Weather
This post first appeared on climate.gov and was written by Rebecca Lindsey
According to the latest U.S. monthly climate summary from the National Centers for Environmental Information, the average temperature for March 2021 was 45.5 degrees Fahrenheit, 4 degrees warmer than the twentieth-century average. This ranked in the warmest third of the 127-year period of record.
- Related: NOAA April 2021 Outlook: Warmth Expected for Much of the Contiguous US… Except Pacific Northwest
Across the Lower 48 states, daytime high temperatures in March have warmed by 0.28 degrees Fahrenheit per decade over the 127-year record (1895-2021). Overnight lows have warmed at 0.24 degrees Fahrenheit per decade over the same period.
Average March precipitation for the contiguous U.S. was 2.45 inches, just a smidge below average (0.06 inches), which ranks in the middle third of the 127-year period of record. Precipitation was above average—even much above average—in the center of the country, including parts of Nebraska, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Meanwhile, around the perimeter of the country, dry conditions were the norm, with below to much below-average precipitation across many states along the northern and southern borders of the country.
The heavy rains in the Central Plains moderated the drought in parts of Nebraska, Kansas, and eastern Colorado. But according to the U.S. Drought Monitor project, nearly 64 percent of the contiguous United States was at least “abnormally dry” in early April, and 45 percent remained in some level of drought. The drought was classified as “extreme” in parts of 14 states and “exceptional” in 8: Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.
For more March climate highlights, check out the full summary from the National Centers for Environmental Information.
