Story at a glance:
- Among the top 10 states that have heated up the most over the past two decades, 80 percent of them are on the East Coast.
- New Jersey had the highest mean temperature increase.
- The rising temperatures are due to climate change.
Among the top 10 states that have heated up the most over the past two decades, 80 percent of them are on the East Coast.
New Jersey, Alaska, Delaware, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Arizona and Maine have all seen the biggest increases in mean temperatures, according to a new analysis by Filter King.
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From 1901 to 2000, New Jersey had a mean temperature of 51.4 degrees Fahrenheit. From 2001 to 2021, New Jersey had a mean temperature of 53.95 degrees Fahrenheit or a nearly 5 percent increase. Nationwide, the average temperature rose by 1.5 degrees.
America’s top 10 states with the highest temperature increase in the last 20 years, as published by Filter King:
Rank | State | Mean Temperature 1901-2000 (˚F) | Mean Temperature 2001-2020 (˚F) | Temperature Change (˚F) | % Increase |
1 | New Jersey | 51.4 | 53.95 | 2.55 | 4.96% |
2 | Alaska | 26.0 | 28.47 | 2.47 | 9.50% |
3 | Delaware | 54.20 | 56.60 | 2.39 | 4.42% |
4 | Rhode Island | 48.60 | 50.97 | 2.37 | 4.87% |
5 | Connecticut | 48.00 | 50.22 | 2.22 | 4.62% |
6 | Massachusetts | 46.90 | 49.07 | 2.17 | 4.62% |
7 | Vermont | 41.30 | 43.39 | 2.09 | 5.06% |
8 | New Hampshire | 42.30 | 44.33 | 2.03 | 4.80% |
9 | Arizona | 59.40 | 61.40 | 2.00 | 3.36% |
10 | Maine | 40.10 | 42.08 | 1.98 | 4.94% |
Most of these10 states had about a 5-percent increase, but Alaska, known for its sea ice and Arctic winters, had a nearly 10-percent increase, with its mean temperatures being 26 degrees Fahrenheit between 1901 and 2000 and more than 28 degrees Fahrenheit during 2001 to 2021.
Alaska is also the state where the temperature warmed up the most during the winter season, by 4.08 degrees, according to Filter King.
Filter King also reported that Arizona, New Mexico and Alaska are the three states with the biggest change during the springtime, and Nevada, Delaware and Rhode Island saw the biggest changes during the summertime.
According to Filter King, the rising temperatures are due to climate change, which is being driven by the global production of more greenhouse gas emissions, such as CO2.
These gases fill the atmosphere and the heat is blocked from escaping into the aether, causing the planet to heat up.
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