2012: Hottest Year on Record in US

'We're taking quite a large step,' says climate scientist

It's not exactly this or that yet, and we can be thankful it's not the other thing.

CNN reports that 2012 was the hottest year on record in the US - or the continental US, anyway, presumably because Hawaii can't get any hotter - giving the country an average temperature of 55.3 degrees Fahrenheit. This is over 3 degrees warmer than the average for the 20th century, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

The NOAA data reveals that nearly every state saw higher than average temperatures last year, with a handful even setting records of their own.

"We're taking quite a large step," said Jake Crouch, a climate scientist with the NOAA. He explains the reason for the warmer season(s) for those with an interest in weather patterns, at least at a level beyond that required for small talk:

"During the winter season, the jet stream tended to stay further north of the U.S.-Canadian border, so that limited colder outbreaks in the country; it also limited precipitation, leading to a warm and dry winter season, and that persisted through the spring."

Via CNN and NBC.

Are you concerned by this news?

[NormalFlora]

And the SUV owner/coal burner/deforestation band plays on...

[bsking]

It plays on? I think that band has been booked for Al Gore's recent celebrations.

[RedFloppyShoes]

Nature does what nature does. Nothing man can do about it.

And now the Climate Change lemmings will chime in...3...2...1

[Zazziness]

People reply because you are in error. Since you are sure that man is not a part of nature (wrong) and that nothing you do affects your environment (wrong), I'd like to suggest an experiment to you. Stop using the magic toilet that makes your waste cease to exist the minute you can't see it (wrong). Start going in the middle of your living room. Get back to us all in a day or two and tell us whether you affected your environment.

[RedFloppyShoes]

@Zazziness an if you assumed that the only reason that we have hot weather is because of man, you would be mistaken. It is out duty to be good stewards of te earth, but not to claim that we are the sole reason that thing happen. That would be arrogant and wrong

[AceLuby]

@RedFloppyShoes Thinking 7 billion people can't collectively affect the environment as a whole is what is arrogant and wrong.

[RedFloppyShoes]

@AceLuby maybe Lemmings was the wrong use of words. Sheep the slaughter is more fitting.

It is kind of scary when the Russian-run Pravda has it figured out, it is kind of telling how the future may unfold.

http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/0...

[kirbstomp1]

You are correct that nature does what nature does. Yes, the earth goes through natural climate cycles, but you obviously have never taken any collegiate level geology courses. I can promise you this, global warming may be natural, but the greenhouse gases we are emitting aren't helping. Usually the earth warms after natural disasters such as huge volcanoes that emit greenhouse gases, therefore trapping heat below the stratosphere. But if you think that what humans are emitting is helping, well that's just pure bullsh!t. Global warming is something that will have to be dealt with in the long run, but I believe we have to fix our economy debt and our government before we can worry about the weather.

[Ashstop]

In 2012 we had 25 days of 100+degrees in Texas all year, the year before it was 90 days of 100 degrees, so by that the temp dropped over 100% in one year!! Omg! The new ice age is comeing, fortunately here in Texas our temp is different everyday so we don't panic,( for instance it's raining today, none of us are building an ark)
Maybe with Gores 100 million dollar profit from oil he'll give up his cash cow of Global Warming, end of the world hoax

[woodtick57]

2012 was the hottest year in Texas records. you should pay more attention ot your own weather...

[Ashstop]

@woodtick57
http://texasvox.org/2012/08/16/25-days-of-100...
Like I said.. 25 vs 90 days of 100 degree days,
Depends how you breakup the times measured, if you just went by 9 am to 4 pm on a summer day you could get a 30 degree warming trend here in Texas, no need to panic! It normal, it's called climate,
In other news to panic over, Antarctic is getting colder!
http://mobile.news.com.au/top-stories/antarct...
Calm down!! It's ok! Enjoy life
These are the same scientist that said the BP spill had wiped out the whole gulf... Now, they say the ocean healed its self! The oil is gone!! Imagine that!! With no help from us! This is a great world!!

[woodtick57]

@Ashstop

like I said, hootest year on record in texas and you didn't even know it....you should probably not talk about paying attention to trends or anythong about the weather...

[AceLuby]

@Ashstop Here, I'll help...

