March 2010: Hottest ever globally

If you feel like spring came early this year, you're in good company.

NOAA reports today that March 2010 was the warmest ever recorded globally. Also, global temperatures for the first quarter of 2010 (Jan-Mar) are the 4th warmest on record.

NOAA March 2010 temperature anomalies show much of the globe was warmer than average in March. Note the biggest (warmest) departures from average in Canada and the northern U.S. including Minnesota.

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From the NOAA release:

•The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for March 2010 was the warmest on record at 56.3°F (13.5°C), which is 1.39°F (0.77°C) above the 20th century average of 54.9°F (12.7°C).

•The worldwide ocean surface temperature was the highest for any March on record --1.01°F (0.56°C) above the 20th century average of 60.7°F (15.9°C).

•Separately, the global land surface temperature was 2.45°F (1.36°C) above the 20th century average of 40.8 °F (5.0°C) -- the fourth warmest on record. Warmer-than-normal conditions dominated the globe, especially in northern Africa, South Asia and Canada. Cooler-than-normal regions included Mongolia and eastern Russia, northern and western Europe, Mexico, northern Australia, western Alaska and the southeastern United States.

•El Niño weakened to moderate strength in March, but it contributed significantly to the warmth in the tropical belt and the overall ocean temperature. According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, El Niño is expected to continue its influence in the Northern Hemisphere at least through the spring.

•For the year-to-date, the combined global land- and ocean-surface temperature of 55.3°F (13.0°C) was the fourth warmest for a January-March period. This value is 1.19°F (0.66°C) above the 20th century average.

With 25% of 2010 in the books climatologically speaking, it looks like temperatures are on track for another top 5 or 10 "warmest year on record" globally.

PH