Climate Central

The Monthly Climate Brief: Winter Review and Spring Ahead will explore: Monthly climate snapshot: U.S. and global trends Winter 2026 temperatures: new attribution report Spring is shifting: what early plant indicators show More details: March 19, 2026 12 PM ET / 9 AM PT RSVP at https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-briefings

IN TWO WEEKS: Join #ClimateCentral for the next Monthly Climate Brief, where we’ll explore the latest global and U.S. climate stats!

📅Thursday, March 19, 2026
⏰12 PM ET / 9 AM PT

Register today ➡️ climatecentral-org.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Climate Shift Index Global Map | Today | Climate Central The Climate Shift Index® (CSI) Global Map shows the influence of climate change on local daily temperatures around the world.

Want to learn more about daily temperature patterns around the world?🌎

Explore #ClimateCentral’s Climate Shift Index Global Map and learn more about how our planet's changing climate is altering the frequency of daily temperatures in your city ⤵️

This isn’t just a warm spell.

📈#ClimateChange is increasing the likelihood of unusual late-winter heat — and the cascading risks that follow, from snowmelt to flooding.

‼️What happens in February doesn’t stay in February.

Melting snow and rising temperatures put Poland on flood alert Flooding incidents have already been recorded in central Poland.

🌍For example, check out N and NE Poland: Authorities are raising concerns about flooding as meltwater moves into river systems.

📍In Błędowo, floods have already impacted 24 properties⤵️

❄️Sustained temperatures above freezing mean rivers are thawing and snow is melting earlier than usual.

When warmth lingers like this, flood risks increase📈

📈Daytime highs have also climbed to between 9–18°C in both countries — which is 6–11°C above average.

For late February and early March, those are springlike numbers.

🥶Nighttime temperatures have stayed above freezing for days.

In northern Germany and Poland, overnight lows are running between 5–10°C higher than normal for this time of year.

🚨That’s a major shift from typical late-winter conditions🚨

🌡️An unseasonably warm stretch has been impacting Central Europe since late February — particularly in Germany and Poland.

#ClimateCentral’s Climate Shift Index system shows that these conditions were made 5x more likely due to human-caused climate change 👇

Climate Central Webinar on March 10, 2026 at 1 PM ET: Turning Climate Data into Stories

📣Calling all climate journalists & communicators!

Next week, join #ClimateCentral for a webinar where we’ll walk through how you can utilize trusted climate data tools to strengthen local stories.

📅Tuesday, March 10, 2026
⏰1 PM ET / 10 AM PT

Register ➡️ climatecentral-org.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Monthly Climate Briefings - YouTube A monthly webinar series offering accessible, up-to-date climate information that supports informed decision-making. Join Climate Central for a clear, data-d...

During each Monthly Briefing, we review recent extremes and their drivers — including #ClimateChange — and preview the upcoming season’s weather.

🎥Catch up on YouTube⤵️

The Monthly Climate Brief | Climate Central Insights for informed decisions.

🌎Want an overview of the latest global climate statistics?

Join #ClimateCentral each month for accessible and actionable information geared towards decision-makers, the public, and media.

📖Read the recaps and sign up for March's Monthly Briefing⤵️

Graphic titled “Climate Shift Index Forecast” showing unusual late-February warmth across the Southwestern U.S. for Feb. 26–28, 2026. Maps for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are shaded dark red, indicating temperatures made at least 3 times more likely due to climate change. An estimated 53.6 million people Thursday, 56.6 million Friday, and 51.7 million Saturday are expected to experience this unusually warm weather.

❗Capping off an exceptionally warm February & the warmest winter on record for much of the Southwest

🌡️ Near/daily records 15–25°F above average

🔴 50M+ people/day will feel heat made at least 3× more likely by climate change.
Friday: 18M face warmth that would’ve been nearly impossible without it.

#ICYMI: Check out a new study from @wwattribution.bsky.social exploring severe rainstorms that have put communities built on floodplains at risk this winter ⬇️

The southern region was impacted by an atmospheric river that gained additional moisture by passing over a marine heatwave in the Atlantic.

Our colleagues at @climatecentral.org found that this marine heatwave was made 10x more likely by climate change. 4/5

📊REPORTING RESOURCES + DATA:

• More Frequent Fire Weather: www.climatecentral.org/climate-matt...

• Interactive Fire Weather Trends Map: observablehq.com/@climatecent...

• See how much more likely this heat is: csi.climatecentral.org

Climate Shift Index map for Feb. 25, 2026 showing much of New Mexico shaded dark red, indicating unusually warm temperatures made at least 5 times more likely by climate change. Banner notes this February warmth would have been virtually impossible without long-term warming.

Unusually warm, late-February heat is adding to both today's wildfire concerns & ongoing drought conditions.

🌡️Potential near/all-time record heat 20°-25°F above average on February 25th
🔴 This kind of late-winter warmth would have been almost impossible in the past.

Line graph titled “Fire Weather Days – Central Valley, NM (1973–2024).” Annual hot, dry, windy days have increased by about 43 days over the period, showing a clear upward trend in fire-prone conditions.

