deg. C.

Cooling in December was largest over land, with 1-month drop of 0.60 deg. C, which is the 6th largest drop out of 504 months. This is likely the result of the La Nina now in progress.

The linear warming trend since January, 1979 remains at +0.14 C/decade (+0.12 C/decade over the global-averaged oceans, and +0.18 C/decade over global-averaged land).

Various regional LT departures from the 30-year (1981-2010) average for the last 24 months are:

YEAR MO GLOBE NHEM. SHEM. TROPIC USA48 ARCTIC AUST
2019 01 +0.38 +0.35 +0.41 +0.36 +0.53 -0.14 +1.14
2019 02 +0.37 +0.46 +0.28 +0.43 -0.03 +1.05 +0.05
2019 03 +0.34 +0.44 +0.25 +0.41 -0.55 +0.97 +0.58
2019 04 +0.44 +0.38 +0.51 +0.54 +0.49 +0.93 +0.91
2019 05 +0.32 +0.29 +0.35 +0.39 -0.61 +0.99 +0.38
2019 06 +0.47 +0.42 +0.52 +0.64 -0.64 +0.91 +0.35
2019 07 +0.38 +0.32 +0.44 +0.45 +0.10 +0.34 +0.87
2019 08 +0.38 +0.38 +0.39 +0.42 +0.17 +0.44 +0.23
2019 09 +0.61 +0.64 +0.59 +0.60 +1.13 +0.75 +0.57
2019 10 +0.46 +0.64 +0.27 +0.30 -0.04 +1.00 +0.49
2019 11 +0.55 +0.56 +0.54 +0.55 +0.21 +0.56 +0.37
2019 12 +0.56 +0.61 +0.50 +0.58 +0.92 +0.66 +0.94
2020 01 +0.56 +0.60 +0.53 +0.61 +0.73 +0.12 +0.65
2020 02 +0.75 +0.96 +0.55 +0.76 +0.38 +0.02 +0.30
2020 03 +0.47 +0.61 +0.34 +0.63 +1.08 -0.72 +0.16
2020 04 +0.38 +0.43 +0.34 +0.45 -0.59 +1.03 +0.97
2020 05 +0.54 +0.60 +0.49 +0.66 +0.17 +1.15 -0.15
2020 06 +0.43 +0.45 +0.41 +0.46 +0.37 +0.80 +1.20
2020 07 +0.44 +0.45 +0.42 +0.46 +0.55 +0.39 +0.66
2020 08 +0.43 +0.47 +0.38 +0.59 +0.41 +0.47 +0.49
2020 09 +0.57 +0.58 +0.56 +0.46 +0.96 +0.48 +0.92
2020 10 +0.54 +0.71 +0.37 +0.37 +1.09 +1.23 +0.24
2020 11 +0.53 +0.67 +0.39 +0.29 +1.56 +1.38 +1.41
2020 12 +0.27 +0.22 +0.32 +0.05 +0.56 +0.59 +0.23

The full UAH Global Temperature Report, along with the LT global gridpoint anomaly image for December, 2020 should be available within the next few days here.

The global and regional monthly anomalies for the various atmospheric layers we monitor should be available in the next few days at the following locations:

Lower Troposphere: http://vortex.nsstc.uah.edu/data/uahnc..c_lt_6.0.txt
Mid-Troposphere: http://vortex.nsstc.uah.edu/data/msu...cdc_mt_6.0.txt
Tropopause: http://vortex.nsstc.uah.edu/data/msu...cdc_tp_6.0.txt
Lower Stratosphere: http://vortex.nsstc.uah.edu/data/msu...cdc_ls_6.0.txt

Edited by user Monday, 11 January 2021 10:27:24 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

To the best of my knowledge many departments are sent the data from NASA.Terra and Aqua orbit the earth every 12 hours and can read the UV light emitted from the surface.From that the data is compiled.The temperature can change in a very short order before or after the measurements are taken.Clouds and water vapour affect the readings.Any missing data is made up to fill the gaps its called homogenising and is accepted.land readings are very poor vast areas of Africa and Australia do not have readings at all.The seas are even more difficult to measure.My local beach goes from 23deg to 17deg C in any given calender year.From this the different departments try to calculate the average and come up with vastly varying results.East Anglia results are a lot less than GISS.Never guess which data is used its GISS every time.And the results are given to .00 of a degree.More than a little suspicious.I watched a Canadian scientist give a speel and his speciality is how temperature affects material at the molecular level.He has always had an interest in the atmosphere and just shrugs and declares it is too complicated to work out.There are too many variables to consider.NASA do not have the luxury of spending billions of dollars then stating they could not do it.They have to have a result regardless.Do not start me on how satellites alledgedly measure sea level its even more guesswork.Remember Satellites are at least 9000 kms out or further or gravity drags them back down.They have to be boosted anyhoo.Something between 9000 and 10,000 kms away can measure to a millimetre on the surface?Civil GPS is calibrated to plus minus 100 foot which is why your car sometimes tells you to do a U turn and you are parked where you wish to be.Happens to me all the time.