Zack Labe
LightNews LightNews
banner
zacklabe.com
Zack Labe
@zacklabe.com
42K followers 1K following 3.8K posts
Climate Scientist at @climatecentral.org | PhD | Passionate about improving science communication through data-driven stories | Harrisburg, PA | https://zacklabe.com/

Views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are only my own.
Posts Replies Media Videos
zacklabe.com
Greenhouse gas data is finally rolling in again, and my dashboard is back up-to-date. Unfortunately, the story hasn’t changed... 📈

More climate change indicator graphics at zacklabe.com/climate-chan...
This graphic shows four line graph time series and each are monthly from January 1984 through October 2025. The first graph is a 12-month running mean of global mean surface temperature anomalies. Anomalies are computed relative to a 1991-2020 baseline using ERA5 data. The second graph is monthly carbon dioxide abundance. The CO2 graph is the Keeling Curve. Current levels are 425 ppm. The third graph is monthly global methane abundance. Current levels are 1928 ppb. The fourth graph is monthly global nitrous oxide abundance. Current levels are 339 ppb. The three greenhouse gases show seasonal cycles and long-term increasing trends using data from NOAA ESRL. The global mean surface temperature anomaly record also exhibits decadal variability and a long-term increasing trend. All graphs are rising and shown in four different colors, including white, yellow, orange, and pink.
November 16, 2025 at 2:10 AM
zacklabe.com
Temperatures have warmed across the contiguous United States over the last five decades or so during the months of December through February (a rapidly warming season)...

Check out @climatecentral.org's winter package for more information and graphics: www.climatecentral.org/climate-matt... ❄️🥵
Map showing the change in average winter temperature in degrees Fahrenheit by county for the contiguous United States from 1970 to 2025. Nearly all areas are warming.
November 15, 2025 at 5:41 PM
zacklabe.com
Another dataset confirms that last month was the warmest October on record in the #Arctic. The previous record was 2024. This is already a month with a very large increasing temperature trend (i.e., Arctic amplification). Not good.

Data from NASA/GISS GISTEMPv4 (data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/).
November 15, 2025 at 4:15 PM
zacklabe.com
Trends in November #Arctic sea ice thickness over the last four decades. Unsurprisingly, ice is thinning across the entire Arctic Ocean.

Simulated data from PIOMAS. For more information: doi.org/10.1175/JCLI...
Polar stereographic map showing Arctic sea ice thickness trends in November over the 1979 to 2024 period. All areas are observing thinning ice using PIOMAS.
November 15, 2025 at 2:31 PM
zacklabe.com
And now average temperature departures by month in the #Arctic since the year 1940.

Data from @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social ERA5 reanalysis. More views at zacklabe.com/arctic-tempe....
Line graph time series of monthly mean surface temperature anomalies for the Arctic region only. Every month is shown from 1940 to 2025. There is a long-term warming trend in all months of the year.
November 15, 2025 at 1:41 AM
zacklabe.com
Friday ice update - #Arctic sea ice extent is currently the *2nd* lowest on record (JAXA data)

• about 630,000 km² below the 2010s mean
• about 1,320,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 1,960,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 2,370,000 km² below the 1980s mean

More zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-i...
Line graph time series of 2025's daily Arctic sea ice extent compared to decadal averages from the 1980s to the 2010s. The decadal averages are shown with different colored lines with purple for the 1980s, blue for the 1990s, green for the 2000s, and white for the 2010s. Thin white lines are also shown for each year from 2000 to 2024. 2025 is shown with a thick gold line. There is a long-term decreasing trend in ice extent for every day of the year shown on this graph between September and December by looking at the decadal average line positions.
November 14, 2025 at 1:06 PM
zacklabe.com
The disappearance of thicker #Arctic sea ice by decade in November...

More info on this data: climatedataguide.ucar.edu/climate-data...
Four polar stereographic maps showing Arctic sea ice thickness during November in 1985-1994, 1995-2004, 2005-2014, and 2015-2024. There is ice thinning in nearly all locations. Ice thickness ranges from 0 to 5 meters.
November 14, 2025 at 12:14 PM
zacklabe.com
Temperature anomalies over the last month (left), 3 months (center), and 12 months (right) across the Southern Hemisphere. Red areas denote warmer than average temperatures and blue areas colder than average.

Data from @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social ERA5 reanalysis.
Three orthographic maps showing 2-m air temperature anomalies in October 2025, August 2025 to October 2025, and November 2024 to October 2025 in the Southern Hemisphere while looking downward at the South Pole. Blue shading is shown for colder anomalies, and red shading is shown for warmer anomalies. The mean surface temperature anomaly for each region and period is also shown in the upper left of each map. Anomalies are computed relative to 1981-2010.
November 13, 2025 at 10:35 PM
zacklabe.com
While still warmer than any other years since the mid-1800s, sea surface temperatures in the northern half of the Atlantic Ocean remain well below their recent peak (i.e., climate change and climate variability).

