2012 Hottest Year on Record - kcentv.com - KCEN HD - Waco, Temple, and Killeen

(KCEN) -- This is probably no surprise, but nationwide, the past eight months have been the hottest ever on record.

This summer was also a sizzler, the third hottest in history.

And it was our nation's driest year, with record drought conditions reported across the country.

So far this year, the national average temperature of 58.7 degrees Fahrenheit is 4 degrees above the 20th century average.