▶ Key Takeaways
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is one of the primary sources of the temperature data used to convince the public that the earth is warming at a dangerous rate.
- According to the NOAA: (1) the average global surface temperature has increased by 2 degrees Fahrenheit since 1850; (2) the rate of increase has accelerated in recent decades; (3) the hottest year on record was 2024; (4) the hottest decade since records have been kept was the decade of 2015 – 2024.
- The NOAA uses algorithms to calculate average temperatures that exclude extreme readings they assume may be erroneous.
- John Christy – a Ph.D. climatologist, formerly at the University of Alabama – researched temperature data from over 1,200 locations across the U.S., beginning with the winter of 1898 – 1899.
- He included the extreme temperatures that the NOAA excludes – and found: (1) the hottest decade was the 1930s, not 2015 – 2024; (2) temperatures – both high and low – have moderated since that decade.
- The NOAA claims that the rise in “average” temperatures is due to increasing levels of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere.
- John Christy’s research shows that nighttime temperatures have soared in recent decades, while daytime temperatures have remained mostly constant.
- The overall increase in average global surface temperatures can therefore be attributed to the increase in nighttime temperature averages due to the impact of urbanization, not solely to C0₂.
Deceptions believed by millions:
- Half-truths
- Faulty algorithms
- Missing data
- False assumptions
- Concocted narratives
Make the findings by “scientists” – and echoed by the media and politicians – fit the pre-conceived narrative.
This is not behavior you would expect from a scientific organization.
But this describes the research and the reporting of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – supported in 2026 by $6.17 billion of your taxpayer dollars.
They state that average temperatures have increased by 2 degrees Fahrenheit since 1850… and that the increase has accelerated in recent decades.
The predictable reaction to this dire, apocalyptic announcement is that we must achieve a carbon-neutral society by:
- Banning gasoline-powered vehicles
- Switching from fossil fuel energy production to green energy
- Eliminate the net emission of greenhouse gases throughout the nation
These are the desired outcomes the ideologically-driven NOAA – and its Left-wing allies in the media and in government – are looking for.
The media and politicians are using the western-states heatwaves of summer to trumpet the deception published by the NOAA.
But how does the NOAA calculate “average temperature”?
What does that term even mean when there are so many factors that affect extreme hot and cold temperatures in any given location?
Are they giving us the mean, the mode, or the median average temperature?
Thinking Americans should be asking questions about the NOAA’s data-gathering methodologies and how they are calculating average temperature, not simply accepting everything they tell us without question.
Let’s explore the NOAA’s data collection techniques… examine the theory behind “average” temperature change… and consider an alternate explanation.
Here are 4 inconvenient truths you should know:
1. The NOAA selectively ignores some of the recorded temperature data.
The NOAA uses algorithms to calculate average yearly temperatures.
These algorithms eliminate extreme data points that they believe might be errors or anomalies.
Bottom line: they do not include data that contradicts their presuppositions about global warming.
According to the NOAA:
- 2024 was the warmest year since global records began in 1850.
- The 10 warmest years on record all occurred between 2015 and 2024.
The NOAA doesn’t say which of the three different “average” temperatures they are quoting:
- Mean – the total of all temperature readings counted, divided by the number of readings
- Median – the middle number between the highest and lowest readings
- Mode – the most frequently reported temperature
It makes a big difference.
2. When ALL of the data is examined, temperatures have become more moderate over the past century.
John Christy has a Ph.D. in Climate Dynamics – and is a former University of Alabama climatologist.
He examined reports from over 1,200 weather stations across the U.S. – going all the way back to the winter of 1898-1899.
He published a report on his research findings in the academic journal Theoretical and Applied Climatology.[1]
Christy went through years of archived handwritten reports of extreme hot and cold temperature data that the NOAA removed from its calculations.
He found that the hottest decade in the U.S. – in terms of the highest number of extreme high temperatures – was the decade of the 1930s, not the most recent decade.
“My data set is far more complete than what the federal government provides to scientific researchers,” he said.[2]
The reason he focused on the extreme temperature data during the warmest and coldest seasons is because he believes extreme temperatures are more relevant to climate science.
Why?
Because they set the “environmental boundaries” in which plants and animals live.[3]
“We have the systematic measurements in the United States that show the extremes of the [19]20s, 30s and 50s in terms of heat were much greater than the ones currently,” Christy said.
“Even when you include the western parts of the country that are having their ‘1930s’ today, the rest of the country is not following the script.”[4]
Together with co-author Roy W. Spencer, Christy was awarded NASA’s Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement in 1991.
He also received a special award by the American Meteorological Society in 1996 “for developing a global, precise record of Earth’s temperature from operational polar-orbiting satellites, fundamentally advancing our ability to monitor climate.”[5]
3. “Average” global temperatures have increased… but not for the reason you are being told.
