Impact of lunar phase on the timing of global and latitudinal tropospheric temperature maxima

Daily global and latitudinal‐band lower‐tropospheric temperatures are examined with respect to lunar phase. Over the past 16 years, global temperature data show that the warmest time of the synodic cycle generally occurs five to eight days before the full moon. This global pattern appears strongly in the polar and subtropical regions, however, the mid‐latitudes of both hemispheres are inversely related to the global pattern. These empirical findings discount the possibility that variations in radiant energy directly control lower‐tropospheric temperatures through the synodic month, and suggest a more indirect lunar modulation related to atmospheric circulation, specifically mid‐latitude Rossby wave variations.