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 | Prairie | South Central | Central | Southwest | East Central | North Central | Upper Plains | Coastal | South Central | East Central | Gulf | Upper Delta | Southeast | Northeast | Southwest | East Central | South Central | Southeast | Southwest | Central | Northwest | Central | Northern Valley | South Central | West Central | East Central | North Central | Southeast | Southeast | Piedmont Plateau | Lower Delta | Southwest | Eastern | Northwest | Northeast | Appalachian Mountain | Eastern | Eastern Valley | East Texas | Northwest | West Central | Bootheel | Middle | Northeast | Cumberland Plateau | Northeast | Arkansas Drainage | Western | South Central | Western | Western | Southern Mountains | Southwestern | Edwards Plateau | West Olympic Coast | Puget Sound Lowlands | Central | North Central | Southeast | North Central | Southern | North | East Ozarks | Southeast | Panhandle | Central | West Ozarks | Northwest | West | Southern Coastal Plain | Willamette Valley | Allegheny Plateau | Southeast | Southwestern Mountain | North Central | North Central | East Southeast | Central | Northeastern | Northwestern | East Olympic Cascade Foothills | Lower Valley | Mountain | Southeast | Southwest | West Central | Central | Southwestern Valleys | North Central | Central | Central | West Central | East Central | Northeast | Southwest Plateau | Upper Snake River Plains | West Central | Dixie | Southwest | West Central | North Central | West Central | East Central | South Central | Southwest | Platte Drainage | Blue Grass | South Central | Northwestern | Eastern Highlands | Low Rolling Plains | Northern Cascades | North Central | Northeast | Southwest | West Southwest | East Central | South Central | North Central | Coastal Area | North Coast Drainage | North Central | Southeast | High Plains | Central Mountain | Northern Coastal Plain | Rio Grande Drainage | Southwest | Central Mountains | West Central Plains | South Central | Sacramento Drainage | Northwest Prairie | Southeast | Northeast Prairie | South Central | Southwestern Highlands | Northwest | Snake Drainage | East | Northern Mountains | Southeast | Southern | South Central | Southwestern Valleys | Northwestern Plateau | Northeast | Upper Coast | Southern Desert | East Central | Tidewater | South Central Mountains | North Central Canyons | Central Coastal Plain | Northwest | Northern Mountains | South | South Central | Northeast Interior Basins | Western Piedmont | Panhandle | Northeastern Plains | Central Piedmont | San Joaquin Drainage | Southern Piedmont | Northwest | Southwestern Mountains | North Central Prairies | Central | Green and Bear Drainage | Central Hills | North Central | Eastern Piedmont | Northwest | Trans Pecos | Northeast | Southeast | West Central | Southwest | North Central | Southwest | Central | West Central | Central | South Central | Extreme Southern | Northeast | Cheyenne Niobrara Drainage | Okanogan Big Bend | Southeast Desert Basins | Northern Piedmont | Central Coast Drainage | Southwest | Northern Mountains | Central Plains | Everglades and Southwest Coast | Southeast | Lower Platte | Northwest | High Plateau | Southeastern Plains | Northeast | Upper Platte | Northeast Hills | Northeastern | Northwest | Central Highlands | Central Valley | Cascade Mountains West | Kansas Drainage | South Central | Northeast | Wind River | Northeastern Valleys | Black Hills | North Central | Northwest Plateau | Southwestern | Central Basin | East Central | Northwest | Western Plateau | Lower Southern | Central Mountains | Northeast | South Central | Northeastern | Colorado Drainage | North Central | Upper Southern | Lower East Coast | Middle Susquehanna | Aleutians | Appalachian Mountains | Northeast | Palouse Blue Mountains | Southeastern Shore | North Central | Central | East Slope Cascades | Northeast | Yellowstone Drainage | Southwest Lower | Northeastern Shore | East Central | Southeast | Upper Susquehanna | Lower Susquehanna | Big Horn | South Panhandle | Central Eastern Shore | Belle Fourche Drainage | Panhandle | Powder, Little Mo and Tongue Drainages | North Central | South Central | Northern | North Central | South Central | Uinta Basin | Southwest | Central Lakes | South Coast Drainage | South Central Lower | East Upper | South Central | Eastern Plateau | Southeast Lower | Southeast | Southwest | Great Lakes | Southeast | Western | Southern | Northeast Gulf | Southeastern | Southwest | Central | Mohawk Valley | Northwest | West Central Lower | East Central | West | Southeast | Southeastern Piedmont | East Central Lower | Northern | Northwest | East Central Mountains | Pocono Mountains | Coastal | Coastal | Central | Central | South Central | Coastal | North Central | Central Lower | South | Rhode Island (Entire State) | West Upper | Northeast | Central | Southern | East Central | Coastal | Coastal | Northeastern | Hudson Valley | North Central | Southeastern | Northeast Lower | Southwest | West Central | Northern | Northeast | Champlain Valley | Northern Plateau | Northwest Lower | Central | South Interior | North | Northwest Gulf | North | Northeastern | Western | West Central | Northwest | East Central | North Central | Northeast | Southeast | Central | Northwest | Central | South Central | West Central | Northeast | North Central | Cook Inlet | Southeast Interior | St | East Central | Northwest | North Central | Bristol Bay | West Coast | Northeast Interior | 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% |