NASA Earth Observatory image by Joshua Stevens, using data from the Level 1 and Atmospheres Active Distribution System (LAADS) and Land Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE), and data from NASA EOSDIS/LANCE and GIBS/Worldview and the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership. Edited from story by Adam Voiland.
Eastern Siberia is famous for some of the coldest wintertime temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere. But in 2020 it was the region’s wildly high temperatures and wildfires that stunned the world. The Russian town of Verkhoyansk reported a daytime temperature of 38°C (100.4°F) on June 20, 2020, likely a record for the town. If verified, this will be the northernmost temperature reading above 100°F ever observed and the highest temperature on record in the Arctic. In the map red colors depict areas that were hotter than average; blue areas were colder than average. March 19–June 20, 2020.