This week NOAA released their annual summary of climate conditions around the globe. The summary shows that this was the earth’s 6th warmest since records began in 1880. The temperature analysis shows that in spite of some very cold temperatures in December in parts of the world, overall the only place that was cooler than normal was the Eastern Pacific Ocean due to the continuing effect of La Nina. As that fades away, global temperatures are expected to be much warmer next year since there will no longer be the pool of cold water there to keep temperatures lower. You can see more statistics and additional information at https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/monthly-report/global/202213.
