March 2024 Weather Recap: 4th Wettest, 8th Mildest on Record
March 2024 was 5.3 degrees warmer than average, becoming the eighth mildest March on record (just 0.1 degree milder than March 2020). It was the fourth month in a row with above average temperatures; combined, they were 4.6 degrees above average.
Not only was March on the mild side, it was very rainy, with 9.06" was measured in Central Park, making it the fourth wettest March on record. Half of this amount fell in the first nine days of the month - the wettest first nine days of March on record. The month had four days with an inch or more of rain. By far the rainiest was 3/23, which had 3.66", a record amount for the date.
The first nine days and last nine days of the month had equally excessive amounts of rain, while the middle 13 days picked up just 0.04".
Ten days were 10 degrees or more above average (six were consecutive, March 12-17). Only six days were colder than average (five were consecutive, March 21-25).
The coldest high temperature in March was 43° (on 3/21), which was the mildest coldest reading of any March on record. (The coldest high in March is typically around 33°.) FYI, February 2024 had February's mildest coldest high (36°).
Like last March, March 2024's coldest low temperature was 29°, which occurred on 3/22. Only three Marches have had a milder coldest low: 1942 (33°); 1871 (31°); and 1973 (30°).
Each of the first 18 days of the month had an above-average mean temperature; these days were nearly ten degrees milder than average. (Temperatures during the remainder of the month fell back to earth and were about one degree below average.) March 12-17 was 15 degrees above average (averaging a high/low of 67°/47°), including back-to-back days with highs in the 70s (74° on the 14th, 73° on the 15th). Although neither reading was a record, the high of 68° on 3/3 was.
March had no measurable snow, making it the 23rd March with no accumulating snow reported. (Since 2000, March has averaged four inches of snow.)
St. Patrick's Day and Easter Sunday (which fell on 3/31) both featured fair skies and had highs/lows that were very similar: 63°/48° (13 degrees above average), and 62°/47° (seven degrees above average), respectively. However, the Mets weren't as fortunate, as its home opener (on 3/28) was postponed due to chilly and rainy conditions. And the following afternoon, when the game was rescheduled, high winds were an issue (gusts were between 30-40 mph).
Finally, 10 days had very low humidity (i.e., 25% or lower). The lowest reading was 15% during the afternoon of 3/11. For the tenth time this century low humidity was reported on March 30 (bottoming out at 16% late in the afternoon) - the most of any calendar date.
Here are previous March recaps:
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