March in Texas hits a century-old heat record

This March didn’t just break records in Dallas-Fort Worth—it smashed them. The average temperature reached 67. 4°F by the end of the month, beating the old 1907 record by less than a degree. Daytime highs were even more extreme, sitting a full degree above normal, while nighttime lows crept up by four-tenths of a degree. It wasn’t just a one-time fluke either. Across Texas, weather patterns have been acting strangely—late fall coolness arriving late, Christmas days feeling like summer, and daily temperatures that keep edging upward. The bigger picture shows a clear trend. Texas has been warming up faster than many realize, and scientists link most of it to human activities. Burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas pumps heat-trapping gases into the air, slowly turning up the planet’s thermostat. Natural cycles, like shifting ocean temperatures in the Pacific, can add to the effect, making hot spells even hotter.This isn’t just happening in Texas. Much of the western U. S. saw its warmest March ever too. Experts say climate change isn’t creating new kinds of extreme weather—it’s making existing patterns far more intense. The shift is so gradual that what once felt unusual is becoming the new normal. Even short-term shifts, like the La Niña that lingered last winter, push temperatures higher, nudging more records closer to the edge. The consequences aren’t just about sweaty afternoons. Warm air speeds up plant growth, which drains water from the soil and leaves the ground drier. Right now, over 80% of Texas is already in some level of drought. If rain stays scarce, the heat could make summer even worse, drying out more land and raising the risk of wildfires.