Federal Scientists Confirm Virtual Tie For Hottest Year On Record
By Rebecca Hersher
February 1, 2021
Federal scientists have confirmed that 2020 basically tied with 2016 for the hottest year recorded since 1880. The Earth is about 2 degrees Fahrenheit warmer today than it was in the mid-20th century. Scientists warn that humans must keep global temperatures from rising more than about 3 degrees Fahrenheit in order to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change.
NASA and NOAA calculate global temperatures using slightly different analyses methods, partly in order to check each other’s work. Because 2020 and 2016 were so close in temperature, the two analyses led to different rankings: NASA ranks 2020 as the hottest year on record by a tiny margin, while NOAA ranks it as the second hottest year by an equally tiny margin.