A record-warm spring, second-warmest summer, fourth-warmest winter and above-normal fall made 2012 the warmest year on record for the contiguous states, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
It was a foregone conclusion well before the end of the year, with temperatures running above normal throughout the year. The official average temperature across the country was 55.3 degrees, 1 degree above 1998, the previous record-holder, and 3.2 degrees above the 20th-century average, NOAA said Tuesday.
Details in the NOAA report include:
• Each of the contiguous 48 U.S. states had an above-average temperature for the year.
• Each state except Washington had a location record its warmest year in 118 years.
• 19 states, from Utah to Massachusetts, posted a record-warm year.
• Since 1895, average temperatures have increased about 0.13 degrees each decade.
• 2012 was the 15th driest year on record.
Meanwhile, 2012 weather was notable for other reasons. The 19 named tropical cyclones meant a third consecutive year with an above-average Atlantic hurricane season.
A widespread drought affected 61 percent of the country at its peak in July, equaling the footprint of drought in the 1950s. The warm and dry conditions contributed to above-average wildfire activity, with 9.2 million acres burned, the third-most in 13 years of record-keeping.
Tornado activity, however, was abnormally low. The final 2012 tornado count is expected to be under 1,000, while the average from 1991-2010 is 1,200 per year.
