State of the Climate
National Overview
March 2005

• March temperatures were near average for most of the U.S. For information on temperature records during the month, please go to NCDC's Extremes page
• The precipitation signal was wetter than average in the West with conditions in the Midwest remaining generally drier than average. For more information on drought during March, please visit the U.S. Drought page
• Indices used to determine the state of ENSO suggest that the Equatorial Pacific is transitioning from a weak warm phase (El Niño), to ENSO neutral conditions. Sea Surface Temperatures were slightly above normal across the central and western equatorial Pacific during March, though with somewhat weaker positive anomalies than in previous months. To see the latest NOAA advisory and typical impacts of a La Niña or El Niño episode for the U.S., go to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.

For additional details, see the Monthly Highlights section. For details and graphics on weather events across the U.S. and the globe go to NCDC's Global Hazards page.

• March 2005 ranked as the 49th warmest March in the 1895 to present record. The preliminary nationally averaged temperature was 43.2°F (6.2°C), which was 0.7°F (0.4°C) above the long-term mean.
• March 2005 had near average precipitation, nationally, ranking 57th driest.
• January-March temperature was above average and ranked as the 12th warmest such period in the 1895 to present record. The preliminary nationally averaged temperature for January-March was 38.4°F (3.6°C) which was 2.4°F (1.3°C) above the long-term mean.
• January-March had above average precipitation, ranking 33rd wettest in the last 111 years.
• The April 2004-March 2005 temperature was much above average and ranked as the 11th warmest such period in the 1895 to present record. The preliminary nationally averaged temperature was 53.9°F (12.2°C) which was 1.1°F (0.6°C) above the long-term mean.
• Precipitation was also much above average for April-March, ranking 2nd wettest for the last 12 months based on a record of 110 such periods.
  
  Regional and Statewide:
  
  
• March 2005 temperatures ranked much above average for Oregon. A further 13 states in the contiguous U.S. had above average temperature while 17 eastern states were colder average for the month.
• Alaska temperatures were 6th warmest on record statewide, with an anomaly of 7.9°F (4.4°C)
• March was wetter than average for much of the West, while the Midwest was mostly drier than average. Sixteen states had above average precipitation statewide, and 13 states had less precipitation than the long-term mean.
  
• The 3 month period, January-March, was warmer than average for every state west of the Mississippi, with 2 states much warmer than average. Most states along the eastern Seaboard and across the Northeast were near average.
• January-March 2005 was much wetter than average for 6 states. Ten states were below the mean and 2 states were much drier than average.
• April-March 2005 was warmer than average for much of the nation. No state was significantly cooler than average over the last 12 months.
• The last 12 months were much wetter than average for much of the nation, with Pennsylvania having its wettest April-March on record.

  See NCDC's Monthly Extremes web-page for weather and climate records for the month of March.