The 5th Warmest April on Record

NOAA has reported that, on the global scale, April 2012 was the 5th warmest since records began in 1881.  Land temperatures ranked as the 2nd warmest, while the oceans came in as 11th warmest.  Overall the Earths' temperature was 1.17°F above the 20th century average.  April 2012 was the 36th consecutive April with warmer than average temperatures and the 326th consecutive month with above average global temperatures.

A cause for the warm up can be linked to the end of La Nina.  Sea surface temperatures (SST's) in the tropical Pacific began to warm during the month of April, transitioning La Nina into a neutral phase.  Prior to April La Nina and a positive phase of the Arctic Oscillation helped the Arctic ice develop, due to the cooler SST's.  The Arctic ice however, held its own during the warm April.  Even though the ice was still 1.8% below the long-term average, but it was the highest amount of ice since 2001.