For example, June's average was up 1.62 F. A couple of degrees may not sound like much, but it's persistent warming over decades that alters the atmosphere, the oceans, and most everything else.
This year's extra-large El Nino weather pattern is over, according to federal meteorologists. The pattern brought heavy rain to many parts of the country and was one of the strongest ever.
President Nicolas Maduro says public sector workers will work only on Mondays and Tuesdays. Venezuela is grappling with drought that has shrunk water levels at the country's main hydroelectric dam.
Death Valley, Calif., one of the hottest places in the world, is in bloom with more than twenty species of desert wildflowers. It's the biggest bloom the park has seen in a decade.
The weather trail that led to a blizzard in the Mid-Atlantic likely started with a very warm Pacific, scientists suspect. Whether climate shifts will bring more strong El Niños is still uncertain.
It could bring much-needed rain to California and the National Weather Service says there's a greater than 90 percent chance it will persist through the Northern Hemisphere winter.