Year of oppressive US heat illustrated in numbers

Year of oppressive US heat illustrated in numbers

Last year was by far the hottest year on record in the United States. Here’s 2012’s heat by the numbers:

— Average annual temperature: 55.32 degrees F, a record. The old record was 54.32 degrees, set in 1998.

— Weather stations across the Lower 48 states setting all-time high temperatures: 356.

— Weather stations setting all-time low temperatures: Four.

— Number of states that had their warmest year: 19.

— Months in 2012 that set U.S. heat records: March and July.

— Number of people who experienced at least 10 days of 100-degree heat: 99.1 million.

— Number of consecutive months that the United States had warmer than average temperatures: 16.

— New all-time warmest temperature in South Carolina: 113 degrees.

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Source: National Climatic Data Center.