Weather Insider: Earth Day 2025
Happy Earth Day! Today marks the 55th Earth Day, going all the way back to 1970. In that time period, the planet has seen significant warming. Across the US, every single state has experienced warming. Of the 242 cities Climate Central analyzed, 240 have seen warming since 1970. That's more than 99%! Alaska has seen the most warming, with Delaware, Massachusetts, and New Jersey not far behind.
Here at home, Palm Springs was one of the more than 200 cities which has experienced at least 2°F of warming. Average temperatures here in the desert are now approximately 2.1°F warmer compared to 1970. This is a bit below the California and national averages of 2.9° and 2.8°, respectively.
Nearly all of this warming is a direct result of increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The biggest offenders are Carbon dioxide and methane. Gases like these trap extra heat in the atmosphere, causing the planet to warm. Current CO2 concentrations are roughly 427 parts per million - that’s about 100 parts per million higher than in 1970. In fact, CO2 levels are at their highest in at least the last 800,000 years.