Graphic using NOAA ERSSTv5 data (www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/ext...).
Green line graph time series of average sea surface temperature anomalies for each October from 1850 through 2025 for only the North Atlantic. There is large interannual variability, but an overall long-term increasing trend. Anomalies are computed relative to a 1981-2010 baseline.
November 12, 2025 at 12:57 PM
zacklabe.com
Average temperature departures by month in the #Antarctic since the year 1940.

Data from @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social ERA5 reanalysis.
Line graph time series of monthly mean surface temperature anomalies for the Antarctic region only. Every month is shown from 1940 to 2025. There is a long-term warming trend in all months of the year, but less obvious than the other regions.
November 11, 2025 at 11:57 PM
zacklabe.com
Last month was the 4th warmest October on record for the average global sea surface temperature... 🌊

Graphic using NOAA ERSSTv5 data. Methods described in doi.org/10.1175/JCLI....
Green line graph time series of average sea surface temperature anomalies for each October from 1900 through 2025. There is large interannual variability, but an overall long-term increasing trend. Anomalies are computed relative to a 1981-2010 baseline.
November 11, 2025 at 2:31 PM
zacklabe.com
Impossible to ignore what’s happening to #Arctic temperatures in the month of November...

Data from @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social ERA5 reanalysis.
Four polar stereographic maps showing Arctic near-surface air temperature anomalies for the month of November in 1985-1994, 1995-2004, 2005-2014, and 2015-2024. Most all areas are observing long-term warming, which is largest along the Eurasian coast.
November 11, 2025 at 12:10 AM
zacklabe.com
Here is a map view of the record high temperatures in October 2025 across the #Antarctic. Compare this blob of anomalies greater than 5°C with the Arctic from my earlier post. Yikes!

Data from doi.org/10.24381/cds... using a 1981-2010 reference period.
Polar stereographic map of 2-m air temperature anomalies in the Antarctic for October 2025. Red shading is shown for warmer anomalies, and blue shading is shown for colder anomalies. There is a sharp gradient in temperature anomalies across the continent. Anomalies are calculated relative to a 1981-2010 baseline.
November 10, 2025 at 5:56 PM
zacklabe.com
📣 We just released a new free resource at @climatecentral.org - a 72-slide deck introducing key facts about climate change, including its causes, impacts, and solutions. It also comes with speaker notes and links for local storytelling.

➡️ www.climatecentral.org/climate-matt... (English & Spanish)
Screenshot of at least 20 slides on Climate Change: Key facts from Climate Central.
November 10, 2025 at 12:52 PM
zacklabe.com
Record high ocean temperatures continued across the North Pacific in October 2025, with recent warming really amplifying since the early 2000s.

This graph shows the average for a band across the midlatitudes for every October from 1854-2025 using
NOAA ERSSTv5 data (psl.noaa.gov/data/gridded...).
Green line graph time series of average sea surface temperature anomalies for each October from 1850 through 2025 for only the midlatitude region of the North Pacific Ocean. There is large interannual variability, but an overall long-term increasing trend. Anomalies are computed relative to a 1981-2010 baseline. 2025 is a record high.
November 9, 2025 at 5:43 PM
zacklabe.com
Here's a look at the extent of the "warmth" across the #Arctic in October. This map uses my normal anomaly scaling for each month, but it clearly doesn't work for something this extreme.

Data from doi.org/10.24381/cds...
Polar stereographic map showing 2-m air temperature anomalies in October 2025 for the Arctic Circle with red shading for warmer anomalies and blue shading for colder anomalies. Most areas are warmer than average. The baseline is a 1981-2010 reference period using ERA5 data.
November 9, 2025 at 2:04 PM
zacklabe.com
October 2025 was the 3rd warmest October on record for our planet, following 2023 (1st place) and 2024 (2nd place). This month was about 1.55°C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average. The last 12-months have been about 1.50°C above it.

Summary of month: climate.copernicus.eu/surface-air-... 🛠️🧪🌊
Orthographic map showing 2-m air temperature anomalies in October 2025 relative to a 1981-2010 baseline. This visualization shows North and South America. Most areas are warmer than average. Orthographic map showing 2-m air temperature anomalies in October 2025 relative to a 1981-2010 baseline using ERA5 data. This visualization shows Africa, Europe, and western Asia. Most areas are warmer than average. Orthographic map showing 2-m air temperature anomalies in October 2025 relative to a 1981-2010 baseline using ERA5 data. This visualization shows Australia, Antarctica, and Asia. Most areas are warmer than average, except for small parts of Australia and Antarctica.
November 8, 2025 at 10:31 PM
zacklabe.com
It's not every day that both poles set new monthly temperature records (see my earlier post). Last month also observed the warmest October on record for the #Arctic Circle. Not great!!

