NCDC Releases March 2014 Global Climate Report
The globally averaged temperature for March 2014 was the fourth warmest since record keeping began in 1880 according to NOAA scientists. It also marked the 38th consecutive March and 349th consecutive month with a global temperature at or above the 20th century average. The last below-average March temperature was March 1976, and the last below-average temperature for any month was February 1985.
Many areas of the world experienced much-warmer-than-average monthly temperatures, including most of Europe, much of Asia, northern South America, most of the Indian Ocean, part of the eastern North Atlantic, a large swath of the South Atlantic, and large sections of the western and northeastern Pacific Ocean. Record warmth occurred in parts of eastern and northern Europe, sections of the eastern Atlantic Ocean, and parts of the equatorial and northeastern Pacific Ocean. Most of eastern Canada, the northeastern U.S., north central Argentina, part of the central North Atlantic Ocean, and the ocean waters off the southern tip of South America were notably cooler than average. Some areas around the Great Lakes and New England in North America were record cold for March.
This monthly summary from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center is part of the suite of climate services NOAA provides to government, business, academia, and the public to support informed decision making.