2014 will likely go down as the hottest year on record, while the last decade was the hottest our thermometers have ever recorded. In this year alone, June, August, September, and October saw record-breaking heat. The year to date has been so hot that even with the recent cold snap in the United States, it is nearly certain that 2014 will go down as the hottest year on record. To avoid the record, we would need to experience the first cooler-than-average month in nearly 30 years.