Last month was the warmest March in the United States since records started being kept in 1895, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The average nationwide temperature in March was 51.1 degrees, a half-degree warmer than the previous warmest March in 1910, according to the latest State of the Climate report. Normally, March averages 42.5 degrees across the country.
Twenty-five states had their warmest Marches on record. The Marches in 15 more states, including North Carolina, were among the 10 warmest.
Only one March in the Tar Heel State was warmer than this year’s, according to a NOAA map featuring state-by-state data.
The 8.6 degree departure from normal is the second largest departure on record. January 2006 had the largest.
While most of the United States was baking, West Coast states had cooler-than-average conditions.
