UNDATED (WKZO) -- We could see some warm weather this week, an
echo of last year. Meteorologists both locally and nationally
now say 2012 was the warmest year on record. We will get the
world’s statistics next week. Government Climatologist Jake
Crouch says a normal year in the U.S. will set an equal number
of high and low records. 2012 only set new highs. Nathan Jeruzal
with the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids says they set
new average highs most months, with a March average that beat
the old mark by 14-degrees. He says a number of 100-degree days
in the summer also helped make it a record breaking year. It
would be great if the heat resulted in nothing but great tans
and nice vacations, but it also generated record drought,
unprecedented wildfires, one of the worst years for tornadoes on
record and Superstorm Sandy. In West Michigan it ruined the
fruit crop, damaged corn harvests and reduced lake levels to new
record lows. When it reaches 50 on Saturday, remember somebody
may pay for it later.