NCDC: Mar 2010 warmest since records began in 1880

[jinftl]

The combined global land and ocean surface temperature anomaly for March 2010 was 0.77°C (1.39°F) above the 20th century average, resulting in the warmest March since records began in 1880. The previous record was set in 2002 when temperatures were 0.74°C (1.33°F) above the 20th century average.

Sea surface temperatures (SST) during March 2010 were warmer than average across much of the world's oceans, with the cooler-than-average conditions across the higher-latitude southern oceans, across parts of the northern Pacific Ocean, and along the western coast of South America. Warmer-than-average conditions were most pronounced in the equatorial portions of the oceans, where the tropical ocean surface temperature (equatorward of 20 degrees latitude) also had its warmest March on record. The March 2010 worldwide SST ranked as the warmest on record, with an anomaly of 0.56°C (1.01°F) above the 20th century average—the previous record was set in 1998.
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/?report=global

[Cyclenall]

Wow, I knew this March was a very warm one here in Canada but I didn't think this was worldwide. That map really shows how unbelievably warm it was in Canada last month which I don't doubt.

[jinftl]

Canada experienced incredibly warm temps in March! From the NCDC Report:

Most of Canada was engulfed by abnormally warm conditions during March 2010. Mean temperature records were set or tied across Ontario, Canada, as mean temperatures were 2.5°-8.1°C above the March average, according to Environment Canada.

I don't think I have ever seen a monthly average at 8.1C above normal before!!!

Even more impressive, the Jan 2010 - March 2010 temp anomalies...

The combined global land and ocean surface temperature for January-March period was the fourth warmest on record. This value is 0.66°C (1.19°F) above the 20th century average. Separately, the worldwide land surface temperature ranked as the fifth warmest on record, while the worldwide ocean surface temperature ranked as the second warmest January-March on record—behind 1998.

Wow, I knew this March was a very warm one here in Canada but I didn't think this was worldwide. That map really shows how unbelievably warm it was in Canada last month which I don't doubt.