As November winds down, climatologists say 2012 has a chance to enter the annals of Twin Cities history as the warmest year on record. An assistant state climatologist tells the Pioneer Press that 1931's status at the top of the thermometer could be threatened. Breaking the record would take a December about four degrees warmer than normal. So far this year every month except for October has seen temperatures above normal.

The folks at Climate Stations put together a graph comparing this year's temperatures to those dusty 1931 numbers and to the long-term average. They've got links to lots of other current and historic Twin Cities weather data at their home page.

The prospect of a record-warm year is not exactly surprising, given some of the seasonal records that have already been surpassed. Those include the warmest summer in Duluth's recorded history. And the warmest spring in the Twin Cities.

And is heat good for cheese? Because Wisconsin is also warming up to the idea of penciling in 2012 as the hottest year on record.