Climate and environment updates: US had the coldest January in decades

The deep freeze at home didn't stop Earth from hitting another warming record.

Last Updated: February 11, 2025, 5:21 PM EST

The climate crisis is not a distant threat; it's happening right now and affecting what matters most to us. Hurricanes intensified by a warming planet and drought-fueled wildfires are destroying our communities. Rising seas and flooding are swallowing our homes. And record-breaking heat waves are reshaping our way of life.

The good news is we know how to turn the tide and avoid the worst possible outcomes. However, understanding what needs to be done can be confusing due to a constant stream of climate updates, scientific findings, and critical decisions that are shaping our future.

That's why the ABC News Climate and Weather Unit is cutting through the noise by curating what you need to know to keep the people and places you care about safe. We are dedicated to providing clarity amid the chaos, giving you the facts and insights necessary to navigate the climate realities of today -- and tomorrow.

Feb 11, 2025, 5:21 PM EST

Studies suggest Paris Agreement's warming limit could be reached sooner than expected

Last year was not only the warmest on record, but also the first that the planet's global average surface temperature measured 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the pre-industrial average from 1850-1900. That's according to data analyzed by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).

That wasn't the first time that the planet has hit the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming threshold in recent years. The 12-month global temperature average from February 2023 to January 2024 also crossed this threshold. And for the first time on record, 12 straight calendar months surpassed the warming threshold from July 2023 to June 2024.

A cap of 1.5 degrees Celsius was set as the goal for the Paris Agreement because most scientists believe it's the threshold for avoiding the worst impacts of climate change. Now, two new studies are warning that we are unlikely to meet this goal.

New research published in the journal Nature Climate Change found it's significantly likely that the world has already breached the 1.5 degree target. The study's authors investigated possible long-term warming scenarios based on various levels of greenhouse gas emissions and examined historical climate data, recent observations and modeling projections.

he Jeffrey Energy Center coal-fired power plant operates near Emmett, Kan., Jan. 25, 2025.
Charlie Riedel/AP, FILE

Another recent Nature Climate Change study analyzed warming trends over past decades and then applied their findings to future climate modeling projections. The authors concluded that the world would now only avoid exceeding the 1.5-degree goal by implementing very stringent emissions cuts.

Having one year, or even several years, that exceed the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold isn't considered a failure to meet the Paris Agreement's goal since the agreement looks at the global temperature average over multiple decades. And while the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold is largely symbolic, every fraction of a degree of warming increases the risk and compounds the challenges we face.

-ABC News meteorologist Dan Peck and ABC News climate unit's Matthew Glasser

Feb 10, 2025, 3:44 PM EST

US had the coldest January in decades, but it was still the warmest on record for the planet

If you spent any time outside last month, you know it was frigid. Now we know that it was, in fact, the coldest January for the United States since 1988, according to a new report from NOAA.

But our deep freeze at home wasn't enough to stop the planet from hitting another warming record. According to data analyzed by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), last month ranked as the warmest January globally. It's a reminder that the U.S. accounts for just a fraction of the planet's overall climate conditions.

In January, the average temperature of the contiguous U.S. was 29.2 degrees Fahrenheit, 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit below average. Below-average temperatures were observed across portions of the central and southern Rockies and much of the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.

A snow-covered road winds through frost-laden trees in Jay, Vt., on Jan. 21, 2025.
Carlos Osorio/Reuters, FILE

The contiguous U.S. also experienced its sixth-driest January on record. Precipitation was below average from the northern Plains to the Northeast and across much of the West.

The widespread, persistent, drier-than-average conditions in January brought expanding and intensifying drought to parts of the country.

According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report, about 42.4% of the contiguous U.S. is experiencing drought conditions, an increase of about 4.3% since the end of December.

In recent weeks, much of the Southwest, parts of south-central Texas and portions of the Carolinas experienced expanding and/or intensifying drought conditions. In contrast, parts of the northern Rockies saw an improvement.

Alaska experienced its wettest January on record, breaking the previous record from 1949. Across the state, most of the precipitation fell as rain instead of snow as warmer-than-average temperatures dominated throughout the month. The Alaska statewide January temperature was 13.2 degrees Fahrenheit above the long-term average, ranking eighth-warmest in the 101 years of record for the state.

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.

-ABC News meteorologist Dan Peck

Feb 07, 2025, 1:54 PM EST

Trump administration suspends EV charging station program

The Trump administration is pulling the plug, at least for now, on a U.S. Department of Transportation program that made it easier for states to install electric vehicle charging stations.

The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program provided federal funding to states for up to 80% of the cost to purchase and install non-proprietary EV chargers. The program also covered the operation and maintenance of the chargers and the cost of networking them to facilitate data collection.

In a letter to state transportation directors, the DOT said they were reviewing the program and "immediately suspending the approval of all State Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment plans for all fiscal years."

The letter added that "effective immediately, no new obligations may occur under the NEVI Formula Program until the updated final NEVI Formula Program Guidance is issued and new State plans are submitted and approved."

A sign is displayed at an electric vehicle charging station, March 8, 2024, in London, Ohio.
Joshua A. Bickel/AP, FILE

According to the DOT letter, that new guidance will be released in the spring. Until then, the $5 billion included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, one of former President Biden's signature achievements, will not be available.

The program aimed to build fast EV chargers available to all electric vehicles, regardless of model, and near major highways. According to data shared with The Washington Post by the data analytics firm Paren, 55 charging stations have been built so far.

NEVI projects already in the works can proceed as planned, according to the DOT letter.

-ABC News Climate Unit's Matthew Glasser

Feb 03, 2025, 2:50 PM EST

Climate-amplified weather disasters could erase nearly $1.5 trillion in home values: report

Nearly two-thirds of adults in the U.S. own a home. And for most of them, their house is their most significant financial asset. While the country's GDP is about $27 trillion, the residential real estate market is nearly double that at $50 trillion, according to Redfin.

However, a new report finds that those home values could decline dramatically because of human-amplified climate change. According to First Street, a climate risk financial modeling company, the housing market could lose $1.47 trillion by 2055 because of extreme weather events made worse by climate change. The company estimates that 85% of U.S. neighborhoods would be impacted by this decline "due to insurance pressures and shifting consumer demand."

Because of climate and weather damage and risks, the report found that insurance costs are rising much faster than mortgage payments. Between 2013 and 2022, insurance rates went from being around 7% to 8% of mortgage costs to over 20%. First Street also found that if insurers priced the actual risk and costs of these weather disasters into their premiums, prices would be nearly 30% higher.

Family friend Chris Wayne helps Cheryl O'Donnell (not pictured) search through the remains of her home which burned in the Palisades Fire, on Jan. 28, 2025 in Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

First Street said Sun Belt states were at the most significant risk of climate-related housing devaluation. Moreover, Texas, Florida and California absorbed more than 40% of the $2.8 trillion in U.S. disaster costs since 1980, the report found.

The analysis identified Miami, Jacksonville, Tampa, New Orleans and Sacramento as the largest metro areas facing the highest spike in insurance premiums. They warned that because of these climate and weather risks, potential buyers may shy away from purchasing homes in certain areas, reducing the value of those properties.

"These findings underscore a fundamental shift in how Americans must now think about housing and community investment," said the report's authors. "The traditional drivers of real estate value—location, economy, and amenities—are being transformed by a new calculus that must account for long-term environmental vulnerability."

-ABC News climate unit's Matthew Glasser

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