Climate Change News: April Brought Record-Breaking Temperatures Across The US

The month of April brought more record-breaking temperatures for the United States. Several states saw the hottest April ever while others saw temperatures that topped the charts but didn’t break No. 1.

Data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show the country had its 11th warmest April on record in the lower 48 states. It was also the warmest April since 2012. The average temperature for April was 53.8 degrees Fahrenheit, 2.7 degrees above average, bringing the year to date average to 43.7 degrees, 4.5 degrees above average. This makes the January to April portion of 2017 the second warmest on record, trailing 2012.

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The above average nationwide temperature was driven in part by record-breaking temperatures east of the Mississippi River in states like Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland and others along the East Coast. The nation's capital also saw record-breaking temperatures with an average of 63.8 degrees, 1.8 degrees above average, along with North and South Carolina.

Alaska saw record-breaking temps that were 6.6 degrees above average making 2017 the sixth warmest April the state has seen.

While daily weather is not a clear sign of climate change, temperature trends as a whole point to a warming climate. Many states are experiencing the warmest months on record while others are upping their average monthly temperatures by adding new records to top spots.

March was the second warmest month on record for the entire planet, trailing only March 2016, a trend showing the Earth is warming on a larger scale than a few abnormal days would suggest. This trend is likely due to the increase of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that humans are emitting as a result of burning fossil fuels. The levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are now higher than they’ve ever been and are causing some serious problems like coral bleaching, sea ice melt and sea level rise, to name a few.

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The rapidly climbing temps come during a time when President Donald Trump and his administration have been working to reverse some Obama era climate goals. Since President Trump entered office he has put the Keystone XL pipeline project back in motion, rolled back climate change regulations and considered backing out of the Paris climate deal.

The lack of commitment to the environment has spurred multiple marches across the country and the world in support of science in general and climate science in particular. The People’s Climate March took place in Washington on Trump’s 100th day in office, and the weekend before that, the March for Science flooded the city.