How has the U.S. annual temperature changed?

The NOAA National Centers for Environmental information Climate at a Glance page allows users to select a parameter (ave temp, max temp min temp, precip, etc), a time scale, month, start year, and end year. The output will be a chart and a link for the data. The graph here is the average annual temperature from 1895-2018 for the contiguous U.S. The chart includes a regression line with the slope. For this time period, the slope of the trend line is 0.15 °F per decade.  On the other hand, if we choose a time period  and a trend line from 1978-2018 the slope is 0.55 °F per decade. There are certainly lots of opportunities for student activities and projects using this page.

About Thomas J. Pfaff

Thomas J. Pfaff is a Professor of Mathematics at Ithaca College. He created this website because he believes that sustainability, ranging from climate change to social justice, should be included in all courses whenever possible.

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Nope. Wind and solar energy have increased, but so have coal, natural gas, and oil. …