Year 1 for 12 months the average temp each month was...
60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 90, 80, 70

Year 2 for 12 months the average temp each month was...
70, 75, 75, 80, 85, 85, 85, 90, 100, 85, 85, 75

According to you, year 1 was hotter because there were more 90+ degree days, when in fact the average temp for year 2 was hotter. This is why your logic fails miserably.

[Ashstop]

@AceLuby
I said it depends on how you look at it, that's what the reference to 9 am to 4 pm was about , I know my electric bill was waaaay smaller this year than last, we will continue to set records for heat and cold every year, you can stress about the sun burning out or consuming the solar system and even get data to prove it but all is well, just 2 years ago the glaziers were going to be gone by now.. They are still here,
It's warmer right now than it was when I replied to this this morning, doesn't matter, tomorrow, it wi be different than today, some days hotter, some days colder, some years hotter, some years colder, it a natural cycle!

[akjep6]

Idk i mean should be some concern i guess. It has been oddly warm here in Alaska, janurary supposed to be the coldest month of the winter 10 degrees or lower but it been fairly warm this year.

[Mogal]

...in other news, river traffic on the Mississippi has all but come to a halt, due to historically low levels.

[InjusticeSucks]

Non of this can be True the GOP for Years & Years has said it not true....so then it can be true.

[Myoung]

You liberal fantasy game players! Please ALSO explain the 'other' wild climate swings in earth history scientists tell about. There were no SUV owners during or before the pre-cambrian age the 'dinosaur age' or the various 'ice ages'. You fools would like to live in jungles in grass huts, dying daily of starvation and disease so we could 'save the planet', I guess?

[woodtick57]

Yes, but there were natural forces that raised the CO2 levels, and the match between those rises and subsequent rtemperature rises is almost spot on...

[Myoung]

@woodtick57 I agree. No doubt global temperatures are rising. Why is the globe getting hotter? Even the larger body of scientists today are saying 'green houses gas' from man-made sources 'may be contributing' to global warming, but they are not THE cause. It is complex, but, natural. And it is not the first time in earth's history for dramatic, even cataclysmic, temperature change.

I find it interesting that IF scientists are right in saying the earth is 4.54 billion years old and that life in the form of prokaryotes appeared 3.6 billion years ago and modern humans appeared 200,000 years ago, there are writings that record a cataclysmic flood and science SHOWS such a deluge, but many politically left scientists deny that evidence! So, facts don't phase them!

Also, several prophetic writings and literature warn about terrestrial calamities which include dramatic climate change which would accompany certain world-wide geo-political upheaval or change. And it very much appears these events have begun (with the onset of WW I). But this is ignored or marginalized as legend, lore, fantasy or myth.(The bible being the main source). Although the prophecies in the bible have PROVEN to have been accurate. For ex. the odds against just the 100 biblical prophecies regarding Jesus happening as they actually happened are over 10 to 157th power. That would be 1 in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,00 0,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,00 0,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,00 0,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,00 0,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,00 0,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,00 0,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,00 0,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,00 0,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,00 0,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,00 0.

[MongoAPillager]

@Myoung You owe me a calculator,my is a little pile of smoking carbon now,thanks!

[Realthinker]

The partial truth is there in the story, but acknowledged briefly and dismissively "The jet stream stayed farther north". There is nothing we can do about the jet stream's path. Not now, not ever. Tax increses on gasoline or anything else will not budge the jet stream. The vehicles we don't drive will not budge the jet stream. The rest of the truth MAY be here: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/pj-gladnick/2013...

[DerivePI]

Well maybe we should pass a law requiring commercial jets to stream further south? It's for the children (whose money we've already enjoyed spending several times over).(TIC)

[Jeff_Woehrle]

Panic! Ban all cars and trucks! Shut down electricity plants! OH MY GOD!!!! What will we ever do????

[Russell797]

This is not a joke, but listen, the horse has already left the barn and nothing we do, and we will do nothing, will prevent the warming and consequential climate change already in the pipeline. The largest consequences will be increasing and expanding drought where it is already dry and rising sea levels nearly everywhere, with some areas like the east and west coasts of North America experiencing a rise greater than the global average due to the melting West Antarctica ice sheet. We will have to adapt. Mitigation at this point is only to reduce the occurrence of ever more disruptive climate change. The last time CO2 levels exceeded 400ppm was 15 million years ago and it was several degrees Celsius warmer than today with no permanent Arctic ice.

