January through April 2000 was the hottest such four-month period ever recorded in the U.S., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Seventy percent of the country was much warmer than usual during the period, while less than 1 percent was significantly cooler than usual. Drought has hit much of the Midwestern U.S. this year, as well as a number of regions in Asia and Africa. While scientists can’t pin any one weather event on global warming, these types of temperature increases and dry periods are in line with climate change predictions. Meanwhile, researchers say that spring seems to be coming to the Great Lakes region nearly a month earlier than it did 139 years ago, perhaps as a result of global warming.