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.
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"This is coming on the heels of what was the worst snow year," Climate Central meteorologist Shel Winkley told The Associated Press. "And the hottest winter of record. So we’re seeing this continuation of extraordinary heat that took place during the winter months, continuing into the spring months as well. That’s where it’s really concerning, it’s just the duration of this heat.”
Extreme conditions are forecast to continue, experts say. A particularly strong El Niño, the weather pattern that often leads to cooler and wetter conditions across the southern U.S., could bring more rainfall that addresses some drought conditions later in 2026.
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