But the month capped off the 10^th-warmest January-April period on record.

Most of the United States was warmer than average. Wet conditions in March eased drought concerns in Southern California, but extreme dryness around the Gulf Coast raised the chances of drought there.

Much of the Southeast experienced extremely wet conditions last month, while almost all of California and parts of Oregon and Nevada were either much drier than average or record dry.

Across a wide swath of the United States from the Gulf Coast to the Mid-Atlantic, February is more likely to be above average than below average in terms of both temperature and precipitation.

NOAA, NASA scientists confirm Earth’s long-term warming trend continues. The average surface temperature was more than 2 degrees (F) above pre-industrial conditions.

As Arctic waters warm, fish and marine mammals are migrating in search of their preferred habitats and food sources. Some species are gaining habitat, while others are being squeezed out by new arrivals and habitat loss. At the Atlantic and Pacific gateways to the Arctic, these changes are likely to have major impacts on both commercial fishing and food security of native peoples.