Ithaca Climate Summary for March 1998

Temperature

• With an average temperature of 36.1 degrees, the month of March 1998 averaged 3.2 degrees warmer than normal.
• Although this departure was less than the last two month's, it was the 4th month in a row with warmer than normal temperatures.
• This was the warmest March since 1990.
• The warmest temperature of the month was 84 degrees on the 31st.
• The coldest temperature of the month was 9 degrees on the 13th.
• The 84 degree temperature on the 31st was a record for the day. The previous record was 79 degrees set in 1943. This was also the second warmest March temperature on record. The warmest was 85 degrees on March 30, 1977. The high temperature on the 30th this year was 83 degrees--the third warmest March temperature on record.

Precipitation

• March precipitation (rain plus melted snow) totalled 3.07 inches, which was 135% of normal.
• This was the wettest March since 1994.

Snowfall

• March snowfall totalled 11.2 inches, just 1 inch more than normal.
• The month's snow fell during two periods. The 13th to 15th brought 3.1 inches and 8.1 inches was measured between the 21st and 23rd.
• The seasonal snowfall total is now 77.7 inches, 14.7 inches greater than normal through this point in the winter and 10.5 inches more than the normal total for the entire season.
• Monthly snowfall totals for surrounding communities included 21.3 inches in Groton and 19.2 inches in Freeville.