It has been a remarkably mild winter, and we all had better be hoping the groundhog sees his shadow on Thursday if we have any chance of having snow this winter.
But scientists say that 2011 was not one of the 10 warmest years in recorded history.
It was, however, the 11th warmest.
The average global temperature was 57.9 degrees Fahrenheit, making 2011 the 11th hottest on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
And 2011 also was the warmest year on record for Spain and Norway, and the second warmest for the United Kingdom. In the United States, it was only 1 degree above normal, which made it the 23rd warmest on record.
This marks the 35th straight year that global temperatures were warmer than normal. NOAA’s records for world average temperatures date back to 1880. 2010 tied for the hottest year on record.
So does the fact that 2011 wasn’t as warm as 2010 mean that Earth is no longer getting warmer?
Scientist Tom Karl says no. “Global temperatures are continuing to increase” in general, he says. Other scientists agree, saying that they expect the 2010 record to be broken in the next few years.
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