2009 temperatures slightly above average for U.S.
Global surface temperatures for 2009 will be well above the long-term average, while the annual temperature for the contiguous United States will likely be above the long-term average, according to a preliminary analysis by NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C.
The analysis is based on global records, which began in 1880 and U.S. records beginning in 1895.
