March Weather Recap

 With permission, I’m posting this monthly email report from the Rexburg Weather Group. Interesting info!

Temperature High temperatures: 33.3 / 11.7 degrees below normal      Coldest March highs on record, smashing the record of 35.6 from 1985 Low temperatures: 15.4 / 8.4 degrees below normal      3rd coldest March lows ever and the coldest since 1985 Highest wind gust: 60 mph on the 10th Number of windy days: 6     Normal: 8.0 Highest temperature: 47 on the 29th Lowest temperature: -1 on the 8th Daily temp records set: High  0    Low  11    • We were also headed for the coldest March low temps ever until the final three nights, when snow-filled clouds held up our night-time temps and kept us from breaking this record. However, the mean March temperature was also easily our coldest ever.    • It’s been an amazingly long-lived dominant weather pattern since mid-January, when California-sent atmospheric rivers were replaced by a strong northerly flow. In the 77 days since then, only 8 (10 percent) have seen above normal high temps, including streaks of 15, 8, 20 and, currently, 20 straight days below normal.     • In addition to the monthly records smashed, we broke or tied 11 daily records, covering a span of 52 years of weather data. For reference, in the midst of last summer’s record-breaking heat, we also broke 11 daily high-temp records. What last August was to hot, March was to cold.    • But guess what? After another chilly work-week mostly in the 30s, our Easter Sunday high is predicted to be 51! This is 2 degrees below normal, but we’ll take it. It would also be the first 50-degree day since November 5 — 155 days! Precipitation Precipitation: 1.68 / 165 percent of average      5th most March precipitation on record Snowfall: 22.2 / 358 percent of average      Most March snow ever, breaking the record of 17.2 inches from 1985 2022-23 water year precipitation (6 of 12 months): 6.80 / 114 percent of average 2023 annual precipitation (3 of 12 months): 3.78 / 134 percent of average 2022-23 season snowfall: 79.4 / 143 percent of average 2023 annual snowfall: 53.4 / 179 percent of average Thunderstorm days: 0     Fog days: 22 Daily precip records set: Precip  1    Snow  2   Drought status: D0 (Pre- or Post-Drought)    • Because of all this cold, the vast majority of our generous March precip fell as snow, which accounts for that eye-popping percentage above, and the eye-popping amount of snow still hanging around well into April. We have far more snow cover on this date than any other year since I started keeping snow records in 1997.    • Our high-country snowpack still measures in at healthily above normal, not anywhere near the all-time-record amount now in Utah. Speaking of which, as I’m writing this, the Wasatch Front is being pummeled by a Winter Storm Warning-grade system that decided to just graze us (we’ll see maybe an inch). They’re supposed to receive 6-12 inches from this storm, just in the valleys. Aren’t you glad we won’t be dealing with this on top of all that snow we already have!    • We’ve already clinched our heaviest seasonal snowfall in 12 years, and if we add on the normal April 3 inches, this would be our best winter's snowfall in 15 seasons. •  •  • You’ll hear from me quite a bit this week: On Wednesday I’ll send out the final Winter Score for the rollicking season just passed, so you can see how this one compared to winters of yore. And Thursday or Friday will come the quarterly drought update, and there’s plenty of good news to share!         You received this message because you are a member of the Rexburg Weather Group. Unsubscribe • Update Email Address • View Online

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