Detroit's Warmest Year 2012

The Detroit Area has set a new record for the warmest calendar year in its climate record, which dates back to 1874. The record previously belonged to 1998. That year featured the so-called "Climate Event of the Century" when a very intense el Nino developed in the tropical Pacific which significantly altered Northern Hemisphere weather patterns. This year is different in that there does not appear to be such a strong link to any single phenomenon. The Flint Area, which has a historical climate record dating to 1921, also had its warmest year on record, while 2012 was second warmest in the Tri-Cities.

Average Temperature

Location	2012	Previous Record
Detroit Area	53.8F	53.4F in 1998
Flint Area	51.6F	51.4F in 1931
Tri-Cities	51.4F	51.7F in 1931 (current recrod)

See the 2012 Summary for more detail on the most significant warm episodes, in addition to other noteworthy events, to take place during the last year in Southeast Michigan.