US had hottest March on record as nation faced ‘unprecedented’ heat
The continental US registered its most abnormally hot month in 132 years of records, according to Noaa data
TL;DR
- March was the hottest month on record for the continental US, with temperatures 9.35F above the 20th-century normal.
- This anomaly surpassed all previous monthly records, regardless of the month.
- More than 19,800 daily temperature records and over 2,000 monthly records for heat were broken.
- Six of the top 10 most abnormally hot months have occurred in the last 10 years.
- The January-March period was also the driest on record for the contiguous US, creating a problematic combination for water availability and agriculture.
- A strong El Niño is forecasted to form, potentially pushing global temperatures to new record levels in late 2026 and into 2027.