This March was the world's warmest ever on record over land surfaces—and the second warmest overall, AP reports. Land temperatures worldwide averaged 40.8 degrees Fahrenheit, 3.2 degrees above the 20th-century average. Over land and sea, only 2002 saw higher temperatures in 129 years of record-keeping, adding to mounting concerns about climate change.
In the US, however, it was weather as usual, averaging 42 degrees—just .4 degrees below the 20th-century average. While the snow pack shrunk in some western areas, it was still the highest in more than a decade. Nine states saw above-average rainfall, including Missouri, with its second-wettest recorded March. Drought conditions continue in the southeast. (More global temperatures stories.)