March 2017 Snaps 20-Month Streak of Above Average Temperatures
The mild conditions that made February 2017 the warmest on record continued at the onset of March as the high reached 70° on 3/1. That would be the mildest reading of the month. Through March 10 temperatures were three degrees above average, but then the next three weeks were six degrees below average, resulting in the entire month being 3.3 degrees colder than average - putting an end to New York's record streak of twenty months in a row with above average temperatures. March was also colder than February, which, in the years since 1900, had happened only twice before (in 1984 and 1960). And March's average low was colder than that of February, January or December.
ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
- True winter-like conditions were experienced during a six-day stretch from March 11-16, when temperatures were fifteen degrees below average and a snow and sleet storm snarled the City on 3/14. 7.6" accumulated, but most northern and western suburbs, which didn't have sleet, were buried by 15" to 24". (If the 1.97" in liquid precipitation that was measured at Central Park had been all snow, about 20" would have piled up.) The day after the storm the high was just 26°, which was 24 degrees below average.
- The month had five days with highs of 32° or colder, which was more than December (two), January (three) or February (one), as was the number of days with lows in the teens. The low of 14° on 3/5 tied 1/10 as the coldest reading of the winter.
- After a a two-week period (March 10-23) that saw below average temperatures on all but one day (and averaging nine degrees below average), the rest of the month was mostly uneventful.
- The last week of the month received half of the month's 5.25" of precipitation, with all but one day reporting measurable rain. This was the wettest March in six years.
- In a reverse of the time-worn saying, March came in like a lamb rather than a lion (70°), which is how it went out as an all-day rain brought 1.51" along with very chilly temperatures (high/low of 43°/37°).
- Finally, this was the fourth of the past five Marches to be significantly colder than average. The March that wasn't colder than average, in 2016, was the fourth mildest on record.
this month had five 60° days. one fewer than last month. the last time March had fewer 60° days than February was in 2001 when February had 1 and March had 0.
Posted by: William | 10/24/2017 at 08:26 AM