2015 Was Hottest Year in Historical Record, Scientists Say

Scientists reported Wednesday that 2015 was the hottest year in the historical record by far, breaking a mark set only the year before — a burst of heat that has continued into the new year and is roiling weather patterns all over the world.

In the contiguous United States, the year was the second-warmest on record, punctuated by a December that was both the hottest and the wettest since record-keeping began. One result has been a wave of unusual winter floods coursing down the Mississippi River watershed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/21/science/earth/2015-hottest-year-global-warming.html?_r=0