Climate and environment updates: Global sea ice drops to lowest level on record

While frequent arctic blasts impacted much of the United States, meteorological winter ended up warmer than average, according to a new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Across the contiguous United States, meteorological winter, which runs from Dec. 1 through the end of February, had an average temperature of 34.1 degrees Fahrenheit, running 1.9 degrees above average and ranking in the warmest third of NOAA’s historical record. Winter is now the fastest warming season for most of the country,

Winter precipitation across the Lower 48 was below average, making it the driest third of NOAA’s historical record. According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report released on Mar. 4, about 44.4% of the contiguous U.S. is experiencing drought conditions, an increase of about 2% since the beginning of February.

Alaska’s winter season temperature was 10 degrees Fahrenheit above the long-term average, ranking as the third-warmest in the 101 years of record for the state. The northern third of Alaska is part of the Arctic Circle, a region that is warming much faster than the global average.

To the south, Anchorage experienced its least snowiest winter on record with just 4.6 inches of snow falling. This broke the previous record set during the winter of 2015-2016 by nearly 3 inches. This year, the starting line of the world-famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race was moved about 360 miles north, from Anchorage to Fairbanks due to a lack of snow.

While we cannot directly attribute this to human-amplified climate change, in a warming world, more precipitation will fall as rain instead of snow, according to the Fifth National Climate Assessment. And less reliable cold weather will make it increasingly difficult for the snow essential to winter activities, like the Iditarod, to stick around.

-ABC News meteorologist Dan Peck

It has been a frigid start to 2025 for much of the United States. However, globally, the planet's long stretch of near-record to record-high temperatures has proved detrimental to global sea ice cover.

Global sea ice extent fell to its lowest recorded value in February, according to data analyzed by the Copernicus Climate Change Service. Last month also ranked as the third-warmest February on record for the planet.

Sea ice extent is the area of ocean covered by ice that's at least 15% frozen. Global sea ice extent combines the values of the Arctic and Antarctic polar regions. The new record occurred because both regions experienced below-average coverage simultaneously, with Arctic sea ice cover dropping to a new record low for February, according to the report.

The Arctic region is warming much faster than the global average. After acting as a carbon sink for thousands of years, the area has become a source of carbon dioxide emissions due to rapidly warming conditions and increasing wildfire activity, according to a recent report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

While last month ranked as the third-warmest on record for the planet, it registered more than 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than the pre-industrial average (1850-1900), making it the 19th of the last 20 months to exceed the warming threshold established in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.

Exceeding the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold temporarily is not seen as a failure to limit warming under the agreement since it looks at the climate average over multiple decades.

February was the first month that has not been the warmest or second-warmest on record since June 2023. A temporary decline in global temperature records was anticipated due to the current La Niña conditions in the equatorial eastern Pacific Ocean, which usually leads to a decrease in the global average temperature.

However, this pause will likely not last long as the overall long-term global average temperature trend keeps going up, fueled by human greenhouse gas emissions.

-ABC News meteorologist Dan Peck

If you're a seasonal allergy sufferer, you better stock up on your meds. A new study from Climate Central found that allergy season is starting earlier, lasting longer and becoming more severe because of warming trends amplified by climate change.

Using data from NOAA, the nonprofit climate research group studied the warming trends of 198 cities from 1970 to 2024. It found that 87% now have a longer freeze-free growing season. Extended periods of above-freezing weather give plants more time to grow, which results in more allergy-inducing pollen.

Climate Central said that, on average, 172 cities had their freeze-free season increase by 20 days. According to data, cities in the Southwest and Northwest had the most significant increase in above-freezing days. Allergy season increased the most in Reno, Nevada (96 more days); Las Cruces, New Mexico (66 more days); Medford, Oregon (63 more days); and Tupelo, Mississippi, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (both with 52 more days).

Climate change is not only increasing the length of allergy season, but it's also making it more intense, according to studies. A study in Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research found that higher levels of CO2 emissions can boost pollen production in plants, specifically ragweed and grasses. And a 2022 study in Nature Communications predicted that by the end of the century, we could experience an up to 200% increase in pollen production.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 4 adults and 1 in 5 children suffer from seasonal allergies in the United States.

-ABC News climate unit's Matthew Glasser

Electricity is essential for running most of our daily lives, and a recent report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that demand for it will continue to rise in the coming years. The IEA estimates that increases in industrial production, more air conditioning use and the expansion of global data centers will drive the fastest growth in global electricity demand, with an annual increase of around 4% through 2027.

Since 2009, electricity demand in advanced economies, like the United States, has remained relatively unchanged due to increases in efficiency and industrial restructuring. However, the recent expansion of high-consumption items like electric vehicles and data centers has triggered a resurgence in demand. Global electricity demand saw a sharp increase of 2.5% in 2023 and nearly doubled to 4.3% in 2024.

While advanced economies still consume most of the world’s total electricity, emerging and developing economies, led by China, are expected to account for 85% of global demand growth through 2027. According to the report, China is projected to account for more than half of these gains, with a year-over-year demand increase of about 6%.

The report emphasizes that the anticipated increase in consumption is unlikely to hinder global sustainability efforts because rapidly growing low-emission energy sources, such as renewables and nuclear energy, are expected to achieve record-high electricity generation and offset the additional global demand. Renewable energy sources, including solar wind and hydropower, are forecast to meet about 95% of the global electricity demand growth through 2027.

According to the IEA, renewable and nuclear energy sources are expected to surpass coal this year, accounting for more than one-third of global electricity generation. Because coal is a significant pollutant and the largest source of energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, climate organizations and environmental groups have long called for phasing it out as an energy source.

-ABC News meteorologist Dan Peck