Don’t Hide the Thermometer: Data Leads to Better Decisions

Federal climate data released this year shows the first half of 2026 was the third-warmest start to any year on record. Every month from January through June ranked among the five warmest ever measured for that month, and June brought the hottest ocean temperatures ever recorded for that month globally. Scientists say it's very likely 2026 will end up among the five warmest years on record.

What's changed is how visible this information is. Under the previous administration, NOAA's monthly climate reports were front-page news on the agency's website for days at a time. Now the data is published quietly by a sub-agency, with no press push, making it harder for ordinary people to find. This is part of a broader pattern: NOAA retired its disaster-cost database (which tracked the toll of hurricanes, floods, and wildfires) with no updates past 2024, the federal site hosting the National Climate Assessment reports went offline last year, and the EPA has proposed ending the program that requires large facilities to report their greenhouse gas emissions.

None of this changes what's happening at your own house. Rising heat and worsening storms still drive higher cooling bills, more strain on aging HVAC systems, and greater risk from extreme weather where you live. The information is simply harder to find than it used to be, which is worth knowing if you're trying to track how a warming climate might affect your own energy costs and home upgrades over time.