NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY

MARCH 2020

1-7: Late-week temperatures dipped below 32°F as far south as the Carolinas and northern and central Georgia. Showery weather briefly extended northward into the Ohio Valley and the lower Great Lakes region, but mild, dry weather covered the remainder
of the Corn Belt. Farther west, late-week precipitation dampened the Northwest and extended southward into parts of California. However, California’s precipitation was light and provided little relief from short-term drought. For several days, spring-
like warmth was particularly notable across the northern Plains and upper Midwest, where weekly temperatures generally averaged 5 to 15°F above normal. Pockets of near- or below-normal temperatures were mostly limited to the Rockies, Southeast, and
Pacific Northwest. Record-setting warmth returned across California early in the week and soon spread eastward. On March 3-4, consecutive daily-record highs were established in California locations such as Sacramento (77 and 79°F) and Stockton (75 and
81°F). Meanwhile, warm weather also prevailed across the East in advance of a cold front. On March 3, daily-record highs climbed to 63°F in Hartford, CT, and 56°F in Bangor, ME. On March 4-5 in Florida, a pair of daily-record highs were set in Orlando
(90 and 92°F) and Vero Beach (90 and 91°F). Elsewhere in Florida on the 5th, dailyrecord highs topped the 90-degree mark in West Palm Beach (94°F) and Miami (91°F). West Palm Beach narrowly missed tying its monthly record, achieved with highs of 95°
F on March 26, 1928, and March 31, 2011. Previously, West Palm Beach’s earliest reading of 94°F or higher had occurred on March 22, 1977. Toward week’s end, Western warmth expanded across the Plains. Record-setting highs for March 6 included 82°F
in Bakersfield, CA; 70°F in Salt Lake City, UT; and 70°F in Great Falls, MT. In Idaho, Pocatello closed the week with consecutive daily-record highs (65 and 61°F, respectively) on March 6-7. Among dozens of daily-record highs on March 7 were readings
of 80°F in Valentine, NE; 79°F in Pierre, SD; 73°F in Miles City, MT; and 69°F in Dickinson, ND. Late-week warmth and wind contributed to wildfire development in Oklahoma, where the 412 Fire in Beaver County scorched nearly 30,000 acres of grass and
brush.
8-14: Mostly dry conditions persisted across the Deep South, favoring planting activities and other spring fieldwork. However, varying degrees of dryness from southern Texas to peninsular Florida boosted irrigation demands and were a concern with
respect to emerging crops. A warm weather pattern continued to dominate the country, at least until colder air arrived across the northern Plains and Northwest. Weekly temperatures averaged as much as 10 to 15°F above normal across the Deep South and
from the lower Great Lakes region into the Northeast. In contrast, readings averaged at least 5°F below normal in several locations from the Pacific Northwest to Montana’s high plains. Early in the week, a surge of warmth across the Plains and Midwest
resulted in numerous records. On March 8, daily-record highs rose to 79°F in North Platte, NE; 71°F in Sioux City, IA; and 69°F in Sioux Falls, SD. The following day, as warmth swept into the East, record setting highs for March 9 climbed to 72°F in
Providence, RI, and 70°F in Portland, ME. Meanwhile, colder air edged into the Northwest, where daily-record lows dipped to 26°F (on March 8) in Quillayute, WA, and 26°F (on March 9) in McMinnville, OR. By March 10, windy conditions developed in
Montana, where Great Falls reported a daily average wind speed of 25.2 mph and a peak gust of 59 mph. An even higher gust—to 61 mph—occurred in Great Falls on March 11. Elsewhere in Montana, Cut Bank clocked a peak gust to 71 mph on March 10,
followed by a low of -4°F (not a record for the date) on March 14. Farther south, warmth in California resulted in a daily-record high (82°F on March 12) in Sacramento. At week’s end, warmth spread across the Deep South, where record-setting highs
for March 14 included 90°F in Fort Myers, FL, and 85°F in Montgomery, AL, and Columbus, GA. In contrast, the Northwest’s cold snap produced a daily-record low (26°F on March 14) in Walla Walla, WA.
15-21: Warm, dry weather dominated the lower Southeast, including Florida, boosting irrigation demands and further reducing topsoil moisture. Weekly temperatures averaged as much as 10 to 15°F above normal from the central Gulf Coast region into the
Southeast. Meanwhile, cold air settled across the Plains and the Far West, especially late in the week. Temperatures averaged more than 5°F below normal in parts of California and the western Great Basin. In Montana and North Dakota, weekly readings
averaged 5 to 20°F below normal. However, late-week temperatures below 20°F as far south as northern and western Kansas.
Cold weather prevailed for much of the week across the northernmost Plains and the Northwest. Wenatchee, WA, opened the week with consecutive daily-record lows (21 and 25°F, respectively) on March 15-16. Similarly, March 16-17 featured a pair of daily
records (23 and 22°F, respectively) in Olympia, WA. Other daily-record lows included -8°F (on March 16) in Ennis, MT, and 11°F (on March 15) in Burns, OR. By March 19, cold air settled across California, where record-setting lows dipped to 19°F in
Montague and 31°F in Redding. Additional daily-record lows in California on March 20 included 7°F in South Lake Tahoe and 8°F in Alturas. In contrast, warmth continued to cover the South and East. In fact, high temperatures reached 90°F on March 15
in Jacksonville, FL, and Saint Simons Island, GA. The latter reading tied a monthly record previously set on March 12, 1967, and March 22, 2011. From March 18-20, Fort Myers, FL, registered three consecutive 90-degree readings (91, 90, and 90°F). Fort
Myers also tied a monthly record, most recently achieved in 1949, with 4 days of 90-degree heat during March. By March 20, warmth briefly surged northward through the Atlantic Coast States, resulting in daily-record highs in locations such as Danville,
VA (87°F); Georgetown, DE (86°F); and Atlantic City, NJ (83°F). Warmth lingered for several more days in Florida, where Tampa posted highs above 80°F for at least 14 consecutive days (March 10-23). Tampa also notched daily record highs of 89°F on
March 18, 19, and 21.
22-28: Hot and dry weather prevailed in Florida and along the Gulf Coast, leading to further drought development and intensification. By week’s end, many communities in Florida were on the verge of a record-dry March—and a month without measurable
rain. In addition, weekly temperatures across the Deep South averaged as much as 10 to 15°F above normal, with readings reaching the 90- degree mark as far north as the Carolinas. Highs of 90°F or higher were also observed on the southern Plains—
especially on March 26. In fact, near- or above-normal temperatures covered most areas from the Plains eastward, while cooler-than normal conditions dominated the Far West. Weekly readings averaged more than 5°F below normal across large sections of
California and the Great Basin.
As the Sierra Nevada neared its traditional peak snowpack date, the California Department of Water Resources reported the snowpack contained an average of 15 inches of liquid—just over one-half of normal.

