Year of oppressive US heat illustrated in numbers
The hot numbers for 2012: 356 all-time heat records, 99 million people swelter in 100 degrees
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.
