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2mo ago

NOAA Confirms Hottest U.S. March on Record

Record-low early-year rainfall signals mounting drought and fire risks.

FILE - Juan Olmedo, left, and his wife Alejandra Delgado use an umbrella to shield from the sun while on a walk at Shoreline Park in Mountain View, Calif., March 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)
FILE - A jogger runs past as a man sunbathes on a hot day at Crissy Field in San Francisco, March 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)
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The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. in March was 50.85°F, 9.35°F above the 20th-century average, marking the first time any month’s average has exceeded 9°F above that baseline.

Overview

  • NOAA reported Wednesday that March averaged 50.85°F, a 9.35°F jump over the 20th‑century norm that set the largest anomaly for any U.S. month on record.
  • The April 2025–March 2026 span ranks as the warmest 12 months ever for the Lower 48, with 10 states from the Southwest to the Southern Plains posting their hottest March.
  • January through March was the driest start to a year on record, and drought covered 59.9% of the contiguous U.S. by March 31, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
  • Copernicus reported near‑record March ocean warmth, and NOAA puts the odds of El Niño forming in May–July 2026 at about 61%, a Pacific pattern that can shift rain and boost heat.
  • Shrinking snowpack and low Colorado River reservoirs point to tighter water supplies and earlier fire danger, with officials flagging elevated wildfire potential across the Southwest and parts of the South.