March 2026 tied for second-warmest globally, while Arctic sea ice extent reached near-record low
March Highlights:
- With temperatures above average across much of the globe, March 2026 tied as the second-warmest March on record.
- The Northern Hemisphere experienced its sixth-lowest March snow cover extent.
- The Arctic experienced near-record-low March sea ice extent, while the Antarctic had a below-average extent.
- In March, six named storms formed globally, which is near-average activity.
Temperature
March 2026 had a surface temperature 2.36°F (1.31°C) above the 20th-century average, tying with 2024 as the second-warmest March on record. Only March 2025 was warmer by just 0.02°F (0.01°C). All March global temperature departures ranking in the top 10 during the period 1850–2026 have occurred since 2015. This month marked the 50th-consecutive March with a global temperature departure above the 20th-century average; the last March to rank below the 1901–2000 mean occurred in 1976.
Above-average temperatures spanned most global land and ocean surfaces during March 2026. Overall, the global ocean recorded its second-warmest March, while the global land-only surface temperature ranked third-warmest. Notable temperature departures of at least +3.6°F (+2.0°C) occurred across the contiguous U.S., the Arctic, northern and eastern Europe, large parts of Asia and sections of Africa and Antarctica. Portions of these regions, and parts of the oceans, also experienced record-high March temperatures.
Below-average temperatures covered much of Alaska, Canada, southwestern Greenland, north-central Russia, northwestern Africa, and central Antarctica. Record-cold March temperatures were confined to southern Alaska.
Regionally, Europe and Antarctica recorded their third- and fourth-warmest March on record, respectively. South America, Africa and Asia also ranked within their top 10 warmest March. In contrast, the Arctic, North America and Oceania each had a warmer-than-average March, but they did not rank among the top 10.
Year-to-date
Looking at the year-to-date, the January–March global surface temperature was the fourth highest on record. According to NCEI’s Global Annual Temperature Outlook, it is very likely that 2026 will rank among the five-warmest years on record.
Snow Cover
In March, the Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent fell to its sixth-smallest extent in the 60-year record. Both major land masses saw deficits with North America and Greenland having its 14th-lowest extent (230,000 square miles below average) and Eurasia recording its ninth-lowest extent (540,000 square miles below average). The most pronounced snow deficits during March spanned the western and northern contiguous U.S. extending into the Northeast, as well as across central and eastern Europe, stretching through Central Asia from Kazakhstan to northeastern China.
Sea Ice
Global sea ice extent was the sixth smallest for March in the 48-year record, covering 6.83 million square miles, which is 540,000 square miles below the 1991–2020 average. The global deficit was primarily driven by the Arctic, which had its second-lowest March extent on record, falling 350,000 square miles below average. Meanwhile, the Antarctic sea extent was 200,000 square miles below average and tying with 1992 as the 13th-smallest March extent.
Tropical Cyclones
Global tropical cyclone activity was near average in March, with six named storms forming across the Australian and South Pacific basins. Only one system—Tropical Cyclone Narelle—reached both tropical cyclone (winds ≥ 74 mph) and major tropical cyclone (winds ≥ 111 mph) strength. Narelle, a notable storm in the Australian basin, was only the second system since reliable records began in 1980–81 to make landfall three separate times in Australia at severe-category strength. The cyclone brought strong winds and heavy rain to the affected areas, resulting in severe flash flooding, power outages and widespread property damage.
As is typical for March, no storms formed in the North Atlantic, East Pacific, West Pacific or North Indian basins.
For a more complete summary of climate conditions and events, see our March 2026 Global Climate Report or explore our Climate at a Glance Global Time Series.
