The past year saw a mild winter give way to a balmier-than-
normal spring, followed by a sweltering summer and high
temperatures that lingered into the fall, all punctuated by
extreme drought and intense storms. Now 2012 is officially in
the books as the hottest year on record for the continental
United States and the second-worst for "extreme" weather such as
hurricanes, droughts or floods, the U.S. government announced
Tuesday. The year's average temperature of 55.3 degrees
Fahrenheit across the Lower 48 was more than 3.2 degrees warmer
than the average for the 20th century, the National
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration reported. That
topped the previous record, set in 1998, by a full degree. Every
state in the contiguous United States saw above-average
temperatures in 2012, with 19 of them setting annual records of
their own, NOAA said. Meanwhile, the country faced 11 weather
disasters that topped $1 billion in losses each, including a
lingering drought that covered 61% of the country at one poi