2017 was filled with extreme weather of an unprecedentedmagnitude.

Last year, the U.S. experienced 16 weather and climate disasterseach with losses exceeded $1 billion, according to the National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration. Total losses approximate around$306 billion — a new U.S. record. 

Hurricanes Maria and Irma had total damages of $90 billion and$50 billion, respectively. Wildfires on the west coast resulted in $18billion in damages — triple the previous U.S. record. Atleast 362 people died and much more were injured during the courseof these disasters. 

Since 1980, the U.S. has sustained 219 weather and climatedisasters that have exceeded $1.5 trillion in overall damages todate. 

Climate by the numbers in 2017

The average U.S. temperature in 2017 was54.6 degrees F, making 2017 the third warmest year in 123 years ofrecord-keeping. According to scientists from NOAA's NationalCenters for Environmental Information, the five warmest years onrecord for the U.S. all have occurred since 2006. 

Related: 2017 to be one of the costliest catastrophe lossyears ever, Fitch says

Precipitation for the year totaled 32.21 inches — 2.27inches above the long-term average — ranking 2017 as the20th wettest year and the fifth consecutive year with above-averageprecipitation. The national drought footprint (total area) beganand ended with about one-quarter of the Lower 48 states in drought.The drought footprint reached a low of 4.5% in May, the smallestdrought footprint in the 18-year period of the U.S. DroughtMonitor. 

The month of December ranked near the warmest third of therecord, with an average temperature across the contiguous U.S. of34.8 degrees F, 2.1 degrees above average. Much-above-averagetemperatures were observed across the Southwest with record warmthin parts of California and Arizona, while near- to below-averagetemperatures were observed across parts of the Great Plains,Midwest and Northeast. The month ended with record and near-recordcold temperatures for many locations in the East.

Related: Just how severe was that Northeastsnowstorm?