The Arctic

Abstract

The Arctic in 2020 was exceptionally warm. The annual mean surface air temperature (SAT) anomaly for land areas poleward of 60°N was 2.1°C above the 1981–2010 average, marking the highest observed SAT anomaly for the terrestrial Arctic since at least 1900. It was also the seventh consecutive year with SAT anomalies of more than +1°C higher than the 1981–2010 average.