March - Sopping Wet for Some

March precipitation ranged from 50% of normal to more than 200% of normal.

Much of the Northeast experienced a wetter-than-normal March, with the wettest locations in coastal areas from eastern Maryland up to northern Maine seeing more than 200% of normal precipitation. However, some interior locations in western New York, western Pennsylvania, and West Virginia were drier than normal, with the driest locations of southern West Virginia seeing 50% to 75% of normal precipitation. At the Northeast’s 35 major climate sites, March precipitation ranged from 62% of normal in Erie, PA, to 270% of normal in Portland, ME, with 27 of the sites being wetter than normal. In fact, seven major climate sites had their wettest March on record, with another 14 of the sites having one of their 20 wettest Marches.

This March was record wet for seven major climate sites and ranked among the 20 wettest for another 14 of the sites.

March average temperatures ranged from 2°F to 8°F above normal.

March was another warmer-than-normal month for the Northeast, with average temperatures ranging from 2°F above normal in places like eastern Maryland up to 8°F above normal in places like northern New York. March average temperatures at the region’s 35 major climate sites ranged from 3.7°F above normal in Boston, MA, to 7.3°F above normal in Binghamton, NY. This March ranked among the 20 warmest Marches on record for all but one of the sites.

This March ranked among the 20 warmest Marches on record for all but one of the major climate sites.

March snowfall ranged from more than 12 inches below normal to more than 12 inches above normal.

Like the months before it, March featured below-normal snowfall for much of the Northeast, with the largest deficits of over 12 inches in places like eastern West Virginia and central Massachusetts. Conversely, a large portion of northern New England and a few parts of New York saw above-normal snowfall, with a surplus of more than 12 inches in higher elevations of Vermont, New Hampshire, and western Maine. March snowfall at the 35 major climate sites ranged from 13.7 inches below normal in Worcester, MA, to 8.4 inches above normal in Caribou, ME, the lone snowier-than-normal site which saw its 15th snowiest March. This March was the least snowy on record for nine major climate sites, tying several other years in most cases, and was among the 20 least snowy for 16 other sites.

This March featured record low snowfall for nine major climate sites and ranked among the 20 least snowy for 16 other sites. However, Caribou, ME, had its 15th snowiest March.

According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, the warm trend is expected to continue into April, with a tilt toward above-normal temperatures for almost the entire Northeast. Additionally, above-normal precipitation is favored for most of the region including the Mid-Atlantic, southern New England, all but northern New York, and southern parts of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. However, there’s an increased likelihood of below-normal precipitation for northern Maine. Equal chances of below-, near-, or above-normal precipitation were forecast for northern parts of New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire, as well as the rest of Maine.

There’s an increased likelihood of a wetter-than-normal and warmer-than-normal April for most of the Northeast, which are the areas shaded green in the map on the left and orange in the map on the right. Click to enlarge.