The sensitivity of a linear two dimensional Energy Balance Model (EBM) to altered surface albedo and insolation over the last 18 000 years is compared to simulations made with the NCAR Community Climate Model (CCM). The two-dimensional EBM is a more general form of that described in North {ital et} {ital al}. and allows for regionally varying albedos of ice sheets and sea ice. It is shown that the EBM's hemispherically averaged land and sea seasonal temperature departures agree excellently with the CCM's in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere the seasonal comparisons are less favorable, although the annual-averaged oceanic temperature departures at glacial maximum agree to within 0.3 {degree}C. Since the CCM used prescribed SSTs (from CLIMAP), whereas the EBMs are calculated, our results suggest that the hemispherically averaged glacial-interglacial SST change estimated by CLIMAP is consistent with the altered energy balance requirements of the earth-atmosphere system. Results also suggest that on the largest scales the seasonal temperature field at the earth's surface may be linearly dependent on changes in orbital forcing and surface albedo. We conclude that the EBM performs well enough to justify its use as an exploratory tool for investigating the effects of altered boundary conditions on the earth's annual temperature cycle.