A new report from Climate Central shows that all 50 US states have warmed since 1970, with Alaska experiencing the most significant temperature increase. The analysis underscores the urgent need to address climate change and reduce heat-trapping pollution.
As Earth Day , observed annually on April 22nd, presents a crucial opportunity to focus on the significant environmental challenges facing our planet – most notably, the escalating crisis of climate change – a new analysis from Climate Central provides a stark illustration of the warming trends sweeping across the United States .
This comprehensive study meticulously examines average annual temperature shifts since 1970, encompassing 49 states and 242 major U.S. cities, to reveal the undeniable impact of increasing heat-trapping pollution. The findings paint a clear picture: the United States is warming, and the pace of that warming is accelerating. The data unequivocally demonstrates that all 50 states have experienced a rise in temperatures since 1970, the year of the inaugural Earth Day.
The 49 states included in Climate Central’s analysis have warmed by an average of 3.0°F over the past five decades. Alaska stands out as the fastest-warming state, having undergone a substantial 4.4°F increase in temperature since 1970. This dramatic warming is attributed to Alaska’s high latitude, which makes it particularly vulnerable to climate change. Following closely behind are New Jersey and New Mexico, both registering a 3.7°F increase in temperature during the same period.
Further supporting these findings, the latest NOAA State Climate Summaries confirm warming trends across the Hawaiian Islands since 1950, with Honolulu experiencing a 2.6°F increase since 1950 and consistently exceeding the 1951-1980 average temperature since 1975. Specifically, the states experiencing the most significant warming include Delaware, Massachusetts, and Vermont, all showing a 3.6°F increase. These figures underscore the widespread nature of warming across the nation, impacting diverse geographical regions and ecosystems.
The full report detailing these findings is readily available for review, offering a deeper dive into the methodology and data behind these critical observations. Beyond state-level analysis, Climate Central’s research also pinpointed the fastest-warming cities within the U.S. The results reveal that an overwhelming majority – 240 out of the 242 cities analyzed (99%) – have warmed since 1970, with an average temperature increase of 2.9°F. An even more substantial 85% of the cities studied (206 in total) have experienced at least 2°F of warming.
When cities are categorized by climate region, the Southwest leads the way with a 3.5°F increase, closely followed by the Upper Midwest and the South, both experiencing a 3.2°F rise. The Northeast has also seen significant warming, with a 3.0°F increase. The cities experiencing the most dramatic warming include Reno, Nevada (7.9°F), Las Vegas, Nevada (6.0°F), and El Paso, Texas (5.9°F). Burlington, Vermont, and Tyler, Texas, are also among the fastest-warming cities, both registering a 5.3°F increase.
This localized data highlights the varying impacts of climate change across different urban centers, emphasizing the need for tailored adaptation and mitigation strategies. The timing of this report is particularly poignant, as atmospheric concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases have reached levels unprecedented in at least the last 800,000 years. The annual average concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2), a primary greenhouse gas, stood at 427 parts per million (ppm) in 2025, representing a 31% increase since 1970.
This surge in greenhouse gas concentrations is directly linked to the burning of fossil fuels – coal, oil, and methane gas – for energy production, heating, cooling, transportation, and various industrial processes. The resulting excess heat trapped near the Earth’s surface is driving global temperatures to rise at a rate faster than any other period in at least the last 2,000 years, posing a severe threat to ecosystems, human health, and global stability
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