March’s persistent unseasonable heat was so intense that the continental United States registered its most abnormally hot month in 132 years of records, according to federal weather data. March’s average temperature of 50.85 degrees Fahrenheit (10.47 degrees Celsius) was 9.35 F (5.19 C) above the 20th century normal for March, easily surpassing the previous record of 8.9 F (4.9 C) set in March 2012.
This extraordinary warmth wasn’t isolated – six of the nation’s top 10 most abnormally hot months have occurred in the last decade. The pattern follows what was recorded as both the worst snow year and hottest winter on record, creating a concerning continuation of extraordinary heat from winter into spring.
Climate Central meteorologist Shel Winkley noted that what makes this particularly concerning is not just the volume of all-time records being set, but the duration of this heat pattern. Meteorologist Guy Walton, who analyzes NOAA data, confirmed that more than 19,800 daily temperature records were broken for heat across the country during this period.
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