SACRUS

Clouds hanging tough

And LA

Heat out west So Cal

Records: Highs: EWR: 77 (2012) NYC: 76 (1918) LGA: 72 (2012) JFK: 69 (2010) Lows: EWR: 8 (1967) * coldest reading post Mar 15th on record at Newark NYC: 8 (1967) LGA: 10 (1967) JFK: 7 (1967) Historical: 1907: The highest March temperature in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was set when the temperature soared to 97 degrees. Dodge City, Kansas, also set a March record with 98 degrees. Denver, Colorado, set a daily record high of 81 degrees. 1935 - Suffocating dust storms occurred frequently in southeastern Colorado between the 12th and the 25th of the month. Six people died, and many livestock starved or suffocated. Up to six feet of dust covered the ground. Schools were closed, and many rural homes were deserted by tenants. (The Weather Channel) 1948: An estimated F4 tornado moved through Fosterburg, Bunker Hill, and Gillespie, Illinois, killing 33 people and injuring 449 others. 2,000 buildings in Bunker Hill were damaged or destroyed. The total damage was $3.6 million. 1950 - Timberline Lodge reported 246 inches of snow on the ground, a record for the state of Oregon. (The Weather Channel) 1956 - The second heavy snowstorm in just three days hit Boston. Nearby Blue Hill received 19.5 inches contributing to their snowiest March of record. (David Ludlum) 1958: The storm began as a weak area of low-pressure just east of Norfolk, Virginia or a coastal storm. Naked Creek in Rockingham Co., Virginia had a total of 3.0 inches and Dale Enterprise in Rockingham Co., Virginia had but a trace of snow. Much of the precipitation that fell in the Washington area as rain but finally during the late evening of the 19th the precipitation changed over to heavy snow. The dense flakes fell rapidly through the rest of the night and into the morning of the 20th and by noon, the worst of the storm was over, but periods of light to moderate snow continued on into the morning of the 21st. The interesting feature of this storm was extreme amount of water content. National Airport recorded a water content of 3.75 inches and some stations reported over 5 inches of liquid content. The snowfall total at National Airport was only 4.8 inches of wet snow. Arlington had a foot of snow. In the Maryland suburbs, 9 inches fell in Greenbelt; 11 inches in Silver Spring; 15 inches fell at Fort Meade; and 16 inches fell at Bethesda. Much of the Upper Montgomery County and Howard County received over 20 inches and Mt. Airy, Maryland had 33 inches of snow. Morgantown total of 50" is not a fluke...Morgantown, at 750' in elevation at the borders of Chester, Berks, and Lancaster Counties in Southeast Pennsylvania, set a record for snowfall in the immediate area. This area saw significant snowfall from a low pressure center that was cut off from the main steering pattern in the atmosphere, with snows continuing to pile up across a narrow band along the ridge tops. Southeast Pennsylvania and across the Poconos in Northeast Pennsylvania, where Stroudsburg received 35.4" of snow from the storm. Weather Map for March 20, 1958(Ref. NWS) (Ref. (p. 69-70 Washington Weather Book 2002 by Ambrose, Henry, Weiss) Ref. (NWS Ranking for Storms between 1956 and 2011) This is the 31st Worst Snowstorm 1959: A major storm dumped heavy snowfall of 7.7 inches at Stapleton Airport in Denver, CO where north winds gusting to 45 mph caused blowing and drifting. Many highways were blocked with damage to telephone lines along the South Platte River. The storm started a rain and changed to heavy wet snow which froze on the lines causing them to break. The storm was responsible for two deaths across eastern Colorado. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1969: High winds buffeted the front range foothills in eastern Colorado causing damage in Boulder and Jefferson counties. A freight train was derailed near the entrance to a canyon 20 miles west of Denver when some empty cars were caught on a curve by a wind gust. Two small planes were heavily damaged at the Jefferson County airport. Winds gusted to 105 mph at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, 62 mph in downtown Boulder, and 80-90 mph at the Boulder airport. Stapleton Airport in Denver reported a gust to 49 mph. