Warmest March ever in the United States

Simply incredible statistics are contained in a N.O.A.A. report released on Monday. Massive records of all types were broken as March's warmth bathed the country in mild conditions. March 2012 becomes the warmest March on record in the 48 contiguous United States breaking a record dating back to 1895! Look at these highlights:

• The warmest March on record (records go back to 1895) at 51.1 degrees; this is 8.6 degrees above the 20th century average.
• January-March was the warmest first quarter on record; the average temperature of 42 degrees was 6 degrees above average.
• April 2011-March 2012 was the warmest stretch of those 12 months on record; at 55.4 degrees, that period was 2.6 degrees above average.
• In March, 15,292 records were broken for warmth; 7,775 were new daytime highs in cities across the country and 7,517 were new nighttime highs.

There's a really cool animation of the records located here. The records came as a result of La Nina and a global weather pattern change where cold air was locked up and not allowed to drift south into the United States.