2018: Hottest year ever in California's Coachella Valley

Source:  Wikipedia (arrow added)

2018 was the hottest year ever in Coachella Valley.  (Desert Sun, 1/10/2019) 

The Coachella Valley's average annual temperature last year was 76.1 degrees, up from averages of 72 to 73 degrees in the 1950’s. July 23 and 24 were the steamiest days, with the thermometer hitting 122 degrees. Month to month, the area experienced its highest overall heat since 1950, when record-keeping began. 

While it can be tough for humans to notice a few degrees difference in temperature, signs of the trend are evident, said longtime Coachella Valley ecologist James Cornett, of JWC Consultants. Until the 1970’s, it was common for there to be snow downtown about once a decade. But the last time snowflakes accumulated on Palm Canyon Drive was in January 1979, he said. 

Other 2018 hot spots:
Sea surface temperatures around New Zealand hottest ever in 2018, further threatening marine life.  (1/11/2019)
GET ME REWRITE: Prague experiences hottest year on record for third time this decade.  (1/6/2019)
Climate change as a matter of fact: Red-hot summer of record heat in Europe.  (8/18/2018)
UPDATE: July 2018 is hottest month ever in California.  (8/18/2018)