by Climate Central. An article relevant to GSS Climate Change chapter 4. Excerpt:  The summer of 2012 has been one for the record books in the lower 48 states. …2012 to-date has been the hottest year for the U.S. since instrument records began in 1895, and the summer was the third warmest summer on record. [See Interactive map of US with data on numbers of records broken.] Read the full article: http://www.climatecentral.org/news/2012-record-temperatures-which-states-led-the-nation-14951