New Data Confirms America's Record Roast in 2012

It may be hard to remember now that the winter weather has many dreaming of an escape to a warm beach, but last year's scorching temperatures set the record for the hottest year ever in the United States - by far.

2 minute read

January 10, 2013, 5:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


For anyone who experienced "a surreal March heat wave, a severe drought in the Corn Belt [or] a huge storm that caused broad devastation in the Middle Atlantic States," it probably won't surprise you to learn that 2012 was the hottest year ever recorded in the contiguous United States. But, as new data from the NOAA indicates, not only was last year the warmest ever, it "demolished" the previous record (set in 1998) by a full degree. And while one degree my not sound like much, "temperature differences between years are usually measured in fractions of a degree," says Justin Gillis.

"Scientists said that natural variability almost certainly played a role in last year’s extreme heat and drought. But many of them expressed doubt that such a striking new record would have been set without the backdrop of global warming caused by the human release of greenhouse gases. And they warned that 2012 was probably a foretaste of things to come, as continuing warming makes heat extremes more likely." 

With 11 disasters last year having exceeded $1 billion in damages, 2012 also "turned out to be the second-worst on a measure called the Climate Extremes Index, surpassed only by 1998."

2012 is expected to crack the top ten hotest years for global temperatures as well, meaning that all ten of the hottest years on record will have occured in the last 15 years. "Nobody who is under 28 has lived through a month of global temperatures that fell below the 20th-century average, because the last such month was February 1985," adds Gillis.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight