ROANOKE, Va. – The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) released its annual climate report for the United States on Monday. 2021 was one for the record books with regards to temperature!
The organization says the average temperature in the lower 48 states was 54.5 degrees Fahrenheit last year, eclipsing the 20th-century average by 2.5 degrees. The six warmest years on record have all occurred in the past ten years. 2012 is the warmest year on record at 55.3 degrees Fahrenheit.
A record warm December played a big role in 2021′s placement in the record books. Ten states set a new record for warmth in December.
Zooming down to the local level, Roanoke recorded its 10th warmest year on record with an average temperature of 59.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
In addition to the incredibly warm temperatures last year, there were 20 separate weather and climate disasters that caused at least $1 billion in damage. Notable events include the winter storm and extreme cold in Texas, western wildfires and Hurricane Ida.
You can read NOAA’s full report here.