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As March nears an end, the unprecedented heatwave that melted records and singed the pages of the record books, has finally begun to fade. Dozens of cities saw the temperature top not only March monthly records, but also reach and even exceed existing April records.

On March 20, four locations set a new U.S. national monthly temperature record. In Arizona, Yuma (5 S) and Martinez Lake (2 WNW), and in California, Ogilby (6 SSW) and Winterhaven (15 NE) all reached 112°F (44.4°C). Prior to March 2026, the national record had been 108°F (42.2°C).

Phoenix, which has often been profiled here, as an example of a major city in a rapidly heating location, tied or exceeded its prior March monthly record on eight consecutive days. Its monthly high temperature of 105°F (40.6°C) had a statistical return time that was in the thousands of years.

The eight consecutive days of 100°F (37.8°C) temperatures exceeded the April record of six consecutive days from April 25-30, 1992.

March was so warm that its monthly mean temperature and average high temperature will likely rank second among all April monthly cases.

A flash analysis from World Weather Attribution confirmed that the extreme March heat was “virtually impossible without climate change.”