U.S. map titled “Change in Fire Weather Days, 1973–2024.” Much of the Southwest, including New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, and parts of Colorado and Nevada, shows large increases in annual hot, dry, windy days, with some areas gaining 28 to 56+ additional days per year.

📈Wildfire seasons are lengthening and intensifying.

Southeast New Mexico now deals with nearly 6 extra weeks each year of wildfire-prone conditions compared to 50–55 years ago.

That means fire weather is now a concern for about a quarter of the year here.

National Weather Service Fire Weather Outlook for Feb. 25, 2026. Southeast New Mexico, including Roswell and Carlsbad, is under “Critical” fire weather risk, with surrounding areas in “Elevated” risk. Conditions include low humidity and strong winds.

🔥Elevated/Critical Fire Weather concerns in effect from Colorado to Texas, with the bullseye of the risk over SE New Mexico.

Main drivers:
💨 Wind gusts 25–35 mph
⬇️ Relative humidity <20%
🏜️ Drought + very dry fuels

There’s more to this pattern than just today’s forecast 🧵

Science in the Mountains: Communicating Climate Change Science, Effects, and Solutions at Climate Central - Mount Washington Observatory Climate Central Weather & Climate Staff  Climate Central, a policy-neutral, nonprofit 501(c)(3) research and communication organization, uses science, big data, and technology to make climate change l...

Join us tonight!

Mt. Washington's Science on the Mountain virtual series invited us to discuss how we communicate climate science, impacts, and solutions.

Find more info here: mountwashington.org/event/scienc...

@climatecentral.org

☕️Coffee runs thru my veins, I need it, clearly 🫣 But prices have become more volatile, hitting record highs, in part due to extreme heat. @climatecentral.org found Brazil, the world’s top coffee producer, added 70 extra coffee harming heat days with #climatechange. #climatematters

📊REPORTING RESOURCES + DATA

• Climate Change is Heating Up West Africa's Cocoa Belt | www.climatecentral.org/climate-matt...

• Climate Shift index | csi.climatecentral.org/climate-shif...

🌡️ This week, highs in key cocoa-growing regions reached 92–96°F.

That kind of excessive, crop-stressing heat is now up to 5x more likely.

🔴More simply, this heat would have been nearly impossible at this time of year without heat-trapping pollution.

Map of major West African cacao-growing regions titled “Extreme Heat and Cocoa.” Shaded areas across Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon show additional days above 90°F in 2024 linked to climate change. Darkest red areas indicate 60–70+ extra hot days added in key cocoa-growing zones.

Bar chart titled “Heat Hurting Chocolate: Average annual days above 90°F (2015–2024).” Côte d’Ivoire averages about 80 days above 90°F per year, Ghana over 100 days, Nigeria around 70 days, and Cameroon about 30 days. A shaded portion of each bar shows a significant share of those hot days were added by climate change.

🍫 Human-caused warming is bringing more extreme heat to West Africa, which produces 70% of the world’s cocoa, the key ingredient in chocolate.

In growing regions of Côte d’Ivoire & Ghana (over half of global supply), heat above 90°F now occurs ~40 more days per year on average.

⛷️Looking ahead at the viability of future Winter Games:

By 2050, just 52 of 93 potential host cities (56%) are expected to have reliable winter conditions.

More details + data: www.climatecentral.org/climate-matt...

🗣️"Most of the glaciers that I used to ski on are pretty much gone" - Lindsey Vonn

🗣️"It is something that’s very close to our heart, because it is the heart and soul of what we do" - Mikaela Shiffrin

More from @apnews.com ⤵️ apnews.com/article/mila...

As the #WinterOlympics wrap up, the past two weeks highlight a growing challenge for the future of the Games.

🌡️ February temps ran 3.5–9°F above average

🔴 This unusual warmth is now more likely in conditions that have fundamentally shifted from the past due to climate change.

Why coffee might cost you more, according to researchers YouTube video by Click On Detroit | Local 4 | WDIV

"Your daily caffeine fix may start costing you more..."🐸☕️

Quick details from @clickondetroit.com about how climate change's impact on coffee farmers can ripple into your morning cup ⤵️
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kzl6...

From Climate Central: Coffee-harming heat. Yearly days above harmful heat threshold, 30 degrees Celsius.

🌎Responsible for 75% of the world’s supply, Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Indonesia experienced on average 57 extra days of coffee-harming heat annually because of our planet’s changing climate.

🔗Read more: www.climatecentral.org/climate-matt...

From Climate Central: Coffee-harming heat. Yearly days added by climate change, 2021 - 2025.

☕Climate change is coming for our coffee.

New analysis from #ClimateCentral shows that climate change has added more coffee-harming heat to the world’s coffee-growing regions during 2021-2025, potentially affecting the quality and quantity of recent harvests.

💕Did your sweetheart get you sweet treats for #ValentinesDay❣️🍫 Chocolate itself has a sweet spot, but it could be getting too hot for the cacao plant in West Africa, the biggest producer of cocoa. @climatecentral.org #climatematters