Winter Sets Warmth Record

This winter was the warmest ever recorded, bumping the previous high of 2004 in a crowded field: The ten warmest winters all fell within the past thirteen years. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which calculates this average global temperature from land and ocean readings, concludes that the worldwide climate is, indeed, changing—and humans are likely complicit.

NOAA does not go so far as to hold greenhouse gases responsible for this year's record high in specific, but admits it's a part of a trend. Global temperatures rose about an average of 0.11 degree F per decade this century, but there's been a sharper rise since 1976, with the average increase more than tripling. (More The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration stories.)