Publication Date March 17, 2016 | ThinkProgress

Hottest Winter On Record By Far Drives Devastating Weather Disasters Globally

Land and ocean temperature departure from average. Image: NOAA
Land and ocean temperature departure from average. Image: NOAA

December to February was the hottest meteorological winter ever by far, topping the previous record by a jaw-dropping half a degree Fahrenheit. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that this winter was a remarkable 2.03°F above the 20th century average. This extreme warmth — caused primarily by the accelerating human-caused global warming trend (with a boost from El Niño) — is a key reason a number of countries have already “set records for the all-time most expensive weather-related disaster in their nations’ history” this year