Ithaca Climate Summary for March 2005

Temperature

• With an average temperature of 27.9 degrees, the month averaged 4.5 degrees cooler than normal.
• This was the greatest negative departure from normal for any month since January 2004.
• This was the coolest March since 1993.
• The warmest temperature of the month was 57 degrees on the 30th.
• The coldest temperature of the month was 1 degree on the 5th.

Precipitation

• The March precipitation total was 2.45 inches, which was 96% of normal.
• This was the wettest of the last four Marches.

Snowfall

• The March snowfall total was 15.4 inches, which was 3.4 inches above normal.
• This was more than the last three Marches, but pales in comparison to the 35 inches measured in 2001.
• The season-to-date snowfall total at the end of the month was 79.9 inches, which was 15.6 inches above normal through the end of March.
• We have already exceeded the normal snowfall for the entire season (68.2 inches) and the 73.6 inch total measured last winter.
• The maximum depth of snow on the ground was 15 inches on the 2nd. Measurable snow cover persisted through the 25th.
• There was at least an inch of snow on the ground for 71 consecutive days (dating back to January 14).