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March - Warm and Dry for Many

mar tdpt map

March average temperatures ranged from near normal to 6°F above normal.

March was as much as 6°F warmer than normal in the Northeast. March average temperatures at the 35 major climate sites ranged from 0.5°F above normal in Caribou, ME, to 4.2°F above normal in Buffalo, NY, and Philadelphia, PA, with 18 of the sites having one of their 20 warmest Marches on record.

mar temps chart

This March ranked among the 20 warmest on record for 18 major climate sites.

mar pdpt map

March precipitation ranged from 25% of normal to 200% of normal.

A large portion of the Northeast was drier than normal in March, with the driest locations such as southern Pennsylvania, western Maryland, and eastern West Virginia seeing 25% to 50% of normal precipitation. Below-normal precipitation contributed to the introduction of moderate drought and the expansion of abnormal dryness in southern parts of the region during March. However, some areas such as central/northern New York and northern Maine were wetter, seeing 150% to 200% of normal precipitation. March precipitation at the 35 major climate sites ranged from 53% of normal in Philadelphia, PA, to 144% of normal in Caribou, ME, with 26 of the sites being drier than normal. This March was ranked among the 20 driest on record for four major climate sites but among the 20 wettest for two major climate sites.

mar precip chart

This March was ranked among the 20 driest on record for four major climate sites but among the 20 wettest for two major climate sites.

mar sdpt map

March snowfall ranged from more than 6 inches below normal to more than 6 inches above normal.

Similar to precipitation, much of the Northeast saw below-normal snowfall during March. The largest deficits of over 6 inches were in New England, western New York, and northwestern Pennsylvania. However, a few areas such as southwestern Pennsylvania had a snowfall surplus over more than 6 inches, due mostly to a mid-month storm. At the 35 major climate sites, March snowfall ranged from 10.6 inches below normal in Portland, ME, to 9.5 inches above normal in Pittsburgh, PA, with 29 of the sites having a snowfall deficit. This March was ranked among the 20 least snowy on record for four major climate sites but among the 20 snowiest for four other major climate sites.

mar snow chart

This March was ranked among the 20 least snowy on record for four major climate sites but among the 20 snowiest for four other major climate sites.

According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, April is expected to wetter and warmer than normal for a large portion of the Northeast.

outlook maps

Much of the Northeast is expected to see a wetter-than-normal and warmer-than-normal April. Click to enlarge.