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WASHINGTON – March delivered an extraordinary surge of unseasonable warmth, making it the hottest March recorded in the continental United States in 132 years, according to federal climate data. Predictions indicate that the heat may intensify globally in the coming year, with some forecasts anticipating the development of a particularly strong El Niño.
The month didn’t just set a record for March; it surpassed any previous monthly heat anomaly for the contiguous U.S. March’s average temperature reached 50.85 degrees Fahrenheit (10.47 degrees Celsius), which is 9.35 F (5.19 C) above the 20th-century average for the month. This broke the previous record from March 2012, which was 8.9 F (4.9 C) above the norm, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s data released on Wednesday.
The average high temperature for March was notably elevated, standing at 11.4 F (6.3 C) above the 20th-century average, nearly matching the typical daytime highs for April, as reported by NOAA.
Remarkably, six of the ten most anomalously warm months in U.S. history have occurred within the past decade. February of this year also ranked high, being 6.57 F (3.65 C) above normal for the 20th century, making it the tenth highest above-average month.
“The extreme heat we experienced in March across the United States was unprecedented,” commented Shel Winkley, a meteorologist with Climate Central. “The sheer number of all-time records set and broken is concerning. This follows what was the warmest winter on record and the worst snow year, highlighting a troubling trend of prolonged heat extending from winter into spring.”
More than 19,800 daily temperature records were broken for heat across the country, according to meteorologist Guy Walton, who analyzes NOAA data.
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