Global warming, defined as the rise in Earth's average surface temperature since the pre‑industrial era (1850‑1900), currently stands at about 1.63 °C. While the global average continues to climb, regional warming is uneven. To aid adaptation and resilience planning, researchers at MIT's Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy (CS3) analyzed high‑resolution climate datasets MERRA2 and ERA5 covering 1980‑2022, calculating monthly‑averaged maximum daily temperatures for each of the 50 U.S. states. The analysis shows that Alaska, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada exhibit the strongest average warming trends, whereas Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Arkansas show the weakest. Across the nation, warming peaks in summer and fall, especially in September and November. Alaska records the highest historical maximum‑daily‑temperature warming—about 2.5 °C increase per 1 °C of global warming—while Hawaii’s increase is only 0.8 °C. The authors expect these state‑by‑state trends to persist as long as global emissions continue. MIT CS3 Deputy Director C. Adam Schlosser remarks: “Policymakers should prioritize states with the steepest rises in daily maximum and minimum temperatures and implement adaptive measures to mitigate risks to natural resources, ecosystems, and infrastructure.” Unlike prior studies that reported only national or regional trends, this work aggregates average maximum, minimum, and mean daily temperatures at the state level for every month, offering actionable insights for government, industry, and civil society planners.
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