5 numbers that explain just how hot March was in Phoenix

PHOENIX — Phoenix is no stranger to extreme heat.

Triple-digit temperatures and excessive heat are synonymous with the Valley summer months, but seeing 100-degree days early in the year is certainly an anomaly.

This year, Valley residents and visitors saw a warmer March than normal. In fact, the National Weather Service said it was the warmest March on record in Phoenix.

For more context on just how hot it was, here are five numbers you should know.

• 12.5 degrees above normal: The average March temperature for Phoenix was 78.8 degrees, 12.5 degrees above normal. It was also 6.5 degrees hotter than the previous record set in 2004.
• 15 days of heat records: There were 15 days in the month that broke daily high temperature records.
• Nine days in triple digits: Phoenix saw nine days with temperatures at or above 100 degrees. Previously, Phoenix had only reached 100 degrees once in the month, on March 26, 1988. 
• 45 days early for triple-digits: Phoenix broke the record for the earliest in the year the Valley has ever reached the triple digits, hitting 102 degrees on March 18. It was eight days earlier than the previous record of March 26 and 45 days earlier than the typical first triple-digit day of May 2. 
• 105 degrees: Three days in March reached 105 degrees in Phoenix.

As the calendar turned to April, the Valley saw temperatures dip back towards average levels. Time will tell whether Phoenix sees another record-breaking month.

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