March 2023 Weather Recap - Third Month In a Row With Above Average Temperatures
March 2023 was 1.8 degrees above average, continuing the year's streak of months with above average temperatures. However, it wasn't nearly as above average as January (+9.8 degrees) or February (+5.2). Sill, eleven days were five degrees or more above average (and three were five degrees or more below average). Among all Marches it was the 25th mildest. The three previous Marches were all milder (2022 ranks #17, 2021 #13, and 2020 #7).
The mildest temperature in March was 63° (on 3/21 and 3/26), which was chillier than the mildest readings of February and January, which were 70° and 66°, respectively. (On average the mildest reading in March is around 70°.) This was just the ninth March to have its mildest reading chillier than January's or February's. The previous time it happened was in 2008. March 2023 had six days with highs in the 60s, all occurring between 3/17 and 3/27.
The warmest reading of March was also the warmest reading in ten other Marches, making 63° the most frequent warmest reading in March. The coldest reading was 29° (3/19), the mildest coldest reading in March since 2010. (On average the coldest reading in March is around 20°.)
This March was only 1.1 degree milder than January (historically, it's about nine degrees milder). Although this was one of the smallest temperature differences between the two months, there have been thirteen Marches that were colder than January. (The last time this happened was in 1960.)
Twelve days had average mean temperatures (i.e., falling between one degree below average and one degree above average), which is the most to be reported in March (in the years since 1960) and the most of any month since June 2014 (which had 13). Seven of the days with average temperatures were consecutive (3/7-13).
Twelve days also had humidity levels that dropped below 25%, the most in March this century. (April 2010 had the most of any month, 13.) They were concentrated in the 15-day period March 16-30, with ten of the days reporting very low humidity. The lowest humidity level was 13% during the afternoon of 3/21.
March's total precipitation was 3.32", nearly an inch below average. Combined with February's 1.28", February/March was the 17th driest on record. (The driest and second driest Feb/Mar were in 2012 and 2009.) Besides this year, March 1975 also had 3.32" of rain, while March 2000 had 3.31" and March 1871 and March 1911 had 3.33".
Just 0.1" of snow was reported (on the morning of 3/7). Twenty-two other Marches have had less. (And three others had the same 0.1" as 2023.) This brought the winter's snowfall to 2.3", making this the least snowy winter on record (0.5" less than the winter of 1972-73).
Finally, Jan-Feb-Mar 2023 became the mildest on record, just ahead of the first three months of 2012.
Here are previous March recaps:
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