[Jeff_Woehrle]

@Russell797 ADAPT! What a concept!

I absolutely agree. What needs to be ridiculed is the chicken-little response from the left to ban everything when confronted with challenges. Rather than attacking our job creating industry, why not spend some money to mitigate the impact that will occur no matter what the cause?

Alas, we had an opportunity to rethink disasters-in-waiting like New Orleans and the chance was lost.

I do believe the spirit of adaptation is not dead, but merely overlooked. I've said before that I thank God that today's attitude of victimhood was not prevalent when the umbrella was invented, lest that marvel would have been replaced with attempts to eliminate rain.

[Russell797]

@Jeff_Woehrle There will be winners and losers. Adaptation will be very difficult if not impossible for some, both logistically and economically. For others, the breadbasket will come to them. None of this will respect political boundaries. Species restricted by isolated, specialized ecosystems, will have a great deal of trouble keeping up with shifting climate zones. Invasive species sensitive to minor temperature variation are already overtaking indigenous species and coral reefs are suffering from human pollution and warming seas. We are broke and can't afford to take on any large scale mitigation or adaptive measures, and if the U.S. can't do it then who can?

[MongoAPillager]

Repent Naysayer!!,Manbearpig will soon ravage the planet

[Jeff_Woehrle]

@Russell797 Meanwhile, Russia is having its coldest winter in three decades.

You are correct in saying that fortunes will change as a result of the planet's natural progression. We already see that winter shipping routes are more viable and usable land for agriculture is expanding in many areas.

One thing is certain: We have already witnessed the steep decline in manufacturing in this country due to stifling regulations and labor costs. As a result, our carbon emissions have decreased while China's (for example) continue a steep ascent. To further cripple our economic engine with pie-in-the-sky solutions solves nothing...except making the likes of Al Gore more money.

[twinertia]

Going to wind/solar/fusion for energy will help somewhat, but what's really needed to combat climate swings are better building technologies in locations prone to adverse exposure. Either way: get out your checkbooks!

[Mr_GO_HERD]

Overpopulation of the environment is more of a threat long term than climate change. When ANY living thing gets to large it does out. Humans are no different and its coming like a runaway freight train.

[Clarke12]

from reading about the Earth's changing landscape, it is my understanding that the planet goes through periods of cooling and warming. i don' think we can base all assumptions on maybe 125 years of recorded temps.

[justapirate]

While everyone wants to argue no one wants to pay attention. It has to be either the sky is falling or it's ignoring Ma Nature. Look, the Earth has a long history of climate changes. We're in the midst of progressing climate change every day. Are humans responsible? Really responsible for that? Nah, but we ain't helping our own situation. We do a lot of nasties to the planet daily that do throw a wrench in the works. There is an effect.
But, Mother Nature is gonna do what she wants. Maybe we should be looking at what we may need to do to survive a hotter planet or even a glacier parked on top of Chicago.
Me, I'm of the attitude that if the river is rising to my doorstep I'm gonna move. I'm not gonna cry because Antarctica is melting. I'm not gonna say that their isn't anything I could do. I'm not gonna say it's the figment of someone's imagination. I'm gonna move.
Now in the long term we do need infrastructure changes and it's not a dumb idea. The big malfunction is that we can't do it from a position of weakness. Shorting our power supply in a world that has so darn many of us isn't going to do anything other than create a different catastophe. We need groceries. We need power. We need fuel. We can no longer survive as a race without it.
Unfortunately, we have a greed problem. Let's just keep making profits and block any ideas that would threaten those profits. Gotta milk it for all we can get. That's a double-edged sword, though. If profit is all you can see then you're a definite detriment to the planet and the human race. You give the tree-huggers grounds to complain.
I say run that coal-fired plant and count on replacing it with something else. You know eventually it's gonna need shut down. They don't last forever. But consider this- Business is not going to consider another source or method of energy as long as they get hit with every stupid requirement and fee that someone can think of and are forced to pour more money into something that is gonna get replaced anyway.
The climate freaks are hollering "invest in change'. Can't do that while investing in something that's wearing out, too. You can't have it both ways. One way is gonna get to your goal and the other is just gonna delay it.
The following is descriptive and consider it as such-If I gotta drive my old less efficient car until I can afford that new energy efficient car I can't be constantly dropping bucks for fees and requirements that the old car has been deemed to need. I need to save those bucks up for that new car. The more I 'waste' money the less I have for the replacement. That's the goal- the replacement.
Think people. Think. Things have to change but it ain't gonna happen if we keep putting obstacles in the way.

