Climate Change Chart of Frigg Fjord, Greenland

Overview of climate changes

Temperature changes

Averaged across calendar months, monthly mean temperature shows a difference of +1.58 °C compared with the earlier reference period; this is an unweighted mean of the monthly means, not a day-weighted annual average or a measure of daytime maximum temperatures. The monthly changes were uneven: September had the largest increase, a difference of +5.05 °C, while May had the largest decrease, a difference of -0.87 °C.

Changes in snowfall

Mean daily snowfall averaged across calendar months was lower by a difference of -0.34 mm/day in the more recent period. This unweighted mean of monthly means is not a day-weighted annual average, and the overall difference does not describe every month. Monthly contrasts differed in direction: July had the largest decrease, a difference of -1.48 mm/day, while September had the largest increase, a difference of +0.74 mm/day. These are changes in daily mean amounts, not monthly snowfall totals.

Changes in sunshine duration

Mean daily sunshine duration, averaged across calendar months, was lower by a difference of -0.72 hours/day compared with the earlier reference period. This is an unweighted comparison of monthly means rather than a day-weighted annual average, and it does not mean every month had less sunshine. The largest monthly decrease occurred in June, at a difference of -2.33 hours/day, whereas April recorded the largest increase, a difference of +0.28 hours/day.

Changes in rainfall

Mean daily rainfall averaged across calendar months was higher by a difference of +0.04 mm/day in the more recent period. This unweighted average of monthly means is not a day-weighted annual average, and the daily amounts should not be read as monthly totals. The largest monthly increase was in July, with a difference of +0.24 mm/day; that monthly contrast does not imply the same increase in every month.