It's official: March 2012 warmth topped the charts

Record and near-record breaking temperatures dominated the eastern two-thirds of the nation and contributed to the warmest March for the contiguous United States since records began in 1895. More than 15,000 warm temperature records were broken during the month. The average temperature of 51.1°F was 8.6 degrees above the 20th century average. In the past 117 years, only one month (January 2006) has ever been so much warmer than its average temperature.

The map above shows where temperatures in the United States were up to 15 degrees Fahrenheit warmer (darkest red) or 5 degrees cooler (blue) than the 1981-2010 average. Maps by climate.gov team based on climate division data from the National Climatic Data Center.

Every state in the nation experienced at least one record warm daily temperature during March. According to preliminary data, there were 15,272 warm temperature records broken (7,755 daytime records, 7,517 nighttime records). Hundreds of locations across the country broke their all-time March records. There were 21 instances of the nighttime temperatures being as warm, or warmer, than the existing record daytime temperature for a given date.

Locations of each of the 7,793 daytime and 7,493 nighttime broken or tied temperature records set in March 2012. Animation by NOAA’s Environmental Visualization Laboratory, based on data from the National Climatic Data Center.

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