[Rocky]

Could have done without this, though:

found 2008 to be the coldest year since 2000 and the 14th coldest of the past 30 years.

14th out of 30 puts it in the middle. Not hot, not cold.

[neverdem]

found 2008 to be the coldest year since 2000 and the 14th coldest of the past 30 years.

14th out of 30 puts it in the middle. Not hot, not cold.

With a normal distribution, that would be true. If the distribution is skewed to one end or the other of the range of temperatures, then it doesn't tell me much.