Last year was the hottest year on record for the contiguous United States since record-keeping began in 1895, according to a Tuesday announcement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Here's a breakdown of the 2012 measurements, by the numbers.
55.3: Average temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit, for 2012. The record is 3.2 degrees higher than the 20th-century average and a full degree higher than the previous record, which was set in 1998.
26.57: Annual precipitation, in inches, for 2012. The number is 2.57 below the average, making 2012 the 15th driest year on record.
11: Number of disasters that reached the $1 billion threshold in losses. The events are believed to have caused . The indicated that 2012 was the second most extreme year on record for the nation.
48: Number of states in the contiguous U.S. that had a higher than average temperature.
76.9: Average temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit, for the month of July, the hottest month ever recorded in the contiguous United States.
61: Percentage of the country that experienced during the month of July.
28: Age under which people have not lived through a month of global temperatures that fell below the 20th-century average.
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