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March 2026 was the warmest March on record in the contiguous U.S.

The Claim

March 2026 was the warmest March on record in the United States.

Verified by Lenz ·

The Short Version

NOAA data and multiple independent news sources confirm that March 2026 shattered temperature records, with an anomaly of 9.4°F above the 20th-century average — the largest for any month in over 130 years of records. The record applies specifically to the contiguous United States (Lower 48), which is NOAA's standard framework for national climate reporting. While the claim's phrasing of "the United States" aligns with how this record is conventionally described, it technically omits the distinction that Alaska and Hawaii are not included in the dataset.

Caveats

  • The 'warmest March on record' designation is based on NOAA's contiguous U.S. (CONUS/Lower 48) dataset, not a measurement encompassing all 50 states including Alaska and Hawaii.
  • Different temperature datasets (station-based NOAA, satellite, reanalysis) use different baselines and geographic domains, which can affect rankings.
  • While the U.S. record is robust, satellite data (Dr. Roy Spencer) notes the warmth was geographically concentrated and not reflected across the broader Northern Hemisphere.

The Receipts

  1. Monthly Climate Reports | March 2026 | Record Setters

    NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information

  2. Monthly Climate Reports | Global Climate Report | March 2026

    NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information

  3. Current Map | U.S. Drought Monitor

    U.S. Drought Monitor

  4. Last month was hottest March on record for continental U.S. — by most for any month ever, federal data shows - CBS News

    CBS News

  5. America's Hottest March On Record Was In 2026, NOAA Finds | Weather Underground

    Weather Underground

  6. The U.S. smashed heat records in March. Just wait for El Niño this summer - PBS

    PBS

  7. US had hottest March on record as nation faced 'unprecedented' heat - The Guardian

    The Guardian

  8. NOAA confirms March 2026 as the warmest March on record for U.S.

    Balanced Weather

  9. March 2026 ranks as hottest since records started 130+ years ago

    Record heat in March 2026 caps warmest 12-month stretch in U.S. history

  10. U.S. climate summary for March 2025

    climate.gov

+ 4 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

March 2026 Temperature RecordNational Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationUnited States

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