2013 one of the hottest years on record
By Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times
Never mind the current cold snap in the East or the polar vortex that swept through much of the U.S. in early 2014 — scientists from NASA and NOAA report that 2013 was one of the 10 hottest years on record, and there is a good chance 2014 will be even warmer.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s calculations, 2013 is tied with 2009 and 2006 as the seventh hottest year since global temperature record keeping began in 1880. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s slightly different calculations say 2013 tied with 2003 as the fourth hottest year on record.
According to NASA, the average surface temperature of our planet in 2013 was 58.6 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 1.1 degrees warmer than the mid-20th century base line. That makes 2013 the 37th consecutive year that the annual global temperature was above average.