Mean Sea-Surface Temperature
OceansPhysical EnvironmentAverage sea-surface temperatures between 1990 and 2020
NOAAMean sea-surface temperatures shown using patterns of latitudinal bands extend roughly east to west. The coldest temperatures are shown in the northern latitudes. Temperatures warm as latitudes near the equator.
Sea-surface temperatures create latitudinal bands extending east to west, influenced by ocean currents and continents. In the tropics, temperatures range from 24.0 to 32.0 degrees Celsius; in the midlatitudes, from 8.0 to 23.9 degrees Celsius; and in higher latitudes and polar regions, from negative 2.0 to 7.9 degrees Celsius. Significant deviations occur along the Atlantic coast of western Europe, where temperatures are warmer than the east coast of North America at the same latitude, and along the Pacific coast of Canada, the Atlantic coasts of Canada and the northeastern United States, and the western coasts of South America and southern Africa, where waters are cooler than expected. The hottest ocean areas are between Indonesia and Australia (30.0 to 32.0 degrees Celsius), followed by tropical parts of the western Pacific and Indian oceans, and small areas along the coasts of West Africa and Central America (28.0 to 29.9 degrees Celsius).
-2.0 to 0.0 | 0.0 to 1.9 | 2.0 to 3.9 | 4.0 to 5.9 | 6.0 to 7.9 | 8.0 to 9.9 | 10.0 to 11.9 | 12.0 to 13.9 | 14.0 to 15.9 | 18.0 to 19.9 | 20.0 to 21.9 | 22.0 to 23.9 | 24.0 to 25.9 | 26.0 to 27.9 | 28.0 to 29.9 | Value | Continental Shelf | Barren or Sparsely Vegetated Areas | Coastal Plain | Northeast | South Central | North Central | Upper Plains | Prairie | East Central | East Central | South Central | Southeast | Southwest | Central | Southwest | Central | Upper Delta | Northeast | South Central | Southwest | Northern Valley | Southwest | Central | Piedmont Plateau | Southeast | Gulf | Northwest | Southeast | Southeast | Northwest | East Central | South Central | Coastal | Southeast | Bootheel | East Central | Appalachian Mountain | Eastern | West Central | Central | Eastern Valley | South Central | Lower Delta | Northwest | North Central | West | Central | West Olympic Coast | Eastern | West Central | Middle | West Ozarks | North Central | Northeast | South Central | West Central | Northeast | East Texas | Central | East Ozarks | Western | West Central Plains | Cumberland Plateau | Northwest | West Central | Northeast | Southern Mountains | North Central | Western | Southwest | Northwest Prairie | Northeast Prairie | North Central | East Central | Mountain | Central | Southeast | North Central | Okanogan Big Bend | Central | Edwards Plateau | South Central | Puget Sound Lowlands | Northeast | East Central | Southern | Central | South Panhandle | West Southwest | West Central | Panhandle | Southern Coastal Plain | East Olympic Cascade Foothills | Northeast | Northwest | Central Mountains | South Central | East Central | Southeast | Southeast | Northern Cascades | Central | Southwestern Mountain | Northeast | North Central | West Central | Allegheny Plateau | North Central | Southwestern | South Central | Low Rolling Plains | Southwest | Southeast | North Central | Northeast | North | West Central | Aleutians | North Central | East Southeast | Willamette Valley | Southwest | Central Piedmont | Central Mountain | Southwest Plateau | North Central | South Central Mountains | Southwest | Central Coastal Plain | Cascade Mountains West | Western Plateau | Central | Northeastern | Blue Grass | Northwest | South Central | Western Piedmont | Southern | Southeast | Central | Northern Coastal Plain | Northern Mountains | Southern Piedmont | Snake Drainage | East Central | Southeast | Central Basin | South Central | Central | West Central | North Central | Northwest | Northeastern | Northern Piedmont | Northwestern | Southeast | Southwest | East Central | East Central | Coastal Area | Southwestern Valleys | South Central | East Slope Cascades | Northeast | North Central Prairies | Southwest | Upper Susquehanna | Lower Valley | South | Northeast | Eastern Piedmont | Southwest | North Central Canyons | Central | East | Middle Susquehanna | Northwest | North Central | Southeast | South Central | North Central | Northeast | Southwest | Northwest | Northeast Gulf | Southwestern Highlands | Central | Sacramento Drainage | Southwest | Tidewater | North Central | South Central | Central Hills | High Plains | Panhandle | Upper Coast | South Central | Central Lakes | Northwestern | North Coast Drainage | Northeast | Southwest | West Central | Appalachian Mountains | Northeastern | Arkansas Drainage | South Central | Southeast | Northwest | Southeast | High Plateau | Upper Snake River Plains | Southeastern | Eastern Highlands | Mohawk Valley | Southwestern Valleys | Central Mountains | Central | Eastern Plateau | West Central | Cheyenne Niobrara Drainage | Northwest | Southwest Lower | Northeast Interior Basins | Northwest Plateau | Western | Northwest | Black Hills | East Central | Northeastern | North Central | South Central Lower | Palouse Blue Mountains | Central | North Central | Northeast Hills | Everglades and Southwest Coast | Northern Mountains | Northwest Gulf | Panhandle | Wind River | Southeast | Southwest | North Central | South Central | Platte Drainage | Northern | Western | West Central | Northeastern Valleys | Southwestern Mountains | Rio Grande Drainage | Northwestern Plateau | Southeast Interior | Southwestern | Northeastern Plains | Central Plains | Lower Southern | Northeast | South Central | Great Lakes | Green and Bear Drainage | Yellowstone Drainage | East Upper | West Central | San Joaquin Drainage | Kansas Drainage | North Central | Lower East Coast | Belle Fourche Drainage | Lower Susquehanna | North Central | Northeast | Trans Pecos | Northeastern Shore | Powder, Little Mo and Tongue Drainages | South Central | Dixie | Upper Southern | Northwest | Central | Northeast | Northern Mountains | Southern Desert | North Central | West Upper | Southeast | Big Horn | West Central Lower | Central | Southeast Lower | Cook Inlet | East Central | Central Coast Drainage | Pocono Mountains | North | West | North | Lower Platte | Northeastern | Central Eastern Shore | Coastal | Northern Plateau | South | Central Lower | South Interior | East Central Lower | Northwest | Upper Platte | Champlain Valley | Central | Northeast | East Central Mountains | Southeastern Shore | Southeastern Plains | Northwest | Central Valley | Southeastern | Central | Western | Hudson Valley | Northwest | Northeast | Southeastern Piedmont | Extreme Southern | Colorado Drainage | Central Highlands | Bristol Bay | Coastal | Southeast Desert Basins | Coastal | Northern | Southeast | East Central | Northeast Lower | North Central | East Central | Northeast Interior | Southern | Rhode Island (Entire State) | South Central | Uinta Basin | Southwest | South Central | North Central | Southern | St | Northwest Lower | Northern | Coastal | South Coast Drainage | Coastal | West Coast | Central Interior | North Slope | |
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1.06% | 0.769% | 0.553% | 0.725% | 0.603% | 0.825% | 0.239% | 0.135% | 0.206% | 0.342% | 0.126% | 0.317% | 1.60% | 0.778% | 4.46% | 0.994% | 4.35% |