The National Climatic Data Center's (NCDC) latest "Billion Dollar U.S. Weather Disasters" report finds the U.S. has racked up more mega-expensive natural disasters in 2011 than ever before. So far we've suffered more than five times the huge disasters typical at this time of year. Already damage costs have reached nearly $32 billion. Compare that to the first half of the average year -- prior to the onset of "big" hurricane season -- between 1980 and 2010, where disaster costs typically run $6 billion. Billion-dollar-plus natural disasters between 1980 and 2010, using a GNP inflation index. All told, the U.S. …

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) just updated its Climate Normals for the United States. Per agreement of the World Meteorological Organization, "normals" are calculated per decade, rather than per year. NOAA's latest update is crunched from weather data compiled from 1981 to 2010.  The new annual normal temperatures for the U.S. strongly reflect a warming world: July maximums, 1981-2010 compared with 1971-2000.Image: NOAA January minimums, 1981-2010 compared with 1971-2000.Image: NOAA In the two images above you can see the differences between the old normals (1971 to 2000) and the new normals. The top image shows changes in July …