It Was Hot Last Year

Sacramento, CA — A federal report released this morning shows 2014 was the hottest year on record, and there are concerns about the state’s ongoing drought.

The report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration claims 2014 was the warmest on record for the planet Earth since the government began compiling the stats in 1880. The average temperature, 58.24 degrees Fahrenheit, was 1.24 degrees above the 20^th century average. To put it in context, the record has been broken three times over the past decade. NOAA climate experts believe that drought conditions could linger in Northern California and Nevada over the coming months, with below average precipitation. January has started out unseasonably dry, and it traditionally is one of the wettest months of the year.