Is Moscow Getting Hotter?
The numbers don't lie. Moscow's average temperature is 3 degrees higher than it was in the 1900s. That's based on 181 years of station data, carefully homogenised to remove artifacts from equipment changes and station relocations.
The warming hasn't been steady. The first half of the record saw a change of roughly 0.4 degrees, while the second half has already added 2.6 degrees. The acceleration is unmistakable.
Average Annual Temperature by Decade
Moscow's dramatic warming reflects a broader pattern: the Arctic and near-Arctic regions are warming roughly two to three times faster than the global average. This phenomenon, known as Arctic amplification, is driven by feedback loops involving sea ice loss and changes in atmospheric circulation. Moscow sits close enough to the Arctic Circle to feel these effects directly, particularly in winter months where the warming has been most pronounced.
Compared to other major world cities, Moscow's warming is notably above average.
Decade by Decade
| Decade | Avg Temp (C) | Change from 1900s |
|---|
How Moscow Compares Globally
Among the world's major cities, Moscow's warming rate places it in the upper tier. Here is how Moscow stacks up against other global cities.
Key Numbers
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About This Data
Temperature data on this page comes from the Global Historical Climatology Network version 4 (GHCN v4), maintained by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. GHCN v4 contains monthly mean temperature data for over 25,000 stations across the globe, with records dating back to the 18th century for some stations. The data has been quality-controlled and homogenised using the Pairwise Homogeneity Algorithm to remove artificial discontinuities from station moves, equipment changes, and observation practice changes.
Moscow's primary station is Moskva, with records spanning 1779-2013. The "change" figures compare each decade's average to the 1900s baseline. Note that some of the warming in large cities is attributable to the urban heat island effect rather than regional climate change alone. The figures shown here include both components, as they represent what the city actually experiences.
NASA GISTEMP analysis, which processes GHCN v4 data, is a product of NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. It is produced as a US Government work and is in the public domain.