May 2011: Globe Warms, But U.S. Cools

Globally, last month continued the warming trend of recent years, according to a monthly report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

May 2011 was the 315th consecutive month to have a global temperature above average. The last time global temperatures dropped below the 20th-century average was in February 1985.

Of course, that doesn't mean all Earthlings felt the heat. Australia had one of its coolest Mays on record, while nearby New Zealand had its warmest May on record, according to NOAA. Arctic sea ice, which has been in decline for decades, was below average for the 120th consecutive month.

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Parts of Argentina reported record lows in precipitation since 1961, while this was the wettest May on record for much of the northern Plains and northern Rockies in the United States, leading to flooding.

May 2011 saw dramatic shifts in regional temperatures in the U.S., and the average temperature, 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius), fell just below the 20th-century average by 1.0 degrees F (0.6 degrees C). [ Strange Weather's Loose Link to Global Warming ]

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

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NOAA's weather data extends back to 1880.

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