Here's what the first six months of 2012 brought:
• The hottest January to June ever recorded in the continental United States.
• More than 22,000 daily high temperature records tied or broken.
• The largest drought declaration in over 50 years, with more than two-thirds of the continental United States in drought at the end of July.
• One of the most destructive freak derecho storms in history.
• Fires in Colorado that have destroyed more than 700 homes.