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1987 - A storm in the western U.S. produced rain and snow from the northern and central Pacific coast to the northern and central Rockies. Heavier snowfall totals included 13 inches at Clear Creek UT, 12 inches at Snow Camp CA and Glacier Park MT, and 10 inches at Kayenta AZ. Wind gusts reached 54 mph at Winslow AZ. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 - Seven cities in California and Nevada reported record high temperatures for the date as readings soared into the 80s and lower 90s. Los Angeles CA reported a record high of 89 degrees. Five cities in south central Texas reported record lows, including El Paso, with a reading of 22 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) 1989 - Six cities reported new record low temperatures for the date as cold arctic air settled into the Upper Midwest for Palm Sunday, including Marquette MI with a reading of 11 degrees below zero. (The National Weather Summary) 1990 - Rather wintry weather in the eastern U.S. replaced the 80 degree weather of the previous week. Freezing temperatures were reported in northern sections of the Gulf Coast States, and snow began to whiten the Northern and Central Appalachians. Up to eight inches of snow was reported in western Virginia. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 2003 - Denver digs out from the second-biggest snowstorm in the city's history. Almost two and a half feet of wet snow over 36 hours shuts down the city. The month ends as Denver's snowiest March on record. 2003: One of the worst blizzards since records began in 1872, struck the Denver metro area and Colorado's Front Range started with a vengeance. Denver International Airport was closed, stranding about 4,000 travelers. The weight of the snow caused a 40-foot gash in a portion of the roof, forcing the evacuation of that section of the main terminal building. Winds gusting to 40 mph produced drifts six feet high in places around the city. Snowfall in foothills was even more impressive. The heavy wet snow caused numerous roofs of homes and businesses to collapse. The estimated cost of property damage alone, not including large commercial buildings, was $93 million, making it the most costly snowstorm on record for the area. In Denver alone, at least 258 structures were damaged. Up to 135,000 people lost power during the storm, and it took several days for power to be restored. Mayor Wellington Webb of Denver said, "This is the storm of the century, a backbreaker, a record-breaker, a roof breaker." Avalanches in the mountains and foothills closed many roads, including Interstate 70, stranding hundreds of skiers and travelers. The Eldora Ski area 270 skiers were stranded when an avalanche closed the main access road. After the storm, a military helicopter had to deliver food to the resort until the road could be cleared. Two people died in Aurora from heart attacks after shoveling the heavy wet snow. The National Guard sent 40 soldiers and 20 heavy-duty vehicles to rescue stranded travelers along a section of I-70. The storm made March 2003 the snowiest March on record, the fourth snowiest month on record, and the fifth wettest March on record. The total of 22.9 inches is the most significant 24-hour total in March. The storm also broke 19 consecutive months of below-average precipitation for Denver. The 31.8 inches of snow was recorded at the former Stapleton Airport in Denver for its second-greatest snowstorm on record (the greatest was 37.5 inches on 12/4-12/5/1913) with up to three feet in other areas in and around the city and more than seven feet in the foothills. Higher amounts included: Fritz Peak: 87.5 inches, Rollinsville: 87.5 inches, Canin Creek: 83 inches, Near Bergen Park: 74 inches, Northwest of Evergreen: 73 inches, Cola Creek Canyon: 72 inches, Georgetown: 70 inches, Jamestown: 63 inches, Near Blackhawk: 60 inches, Eldora Ski Area: 55 inches, Ken Caryl Ranch: 46.6 inches, Aurora: 40 inches, Centennial: 38 inches, Buckley AFB: 37 inches, Southwest Denver: 35 inches, Louisville: 34 inches, Arvada: 32 inches, Broomfield: 31 inches, Westminster: 31 inches and Boulder: 22.5 inches. This storm was the result of a very moist intense slow-moving Pacific system that tracked across the four corners and into southeastern Colorado, which allowed a deep easterly upslope to form among the front-range. 2012: Chicago-O'Hare • This was the sixth consecutive day the record high was at least tied. (Ref. NWS)

