News release: “In 2013, the contiguous United States (CONUS) average temperature of 52.4°F was 0.3°F above the 20^th century average, and tied with 1980 as the 37^th warmest year in the 119-year period of record. The 2013 annual temperature marked the coolest year for the nation since 2009. The 2013 CONUS average temperature was 2.9°F cooler than the 2012 average temperature, which was the warmest year on record for the nation. Since 1895, when national temperature records began, the CONUS has observed a long-term temperature increase of about 0.13°F per decade. Precipitation averaged across the CONUS in 2013 was 31.17 inches, 2.03 inches above the 20^th century average. This marked the 21^st wettest year on record for the nation and the wettest since 2009. Compared to 2012, which was the 18^th driest year on record, the CONUS was 4.50 inches wetter in 2013. Over the 119-year period of record, precipitation across the CONUS increased at an average rate of 0.17 inch per decade.”