Category: Climate

Image Credits: NOAA works in Washington's Snohomish River estuary to restore habitat for salmon and other fish species. Credit: NOAA Fisheries

5 Lovely Reasons Why We “Heart Estuaries”

2/12/2025 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. Celebrating #IHeartEstuaries is a popular way to show your love to these bodies of water where rivers meet the sea. 1. Estuaries Are Nurseries of the Sea Estuaries are often called the “nurseries of the sea,” because so many animals love to reproduce and spend the early part of… SEE MORE

New Research Shows a Quarter of Freshwater Animals are Threatened with Extinction

2/10/2025 - By Christina Larson. Nearly a quarter of animals living in rivers, lakes and other freshwater sources are threatened with extinction, according to new research published Wednesday. “Huge rivers like the Amazon can appear mighty, but at the same time freshwater environments are very fragile,” said study co-author Patricia Charvet, a biologist at… SEE MORE

We are Absolutely Confident that Some Expected La Niña Impacts will Bust this Winter

2/5/2025 - By Michelle L'Heureux. Right now, with La Niña conditions currently underway, I guarantee at least one of our readers is currently thinking “This alleged ‘La Niña’ is going to bust so hard in my region. It’s supposed to be DRY and it’s been WET so far. What the heck is wrong… SEE MORE

Image Credits: Temperatures were well below freezing (blue) across much of the U.S. Southeast on the morning of January 22, 2025. NOAA Climate.gov image, based on RTMA/URMA data.

Historic January 2025 snowstorm in the Southern U.S.

2/4/2025 - By Nicole Collins. An Arctic blast plunged into the southeastern United States on Sunday, January 19, arriving just in time for the on-average coldest stretch of the year. It brought record-breaking low temperatures and fueled a winter storm that dropped historic snowfall for parts of the South. On January 22,… SEE MORE

Arctic Tundra Becoming Source of Carbon Dioxide Emissions

1/31/2025 - By noaa.gov. 2024 Arctic Report Card tracks rapid, complex Arctic change. After storing carbon dioxide in frozen soil for millennia, the Arctic tundra is being transformed by frequent wildfires into an overall source of carbon to the atmosphere, which is already absorbing record levels of heat-trapping fossil fuel pollution. The… SEE MORE

After the storm clouds cleared on January 22, 2025, satellites captured an unusual sight: a swath of snow arcing around the Gulf Coast and the Atlantic Southeast. Climate.gov image based on NOAA-21 satellite data from the VIIRS sensor.

Historic January 2025 Snowstorm in the Southern U.S.

1/27/2025 - By climate.gov. An Arctic blast plunged into the southeastern United States on Sunday, January 19, arriving just in time for the on-average coldest stretch of the year. It brought record-breaking low temperatures and fueled a winter storm that dropped historic snowfall for parts of the South. On January 22, the… SEE MORE

Image Credits: SEPTEMBER 29, 2024. Gentoo penguins and seals make their return to Palmer Station in Antarctica. Antarctic sea ice coverage in 2024 was the second lowest on record. (Image credit: Evan Quinter/ U.S. National Science Foundation/Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

2024 was the World’s Warmest Year on Record

1/13/2025 - By noaa.gov. Antarctic sea ice coverage is the second lowest on record, behind 2023. It’s official: 2024 was the planet’s warmest year on record, according to an analysis by scientists from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Along with historic heat, Antarctic sea ice coverage dropped to its second-lowest… SEE MORE

Image Credits: Red king crab on the deck of a research vessel. Credit: NOAA Fisheries / Erin Fedewa

Genetic Diversity in Alaska Red King Crab May Provide Resilience to Climate Change

1/10/2025 - By noaa.gov. New genetic research on the Alaska red king crab reveals previously undiscovered diversity among different regions, suggesting the species is more resilient to climate change and changing ocean conditions. Maintaining genetic diversity within and among populations is vital to ensure species are resilient to challenging conditions. Without it,… SEE MORE

Portland Parade of Lights Celebrates Holiday Cheer

1/1/2025 - By Carli Stewart. Portland, Maine’s waterfront came alive on Dec. 14 as the annual Parade of Lights delighted locals and visitors alike. Against the backdrop of a full moon and Bug Light’s familiar beacon, vessels of all shapes and sizes, from lobster boats, ferry boats, and sailboats, dazzled onlookers with… SEE MORE

Image Credits: November 15, 2024: Shriveled leaves and bushes cover the ground at Brooklyn's Prospect Park as New York City and much of the Northeast saw a warm and dry November 2024, wrapping up the warmest fall in the U.S. on record. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Fall 2024 was Nation’s Warmest on Record

12/31/2024 - By noaa.gov. Last month wrapped up a record-warm meteorological fall across the U.S. This year-to-date period is also running as the nation’s warmest on record, according to scientists from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Below are highlights from NOAA’s U.S. climate report for November 2024: Climate by the… SEE MORE