Maps & Data

Is sea surface temperature warmer or cooler than usual? Colors on this map show where and by how much monthly sea surface temperature differed from a long-term average (1985-1993, details from Coral Reef Watch). Red and orange areas were warmer than average, and blue areas were cooler than average. The darker the color, the larger the difference from the long-term average. White and very light areas were near average.

Do sea surface temperatures suggest El Niño or La Niña conditions? Colors on this map show where and by how much monthly sea surface temperature differed from long-term average (1985-1993, details from Coral Reef Watch). Red areas were warmer than average, and blue areas were cooler than average. The darker the color, the larger the difference from the long-term average. White and very light areas were near average. [Editor's note: All maps are based on the 1985-1993 climatology. Due to a processing glitch, maps prior to September 2021 are incorrectly labelled as using a base period of 1981-2010. If correcting this date is important for your use, you can rebuild the image with the assets in the full-resolution zip file.]  Warmer-than-average sea surface temperature across the central and eastern tropical Pacific is one of the indicators of El Niño conditions. El Niño is the name for the warm phase of a major climate pattern called the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Conversely, cooler-than-average sea surface temperature across this region is one indicator of La Niña conditions. La Niña is the name for the cool phase of ENSO.

This site provides data tables for comparing record-setting conditions and Climate Normals at major U.S. weather observing stations in the United States.

A weekly map—updated each Thursday—that shows the location and intensity of areas currently experiencing abnormal dryness or drought across the United States.

Documents the area of the contiguous United States (or a region therein) that experienced extreme conditions (as defined by the index) during various time periods.

How much rain fell over the weekend? What was the temperature over the last few weeks? Tables of daily weather observations can answer these common questions.

Maps of vegetation health products that allow us to monitor the status of vegetation around the world from space.

Explore the number of weather records broken over recent periods. Compare counts of temperature and precipitation records in the United States or across the globe.

Monthly wind roses, which are plots that characterize the speed and direction of winds at a location, based on historical data.

When you hear or see news that a region had its hottest or wettest month since records began, you can check the climatological record books yourself.