The NOAA asserts that “Earth’s average surface temperature has been rising because human-produced greenhouse gases are causing Earth to absorb more energy than it radiates back to space.”[6]
That’s the standard ideological – not scientific – narrative we are being told by those who want to increase government control over energy production – and over the entire economy.
But John Christy’s research uncovered a startling fact that we are not being told: there have been fewer extreme cold temperatures in recent decades than there were in the past.
The moderation of extreme cold temperatures is the key factor causing average temperatures to increase.
This indicates a cause for increasing global temperatures other than just CO₂ emissions.
4. The real cause of increasing average global temperature.
According to actual data, the majority of significant temperature increases have been at night… while daytime temperatures have remained mostly flat.
John Christy said of his research, “Nighttime temperatures have soared in the past 120 years.”[7]
Why?
Because over the past century, many rural locations where temperature readings are taken have been affected by urbanization and suburban sprawl, such as:
- Removal of trees
- Addition of asphalt roads and parking lots
- Addition of concrete sidewalks
- Construction of buildings
All of these changes around previously rural temperature stations cause heat to be absorbed during the day and radiated back into the air at night.
Nighttime temperatures are much more sensitive to urbanization than daytime temperatures.
The NOAA has never taken this into account as a cause for higher average temperatures.
Christy confirms, “It doesn’t take much to make an urban heat island — you can just build a parking lot next to a rural station, and you’ve got an urban heat island started.”[8]
Conclusion:
Temperature patterns are uneven across the United States.
According to John Christy Heat waves currently are more prevalent in western states and less so in eastern states than in the 20th century.
The media always focuses on areas with the highest temperatures.
Why?
To control public perception – and to reinforce the narrative – that extreme temperatures are increasing across the entire country.
What do you think? Email me at [email protected].
FAQs:
Q: What does the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) say about global temperature?
A: The NOAA says the average global temperature has increased by 2 degrees Fahrenheit since 1850… and that the increase has accelerated in recent decades.
Q: How does NOAA calculate “average” global or U.S. temperatures?
A: NOAA uses algorithms that remove extreme data points it views as possible errors or anomalies.
Why are the algorithms used by the NOAA deceptive?
A: Selectively excluding extreme temperature data and focusing only on “average” temperature – without defining which “average” they are calculating – suggests that they are excluding data that contradicts their global warming narrative.
Q: What did climatologist John Christy find when he examined the complete U.S. weather-station data?
A: Christy reviewed archived reports from over 1,200 U.S. stations beginning with the winter of 1898 – 1899. He found the 1930s produced the highest number of extreme high temperatures rather than the decade of 2015 – 2024 as stated by the NOAA.
Q: Who is John Christy and what are his credentials?
A: John R. Christy holds a Ph.D. in Climate Dynamics and is a former University of Alabama climatologist. With Roy W. Spencer, he received NASA’s Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement (1991) for developing a precise global temperature record from polar-orbiting satellites. His temperature data research report appears in Theoretical and Applied Climatology.
Q: Why is it important to include extreme temperatures when studying average temperature trends?
A: Extremes define the environmental boundaries in which plants and animals live.
Q: What reason does the NOAA give for the global average temperature increase?
A: The NOAA states that the average surface temperature has been rising because human-produced greenhouse gases are causing Earth to absorb more energy than it radiates back to space.
Q: What cause for the rise in the global average surface temperature does John Christy’s research suggest?
A: Christy’s research revealed that nighttime average temperatures have decreased substantially, while daytime temperatures have remained mostly flat.
Q: What has been the main driver for warmer nighttime temperatures?
A: Over the past century, many formerly rural stations have been surrounded by asphalt, concrete, buildings, and reduced vegetation. These surfaces absorb heat by day and radiate it back at night, creating an urban heat island effect. The NOAA has not accounted for this local influence when attributing the rise in averages to greenhouse gases alone.
Q: Why does the NOAA, the scientific community, the media and political groups ignore the impact of urbanization on nighttime temperature readings – which would clearly cause average temperatures to increase?
A: These groups want to spread the narrative that global warming – higher average global surface temperatures – is caused solely by excess CO₂ emissions. This is why they highlight the heat waves in the western states and the hottest regions elsewhere, and downplay other areas that have less severe warm weather.
About Craig Huey:
Craig Huey is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and publisher of The Huey Alert and Direct Marketing Update. Craig appears on national media such as FOX, FOX Business, Newsmax and more. He also co-hosts The Huey Alert Podcast with his wife Shelly and helps business leaders, Christians, conservatives, libertarians, young people and more understand the intersection of faith, politics, and freedom.
[1] John R. Christy, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00704-026-06200-3#Sec2
[2] https://www.rodmartin.org/p/climatologist-says-a-century-of-weather
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid.