2012 was the warmest year on record in the contiguous United States, according to federal data released Tuesday that’s fueling political calls for more aggressive steps to fight climate change.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that the average temperature in the lower 48 states last year was 55.3 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 3.2 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th century average, according to records that go back to 1895.