Ithaca Climate Summary for March 2004

Temperature

• With an average temperature of 36.4 degrees, the month averaged 4 degrees warmer than normal.
• This was 3.8 degrees warmer than last March and the 14th warmest March since records began in 1873.
• This month's departure was the greatest positive departure for any month since September 2002.
• The warmest days (as compared to normal) were clustered at the beginning and end of the month. The first week of the month was 14 degrees warmer than normal and the last seven days were 13 degrees warmer than normal.
• The warmest temperature of the month was 66 degrees on the 26th.
• The coldest temperature of the month was 11 degrees on the 23rd.

Precipitation

• The March precipitation total was 2.35 inches, which was 92% of normal.
• This March was somewhat wetter than the last two, but was drier than the four preceding years.
• Measurable precipitation was recorded on 19 days this month. This was five more than average and tied as the second greatest number of wet March days in over 70 years.
• There was never more than two consecutive dry days this month.
• Year-to-date precipitation was 5.02 inches; 1.72 inches below normal.

Snowfall

• March snowfall totaled 9.6 inches, which was 2.4 inches less than normal.
• Snowfall this month was just 1.6 inches less than last March.
• Most of this month's snow came from a 9 inch event just after mid-month.
• Seasonal snowfall for Ithaca now stands at 71.7 inches, 7.4 inches above normal.