Newswise — Samantha Borisoff is a climatologist in Cornell University’s Department of Earth and Atmospheric Science and at the NOAA-supported Northeast Regional Climate Center. The Climate Center is currently reviewing temperature data for 2012 from throughout the 12-state region, and researchers have discovered that for most major sites – including Washington, D.C., Boston, Philadelphia and New York City – it was the hottest year ever recorded.
Borisoff says:
“The year 2012 was the warmest year on record for 23 of the 35 major climate sites in the Northeast.
“Burlington, Vt., had the greatest departure above their old record. That city reported an annual temperature of 50 degrees, beating their old record, set in 1998, by 1.6 degrees. Of the sites that broke the record, Scranton and Williamsport, Pa., had the longest-standing previous records. Scranton was 0.7 degrees warmer in 2012 and Williamsport was 0.1 degrees warmer in 2012 than the previous warmest year, in both cases 1921.
“Syracuse, N.Y., broke an old record by a fair amount with 2012 coming in 1.1 degrees warmer than the previous warmest year, 1931.”
NOTE: Data for the 35 major sites are included below. Ranks for the U.S., the Northeast, and individual states will be released next week. For more, see www.nrcc.cornell.edu.
Annual Average Temperature
| Location | 2012 | Previous Record | Hottest Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport, CT* | 55.7 | 54.4 | 2012 (previous was 1991, 2010) |
| Hartford, CT* | 53.7 | 53.0 | 2012 (2010) |
| Dulles Airport, VA* | 57.9 | 57.1 | 2012 (1990, 1998, 2006) |
| Washington, DC* | 61.6 | 60.3 | 2012 (1991) |
| Wilmington, DE* | 57.5 | 57.2 | 2012 (1973) |
| Boston, MA* | 54.2 | 53.9 | 2012 (2010) |
| Worcester, MA* | 51.3 | 50.2 | 2012 (2006) |
| Baltimore, MD | 58.7 | 59.3 | 1949, 1931 |
| Caribou, ME | 42.6 | 44.4 | 2010 |
| Portland, ME | 49.3 | 49.6 | 1878 |
| Concord, NH* | 49.2 | 48.8 | 2012 (1998, 2010) |
| Atlantic City, NJ | 57.1 | 57.2 | 2011 |
| Newark, NJ* | 57.9 | 57.6 | 2012 (1990) |
| Albany, NY* | 51.7 | 51.4 | 2012 (1931) |
| Binghamton, NY* | 249.5 | 49.2 | 2012 (1998) |
| Buffalo, NY* | 52.2 | 51.0 | 2012 (1998) |
| Central Park, NY* | 57.4 | 57.3 | 2012 (1990, 1991) |
| Islip, NY* | 55.3 | 55.1 | 2012 (1998) |
| Kennedy Airport, NY* | 57.0 | 56.3 | 2012 (1991) |
| LaGuardia Airport, NY | 58.5 | 58.6 | 2006 |
| Rochester, NY* | 51.9 | 51.6 | 2012 (2006) |
| Syracuse, NY* | 52.6 | 51.5 | 2012 (1931) |
| Allentown, PA* | 54.6 | 54.1 | 2012 (1998) |
| Erie, PA | 53.1 | 53.2 | 1998 |
| Harrisburg, PA | 55.9 | 56.6 | 1998 |
| Philadelphia, PA* | 58.9 | 58.2 | 2012 (1931, 1998) |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 54.3 | 55.5 | 1921 |
| Scranton, PA* | 53.1 | 52.4 | 2012 (1921) |
| Williamsport, PA* | 53.8 | 53.7 | 2012 (1921) |
| Providence, RI* | 53.9 | 53.8 | 2012 (2010) |
| Burlington, VT* | 50.0 | 48.4 | 2012 (1998) |
| Beckley, WV | 54.6 | 55.7 | 1931 |
| Charleston, WV | 57.9 | 58.4 | 1990 |
| Elkins, WV | 52.6 | 53.4 | 1921 |
| Huntington, WV | 57.8 | 59.8 | 1931 |
* = Set record in 2012
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