2017 finished as the third-hottest year in the U.S. since NOAA records began

See the link below for a graph of the ten hottest years on record in the U.S.

http://www.climatecentral.org/gallery/graphics/10-hottest-us-years-on-record

Jan. 9, 2017

2017 finished as the third-hottest year in the U.S. since NOAA records began in 1895, with an average temperature 2.56°F above the 20th century mean.

Additional stats:

The four hottest years on record have come in the decade of the 2010s
Of the 10 hottest years on record, only two came before 1998 (1934, 1990)
The hottest locations, relative to normal, were in the Southeast and Southwest
Five states had their hottest year on record


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Oceans play a dominant role in the earth’s long term temperature, with 93 percent of the energy from human-caused warming going into them. Even with the recent cold spell in the eastern half of the U.S., the ocean temperature in parts of the North Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico remains 2-5°F above the late 20th century average.

The warm ocean temperatures meant more moisture in the air, leading to more snow from the recent storm.

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