Marylanders enjoyed a relative cool summer this year, at least until August turned things around and ended the three-month meteorological season about average.

But at least there were few 90-degree days - only 10 all summer. That tied with the years 1883, 1884, 1904 and 1907 for the 8th fewest days in the 90s since record-keeping began here in 1871.

But even if the weather seemed relatively cool here for part of the summer, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reminds us that the planet's land and sea-surfaces were unusually warm.

August temperatures around the globe - land and ocean surface - were the second-warmest on record, after 1998. The NOAA illustration above shows above-average temperatures in pink and red. Below-average temperatures are in blue.

NOAA said that during the last three months - the northern summer, southern winter - the globe's averaged ocean surface temperature was the warmest on record for that period. The data go back to 1880. The combined average land and ocean surface temperature was the third-warmest on record, up 1.06 degrees F. from the 20th century average.

And so far this year - January through August - combined average land and sea-surface temperatures for 2009 are tied with 2003 for the fifth-warmest such period on record. You can read more here.