2012 Was Warmest Year on Record and Much Drier Than Average

The 2012 average temperature (adjusted to 24 hours) of 51.7 deg F was 4.1 deg F warmer than the long-term 1891-2010 mean, making 2012 the warmest year on record by a very wide margin.

This surpasses the previous record of 51.0 deg F set in 2010 by 0.7 deg F. Total precipitation for the year of 41.40 inches was more than seven inches less than the 120-year average and about twelve inches less than the 1981-2010 30-year normal. 2012 was the driest year since 39.91 inches was measured in 1997.

The annual snowfall total of 30.9 inches was the 11th lowest on record. Thunder was observed on 20 days during the year, which is two days less than the average number of days. The average wind speed for the year set another record for the slowest annual wind speed with 11.8 mph surpassing the previous record of 12.5 mph set in 2011. The prevailing wind direction for the year was from the west. The peak wind gust during 2012 was 76 mph from the E on October 29th during the passage of Hurricane Sandy. The percentage of possible bright sunshine for the year was 50 percent, which is two percent less than the long-term annual average.