Summer is a season known for high temperatures.  This year, however, they were more extreme than usual across much of the United States.

According to the National Climatic Data Center report released this week, Summer 2012 was the third warmest summer ever recorded in the lower forty-eight states. As a whole, the nation averaged a temperature of 74.4°F, which is 2.3°F above the long-term norm. Only the summers of 1936 (74.6°F) and 2011 (74.5°F) were hotter.

This summer’s exceptional heat follows both a record warm spring and winter.  In fact, 2012 – to date – has been this country’s warmest year on record.