2017 year-to-date temperatures versus previous years

Global Year to Date Temperature Anomalies

This graphic compares the year-to-date temperature anomalies for 2017 (black line) to what were ultimately the eight warmest years on record: 2016, 2015, 2014, 2010, 2013, 2005, 2009, and 1998. Each month along each trace represents the year-to-date average temperature anomaly. In other words, the January value is the January average temperature anomaly, the February value is the average anomaly of both January and February, and so on. The average global land and ocean surface temperature for January–June 2017 was 0.91°C (1.64°F) above the 20^th century average of 13.5°C (56.3°F)—the second highest global land and ocean temperature for January–June in the 1880–2017 record, behind 2016 by 0.16°C (0.29°F). However, the January–June 2017 value surpasses 2015 by only 0.05°C (0.09°F) and 1998 (the only year from the 20th century among the top 10 warmest years on record) by 0.21°C (0.38°F).

The anomalies themselves represent departures from the 20^th century average temperature. The graph zooms into the warmest part of the entire history.