Florida’s dryness was accompanied by record-setting and intensifying heat. With a high of 91°F on March 25, Jacksonville, FL, tied a monthly record previously set on March 10, 1974, and earlier dates. Later, Jacksonville shattered that record with a
high of 94°F on March 28. A monthly record was also set on March 28 in Leesburg, FL (92°F; previously, 91°F on March 30, 1991). From March 23-29, New Orleans, LA, logged seven consecutive daily-record highs (88, 86, 89, 88, 87, 88, and 84°F). The
high of 89°F on March 25 tied New Orleans’ monthly record originally set on March 18, 1982. Farther west, a mid-week heat surge sent temperatures soaring to daily-record levels for March 26 in Oklahoma locations such as Tulsa (94°F) and Oklahoma City
(92°F). For Tulsa, it was the hottest March day since March 22, 1995, when the high also reached 94°F. In Texas, record setting highs for the 26th soared to 100°F in McAllen and 96°F in Childress. Late in the week, heat surged into the Carolinas,
where consecutive daily-record highs occurred on March 27-28 in New Bern, NC (85 and 91°F, respectively), and Florence, SC (86 and 90°F, respectively). In marked contrast, chilly conditions gripped the Far West. Montague, CA, registered consecutive
daily-record lows (20 and 16°F, respectively) on March 25-26. Elsewhere in California on the 25th, Santa Rosa noted a daily-record low of 28°F. Following snowfall in Nevada, daily-record lows for March 27 dipped to 4°F in Ely and 12°F in Eureka.
Finally, Douglas, AZ, tallied a daily-record low (24°F) for March 28.

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