News | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

Amidst a snow-covered landscape sit rows of colorful Inuit houses in Nuuk, Greenland.

March 11, 2026

Assessing the Global Temperature and Precipitation Analysis in February 2026

February 2026 was Earth’s fifth-warmest February since records began in 1850, with a surface temperature 2.12°F (1.18°C) above the 20th-century average.

2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami destruction

March 11, 2021

Updated March 9, 2026

On This Day: 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami

On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck off the northeast coast of Honshu, Japan, generating a deadly tsunami.

Snowflakes accumulate on the side of a building during blizzard conditions caused by a late-February “bomb cyclone” in Boston, MA.

March 9, 2026

Assessing the U.S. Temperature and Precipitation Analysis in February 2026

The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. in February was 40.4°F, 6.6°F above the 20th-century average, ranking second warmest in the 132-year record.

Satellite image of a hurricane forming over the ocean.

March 2, 2026

Hurricane Intensity Dataset Updated based on feedback from industry partners

New Hurricane Intensity Dataset Updated based on feedback from industry partners is now live.

Glowing red heart-shaped walls inside the Antelope Slot Canyon in Page, Arizona, United States. (Credit: Gettyimages)

February 14, 2017

Updated February 12, 2026

The Heart of America’s February Climate

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we take a look at typical February climate conditions and Climate Normals for several heartwarming U.S. locations.

Green and purple aurora at Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada.

February 11, 2026

Assessing the Global Temperature and Precipitation Analysis in January 2026

January 2025 ranked as the fifth-warmest January in NOAA’s 177-year record, with a global surface temperature 2.02°F (1.12°C) higher than the 20th-century baseline.

A red barn on a frosty morning in Stowe Vermont, New England.

February 9, 2026

Assessing the U.S. Temperature and Precipitation Analysis in January 2026

The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. in January was 33.2°F, 3.1°F above the 20th-century average, ranking in the warmest third of the 132-year record.

A groundhog munching on a carrot with more strewn on the ground in the background.

February 2, 2017

Updated January 30, 2026

What Will Punxsutawney Phil’s Six-Week Weather Prediction Be?

Every February 2, we anxiously await groundhog Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction of spring’s arrival, but how accurate is he?

A graphic of the globe displaying geomagnetism.

January 27, 2026

NOAA Releases Updated Model of Earth’s Geomagnetic Field

The High Definition Geomagnetic Model 2026 release provides enhanced resolution and reduces uncertainty in complex drilling environments.

The sun sets on tiers of buildings along the Douro River in Portugal as seen from the bridge between Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia.

January 14, 2026

Assessing the Global Temperature and Precipitation Analysis in 2025

2025 ranked as the third-warmest year in NOAA’s 176-year record, with a global surface temperature 2.11°F (1.17°C) higher than the 20th-century baseline.