Last month was the hottest March on record in U.S. history, according to data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Wednesday.
Average temperatures across continental America in March 2026 topped the 20th-century average by 9.4 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the new data.
A total of 10 states set records for the hottest March on record this year: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
“Much of the country south of the far northern tier, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, experienced much-above-average temperatures,” NOAA said in its report. “A broad region spanning the central Pacific Coast, Great Basin, Southwest, and parts of the Rockies and southern Plains observed record warmth, highlighting the widespread extent of the month’s exceptional temperatures.”
The agency added that 500 counties accounting for one quarter of the continental U.S. recorded their highest March temperature averages this year.
