Just how warm was March in Lexington? Area temperatures broke several records
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- March was Lexington’s sixth-warmest March on record, avg 54.2°F.
- Five daily highs and three warmest-low daily records were set in March.
- Highs near 80°F for several days, then a cold front with wind and rain risk.
After a cold and icy start to the new year, temperatures warmed back up in March and the Lexington area broke several weather records.
This past month was the sixth-warmest March on record with an average temperature of 54.2 degrees. The historic average temperature in March is normally 45.9 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
The last time Lexington experienced a March that warm was in 2012, when the average temperature was 56.3 degrees. There have only been 17 other instances when the average temperature was 50 degrees or higher since 1873, when the NWS began tracking weather data.
The average temperature in March was 25 degrees warmer than January’s average and 17 degrees warmer than February’s, according to the NWS.
There were also five daily high temperature records reset in March, according to the NWS. The hottest day of the month was March 22 at 84 degrees, which is tied for third of Lexington’s hottest days of March.
The 84-degree day March 22 also broke the daily record of 82 degrees, which had stood since 1907, according to the NWS.
Other high temperature records
The high temperature March 6 reached 81 degrees, which broke the previous record of 77 degrees from the same day in 1973, according to the NWS. The next day it reached 78 degrees, which tied the previous record from the same day in 1974.
On March 11 the temperature reached 78 degrees, which also tied the previous record from the same day in 1990, according to the NWS.
A few days after the record-breaking 84-degree day, the temperature reached 80 degrees March 26. That ties the previous record from the same day in 1907 and 2007, according to the NWS.
More weather records set in March
There were also three instances this past month when the low temperature for the day set a new daily record for the warmest low temperature recorded, according to the NWS.
On March 10, the temperature only got down to 61 degrees, which broke the previous warmest minimum temperature record of 59 degrees from the same day in 2016.
The low temperature for March 26 and 31 only reached 62 degrees, which broke those records from the same days in 2007 and 2016, respectively.
Upcoming forecast for Central KY
More warm temperatures are forecast to start April, as the predicted high in Lexington Wednesday is 80 degrees, according to the NWS’ seven-day forecast. The high temperatures Thursday, Friday and Saturday are also expected to reach or come close to 80 degrees.
The projected high for Thursday is 84 degrees, which would tie the previous record from the same day in 1946, according to the NWS.
A cold front is expected to move into the region Saturday and Saturday night, dropping the temperatures into the mid 50s to low 60s through at least Wednesday. The front is also expected to bring strong wind gusts.
There are several chances for rain in the next week, with the best chances Friday and Saturday. The NWS said Wednesday’s thunderstorms could produce strong, straight-line winds between 2 to 8 p.m.
Lexington and other central and northern areas of Kentucky are under a slight risk for severe weather, the second-lowest risk of five in the NWS’s storm prediction center outlook. Slight risk implies severe thunderstorms with varying levels of intensity are expected.
This story was originally published April 1, 2026 at 12:00 PM.
