The crowning event was a two-week heat wave that smashed thousands of daily and monthly heat records at hundreds of locations around the country. Astonishingly, the 48-state U.S. average temperature was not only the hottest on record for March: the averages were also the hottest on record for all intervals (2-month, 3-month, etc.) Statewide average temperature rank for March 2026 across the 132 years of national data going back to 1895. According to Walton, last month produced more monthly heat records for both maxima and minima than any other month in the NOAA database. Statewide average precipitation rank for March 2026 across the 132 years of national data going back to 1895.

Source: Washington Post April 08, 2026 20:31 UTC