Data provided by doi.org/10.24381/cds....
Line graph time series of 2-m air temperature anomalies for the Arctic in every October from 1979 to 2025. There is a long-term warming trend, and 2025 is the warmest on record in this time series. Data is from ERA5 with a 1981-2010 climate baseline used for calculating the anomalies.
November 8, 2025 at 2:07 PM
zacklabe.com
The @wmo-global.bsky.social provisional report on the State of the Global Climate in 2025 was released: wmo.int/publication-...

"Other climate indicators continue to sound alarm
bells, and more extreme weather had major global impacts on
economies and all aspects of sustainable development." #COP30
Line graph time series showing global mean surface temperatures for January-August from 1850 to 2025 for a variety of different datasets. There is a long-term warming trend. Graphic produced by the WMO.
November 7, 2025 at 8:13 PM
zacklabe.com
🚨 Last month observed the highest average temperature for the month of October across the #Antarctic Circle, with clearly 2025 well above any prior year in the satellite era.

Data from doi.org/10.24381/cds...
Line graph time series of 2-m air temperature anomalies for the Antarctic in every October from 1979 to 2025. There is a long-term warming trend, and 2025 is the warmest on record in this time series. Data is from ERA5 with a 1981-2010 climate baseline used for calculating the anomalies.
November 7, 2025 at 5:40 PM
zacklabe.com
Friday ice update - #Arctic sea ice extent is currently the 3rd lowest on record (JAXA data)

• about 740,000 km² below the 2010s mean
• about 1,500,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 2,120,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 2,400,000 km² below the 1980s mean

More: zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-i...
Line graph time series of 2025's daily Arctic sea ice extent compared to decadal averages from the 1980s to the 2010s. The decadal averages are shown with different colored lines with purple for the 1980s, blue for the 1990s, green for the 2000s, and white for the 2010s. Thin white lines are also shown for each year from 2000 to 2024. 2025 is shown with a thick gold line. There is a long-term decreasing trend in ice extent for every day of the year shown on this graph between September and December by looking at the decadal average line positions.
November 7, 2025 at 1:55 PM
zacklabe.com
Patterns of November temperatures in the #Antarctic when averaged by decade... There is a warming trend.

Data from @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social ERA5 reanalysis.
Four polar stereographic maps showing Antarctic near-surface air temperature anomalies for the month of November in 1985-1994, 1995-2004, 2005-2014, and 2015-2024. There is substantial regional variability.
November 7, 2025 at 12:28 PM
zacklabe.com
Not every month will set a new record, but the warming trend is obvious. This graphic shows #Arctic air temperature rank by month over the satellite era - now updated through October 2025... 🧪

+ Ranks: 1=warmest (red), 46/47=coldest (blue)
+ Download higher resolution: zacklabe.com/arctic-tempe...
Heat map-style graphic showing monthly air temperature rankings in the Arctic at the 925 hPa level for each month from January 1979 to October 2025. There is a long-term warming trend evident in each month. Blue shading is shown for colder months, and red shading is shown for warmer months. A yellow number is shown for each grid box to display the actual temperature ranking. October 2025 was the 4th warmest October on record.
November 6, 2025 at 8:59 PM
zacklabe.com
Reconstructing October #Arctic sea ice extent since 1850...

Data from @nsidc.bsky.social at doi.org/10.7265/jj4s...
Line graph time series of October Arctic sea ice extent for every year from 1850 through 2025. Two datasets are compared in this time series. The Walsh et al. 2019 reconstruction is shown with a solid blue line. The NSIDC Sea Ice Index v3 is shown with a dashed red line only for the satellite era. There is large interannual variability and a long-term decreasing trend over the last few decades.
November 6, 2025 at 12:20 PM
zacklabe.com
Trends in November temperatures over land areas (where we live) for the last 50 years... 🔥

Data from NOAAGlobalTempv6.0.0. (www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/lan...)
Global map showing surface air temperature trends for each November period from 1975 to 2024. Only land areas are shown. Red shading is shown for warmer temperature trends, and blue shading is shown for colder temperature trends. Data is from NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI NOAAGlobalTempv6.0.0. The temperature trend scale is from -0.5°C/decade to +0.5°C/decade. Most areas are warming, though there is some spatial variability.
November 6, 2025 at 1:37 AM