[TheJimmy]

Since our winters here in PA have been milder in recent years I've been using a lot less heating oil so I'd say that global warming has been good to both my wallet and the environment.

[thejimbo]

KA-CHING!

[Kellso]

Awwwwwwwwwwww Heck! Y'all, just make more fun of ole Al Gore now! Hummmmmmmmmm! lets see. Al said it was going to happen if something drastic wasnt done NOW, and this was 10 years ago! Now when My grand kids and your kids and grand kids are suffering terrable fate, YOU put the shoes on and carry the blame for not listening and doing something about it!!!!!!!!!! The complete world is killiing itself!!!!!

[PoliticalSpice]

Think of the brighter side, at least he invented the internet so you could post your comment.

[Russell797]

Ask your friends down under (Australia) how they are doing this summer. Hint, it's hotter than it's been since they have kept records. You folk in the southwest and central U.S., enjoying the drought? Get used to it because this will be a persistent pattern, it will break but we will experience more of the same with greater frequency in the future. Who do you people think you are to deny the scientific consensus that human activities are warming the Earth's surface by enhancing the greenhouse effect? You like all the technological advancements the world of science has brought to our lives, but you rail against science when it tells you something you don't want to hear. I could teach you a lot, but I know the futility in trying to convince a brick wall.

[Cheenoguy]

Republicans are pushing for a new solution to global warming. We need more guns. Isn't it obvious?

[MadAmerican]

And because CNN reports it makes it true? That's the worst news channel on TV.

[woodtick57]

I would think the thermometers across our contitnent are what made it true....

[MadAmerican]

@woodtick57 I think we are in a cycle mode more than ozone trouble. Planets are closer to the sun and are on different axis. Remember the great dust bowl? Drought and heat contributed to that. What bothers me is that our streams in Virginia are dying up alot. I find it hard to believe when we have so many scientist stating theory instead of fact.

[woodtick57]

@MadAmerican

HUH? Ozone? what does that hae to do with this issue? What planets are closer to the sun? two of them are, yes...so what?

[woodtick57]

@MadAmerican

HUH? Ozone? what does that have to do with this issue? What planets are closer to the sun? two of them are, yes...so what?

[Buzzfriendly]

@MadAmerican Actually the dust bowl occurred due to way we farmed the land at that time in which the topsoil was blown away and could be seen as far away as New York. FDR created soil conservation programs such as planting trees to retain the soil and farmers developed new planting techniques that keep the topsoil in place. Problem solved.

[RobertJHarsh]

Oh noes! We must increase taxes, shut down more business and put more people on unemployment to save the environment! It's for the planet people!

[PNWest]

This issue demonstrates the difference between the left and the right on issues of science. The left studies the issues and weighs the opinions of the people who study climate change. The vast majority of them believe that man causes climate change. Therefore the liberals generally believe it. The right on the other hand see that it snowed yesterday so that means that the global warming isn't happening.

[Chromalord]

Hmm, do I believe: what a thermometer says, millions of photos showing the depletion of the ice shelves and other ice formations and increasing unusable lands, the medical journals which depict an exponential rise in skin cancer, allergies, and asthma, measurable rise in water levels, or do I believe the politician that says ALL of this BS?
I find it ironic how the media and the conservatives which always portrays negative gloom and doom language affixed to most of what they say, but when it comes to the unavoidable impending horrors of global warming, they simply debunk it.
Then there are those who say" well its natural". Yes, climate shifts ARE normal. Mother nature will always be around, organic life cannot be contained regardless of any catastrophe as long as the earth is whole and in orbit around a properly functioning sun.
But what is different is that there were not 7 billion people on the planet Earth last time that happened. Mother nature certainly has no obligation to keep the only species around that is causing the acceleration of the process.