March was the most abnormally hot month in the mainland US in 132 years

Source: Scripps News

Posted 9:37 PM, Apr 08, 2026


It wasn't just you: March was unusually hot, according to weather experts. Meteorologists say March was unseasonably and stubbornly warm across the continental U.S., making it the most abnormally hot month in the last 132 years of record-keeping.

Average temperatures were 9.4 degrees Fahrenheit above their 20-year average, according to new federal data. 1,432 counties, which together make up more than half of the continental U.S.' area, saw their single warmest March day since 1950.

The twelve months of April 2025–March 2026 were the hottest such period since 1895.

January through March was also the driest three-month period measured in the continental U.S. since 1910. Drought conditions are expected to persist across much of the U.S. and contribute to higher-than-normal potential for significant wildfires this year.

Read more: https://www.scrippsnews.com/weather/march-was-the-most-abnormally-hot-month-in-the-mainland-us-in-132-years