Map: Record warmth throughout West

By Nathaniel Minor
April 8, 2015

Average temperatures across seven Western states hit new records January-March of this year, new analysis from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says.

Colorado's temps, while not record high, were still well above average. Here are more details from NOAA: 

The year-to-date contiguous U.S. average temperature was 37.2°F, 2.0°F above the 20thcentury average, and the 24th warmest January-March on record. Record warmth engulfed much of the West, where seven states were record warm, and an additional five states, including Alaska, had temperatures that were much above average. California's year-to-date temperature of 53.0°F was 7.5°F above average and bested the previous record set just last year by 1.8°F.

Elsewhere in the West, the fight for water is heating up as warm weather continues to worsen the ongoing drought. KJZZ reports that the state of New Mexico and environmentalists are fighting over a diversion plan for the Gila River, a mostly undeveloped river in the rural Southwest. 

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