SOUTHERN COLORADO (KOAA) — March 2026 wasn't just warm, it was unprecedented in Colorado. The last two weeks of the month brought n historic heat wave due to an unusually strong ridge of high pressure over the western U.S.
Heat by the numbers
In Colorado Springs and Pueblo, March 2026 will go down as the warmest March, by a long shot. Roughly 25% of the month had record high temperatures.
According to data from the National Weather Service in Pueblo, the average temperature in Colorado Springs in March was 50.8°, 9.7° above average. The next warmest March on record was 48° in 2012. Records in Colorado Springs date back to 1895.
The average high for the month was 66.1°, 11.2° above average. The average low was 35.5°, 8.2° above average.
This year also brought the hottest single March day in Colorado Springs, when it reached 86° on March 21. This breaks the previous March high of 81°. This year, Colorado Springs reached 81° or warmer five times.
Both Colorado Springs and Pueblo recorded eight daily record high temperatures tied or broken.
Pueblo also recorded its hottest-ever March day. On the March 21, Pueblo rose to 93°, breaking the previous March record of 86°. Yes, that also means it was the first 90° day on record for March in Pueblo since records began in 1888. In 2026, Pueblo experienced three days at 90° or higher.
The average high temperature in Pueblo this March was 72.4°, 11.8° above average. The average low was 33.9°, which is 6.8° above average.
According to the Colorado Climate Center, the all-time March record for the entire state was also broken. Springfield and Walsh reached 97° on March 26, breaking the previous Colorado March record of 96° in Holly in 1907.
In a blog post, the Colorado Climate Center emphasizes that "there were far more stations in the state that broke all-time monthly high records for March than did not."
Outlier in moisture
Technically, Colorado Springs and Pueblo are doing well in terms of precipitation this year, due to a very few but high-producing precipitation events.
On March 3, both cities received record rainfall with 0.74" in Colorado Springs and 0.73" in Pueblo. This put Colorado Springs in a surplus of 0.24" with 1.03" of precipitation for the month. Pueblo received a total of 0.88" of precipitation, only 0.06" above average.
Snowfall, however, came in low with three inches in Colorado Springs, 2.7" below average. Pueblo did not record measurable snow, when March typically sees 4.5."
The rain event has kept a portion of east-central Colorado out of drought, while most of the state is experiencing moderate to exceptional drought.
This March heatwave also sent our already abysmal snowpack into a nose-dive. The white line in the chart below shows how quickly the snowpack was depleted in late March, adding insult to injury during an already historically low year.
Snowpack typically peaks on April 8th in Colorado. As of April 1st, statewide snowpack is 22% of average. On the current trajectory, snowpack would fully melt roughly two months early this year.
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Did you spot the 'Doomsday' and 'Electronic Attack' aircraft circling Colorado Springs this week?
You might have seen a unique aircraft in the skies of Colorado Springs Monday. There's plenty of social media buzz about it.
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