health
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.