America's hottest year ever: By the numbers

2012 was a record-melting sizzler

Wildfires, including this one in Glendora, Calif., burned 9.2 million acres in 2012.
(Image credit: David McNew/Getty Images)

You weren't imagining it: 2012 was a scorcher — and the hottest year on record in the continental United States, according to official numbers released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Here's a numerical look at the record-setting year:

55.3

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Chris Gayomali is the science and technology editor for TheWeek.com. Previously, he was a tech reporter at TIME. His work has also appeared in Men's Journal, Esquire, and The Atlantic, among other places. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.