The United States experienced its second warmest January-July period on record this year, measured as the average contiguous U.S. temperature, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Anomalous summer warming has spread well beyond the country, nudging as far north as the Arctic Circle.
What's happening?
Record-breaking summer heat has been making headlines in the United States. As of Sept. 1, more than 21,000 daily record highs had been recorded across the country for the year to date, according to the NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information.
Neighbors to the north of the U.S. have been feeling the heat, too. Norman Wells, Canada, is only 90 miles from the Arctic Circle. The Washington Post detailed that the town approached 100 degrees in July, and the area had the hottest Canadian temperatures on record that far north in the country.
The heat is fueling wildfires in Canada, which is still in a record-breaking wildfire season. As of early September, more than 5,000 fires had charred over 12 million acres this year. Smoke from those fires will likely have far-reaching effects on people's health.
This year's unusual heat has spread even farther northward.
As the Post detailed, meteorologist Daan van den Broek reported that Longyearbyen hit a high of over 68 degrees on Aug. 11 to break a record for the date. The reporter shared this on X, formerly Twitter, and mentioned that this is a town at 78 degrees latitude. It's only a little over 800 miles from the North Pole.
The town set another record high temperature the following day. Washington Post journalist Ian Livingston reported that back-to-back record highs in this part of the world are "without modern precedent."
Why is record heat near the Arctic Circle concerning?
A study published in the science journal Nature found that the Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than Earth's average. This phenomenon is known as "Arctic amplification." The study's researchers analyzed the period of 1979 to 2021.
The Arctic's warming has caused significant declines in sea ice extent. This summer, computer models have revealed historic losses. NASA says the minimum extent of Arctic sea ice has dropped by about 12% per decade.
Arctic warming has also helped raise sea levels, which have inundated the permafrost surrounding the Arctic Ocean. Scientists are trying to estimate the amount of heat-trapping gases the permafrost could release as it thaws.
What's being done about warming in the Arctic?
The 2023 NOAA Arctic report card stated: "Centering locally and internationally-focused partnerships, long-term observations, and equitable climate solutions provides Arctic communities and nations as well as society-at-large with information and mechanisms to cope with a rapidly changing Arctic."
Moving away from reliance on dirty energy sources and embracing clean, renewable sources is crucial to cooling our planet. Modernizing your home by installing solar panels for clean and renewable energy, cooking with energy-efficient induction stoves, and using LED bulbs are all ways we can help.
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