34 / 21 clouds with some breaks of sun. About 5-10 degrees warmer than what should wind up as the coldest day - yesterday of the next week or much longer. 50s and low 60s Fri - Sat and pending on sun breaking out, Sunday could push mid - upper 60s or more in the warmest spots. back and forth the next 7 - 10 days hovering near to slightly above normal for the period through 3/26. Beyond there looks to nudge warmer as we close the month.

March 1958

A drier next week can see the ring around the west coast strong ridge

Records: Highs: EWR: 80 (2011) NYC: 77 (2011) LGA: 75 (2011) JFK: 79 (2011) Lows: EWR: 10 (1981) NYC: 7 (1916) LGA: 13 (1967) JFK: 9 (1967) Historical: 1899: An F4 tornado killed 12 people and injured 30 on a 17 mile track through Calhoun and Cleburne counties in Alabama. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1900: The minimum temperature for the date is 13 °F in Washingon, DC. (Ref. Washington Weather Records) 1913: High barometer reading of 30.92 inches equals the DC March record. (Washington Weather Records - KDCA) 1914: San Francisco, CA recorded their highest temperature ever in March when the mercury soared to 86°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1925 — The great Tri-State Tornado occurred, the most deadly tornado in U.S. history. The tornado claimed 695 lives (including 234 at Murphysboro IL and 148 at West Frankfort IL), and caused seventeen million dollars property damage. It cut a swath of destruction 219 miles long and as much as a mile wide from east central Missouri to southern Indiana between 1 PM and 4 PM. The tornado leveled a school in West Frankfort IL, and picked up sixteen students setting them down unharmed 150 yards away. Seven other tornadoes claimed an additional 97 lives that day. (David Ludlum) 1927: An F3 tornado destroyed a home near Tonkawa, OK. The 3 children survived, even though 1 of them was airborne for almost ½ mile. The father, who was outside when the tornado hit, held onto a tree as the house sailed away. (Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2012 Accord Pub. 2011, USA) 1935: Suffocating dust storms occurred frequently in southeast Colorado between the 12th and the 25th of the month. Six people died, and many livestock starved or suffocated. Up to six feet of dust covered the ground. Schools were closed, and many rural homes were deserted by tenants. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1958: A late-season winter storm brought heavy, wet snow to parts of the northeast from Virginia to New England. In parts of Maryland and eastern Pennsylvania, it was the heaviest snowfall ever recorded at that time. The most snow reported at a major reporting station was 11.7 inches at Central Park in New York City, but parts of Philadelphia, PA, New York, NY, Baltimore, MD and Washington, D.C. saw as much as 20 inches. 800 people were trapped along the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Morganton, WV where the 3-day snowfall total was 50 inches. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1971 — High winds accompanied a low pressure system from the Rocky Mountains to the Great Lakes. Winds gusted to 100 mph at Hastings NE, and reached 115 mph at Hays KS. High winds caused two million dollars damage in Kansas. Fire burned 50,000 forest acres in eastern Oklahoma. (17th-19th) (The Weather Channel) 1987 — A storm in the central U.S. produced up to 10 inches of snow in western Nebraska, and up to six inches of rain in eastern sections of the state. The heavy rains pushed the Elkhorn River out of its banks, submerging the streets of Inman under three feet of water. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 — Light rain and snow prevailed east of the Mississippi River. Fair weather prevailed west of the Mississippi. (The National Weather Summary) 1989 — A storm in the western U.S. produced heavy rain in California, with heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada Range. Venado CA was drenched with 5.40 inches of rain in 24 hours. A dozen cities in the eastern U.S. reported new record high temperatures for the date, including Baltimore MD with a reading of 82 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1990 — Heavy rain caused extensive flooding of rivers and streams in Georgia, with total damage running well into the millions. Flooding also claimed six lives. Nearly seven inches of rain caused 2.5 million dollars damage around Columbus, and up to nine inches of rain was reported over the northern Kinchafoonee Basin in Georgia. (Storm Data) 1998: Total snow accumulations in southwest Kansas ranged up to 8 to 12 inches in Stafford, Comanche, Ford, Gray, Finney, Grant, Morton, Seward, Meade and Clark counties. 20 to 30 mph winds accompanied the snowfall resulting in visibilities under a half mile and significant drifting of the snow. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2003: Denver, Colorado on the 18th and 19th : Colorado's capital city has to dig out from the second-biggest snowstorm in its history. Almost 2.5 feet of wet snow over 36 hours shuts down the city. The month ends as the snowiest March on record for the city. (Ref. WxDoctor) Utility poles in Madison, WI reportedly ignited as fog combined with leftover salt from the winter season to create a conductive solution that allowed the poles to catch fire. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2005: Heavy snow occurred across the Upper Midwest. 24 inches was recorded at Lyle, MN, 23 inches at Alma Center, WI, and 19 inches at Otranto, IA. Rochester, MN was buried under 20.2 inches of snow for its greatest snowstorm on record. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

27 / 7 likely the coldest day of the next 7-10 days and perhaps beyond that or well beyond that with highs in the 30s or just to 40 in the warmest sites. Warmer Thu back to the 40s and sunny, 50s Friday and Saturday and pending on clouds Sunday could push upper 60s, before the next threat of rain / showers arrives. Ridge holds out west the next 4-5 days with records warmth there. Cooler Mon/Tue followed by a warmer Wed/Thu and overall back and forth likely slightly warmer than normal through the 26/27th with the last week similar perhaps warmer.to close.

Flurries pooping up

Today midnight highs EWR: 47 / 34 (-2) NYC: 51 / 34 (0)

Records: Highs: EWR: 78 (1990) NYC: 75 (1945) LGA: 74 (1945) JFK: 69 (2003) Lows: EWR: 16 (1981) NYC: 9 (1916) LGA: 15 (1967) JFK: 13 (1967) Historical: 1841: March 16-18, A heavy snowstorm dropped up to 30 inches of snow in the Tidewater area, measured in areas unaffected by wind. (Ref. Virginia Weather History) 1892 - A winter storm in southwestern and central Tennessee produced 26 inches of snow at Riddleton, and 18.5 inches at Memphis. It was the deepest snow of record for those areas. (David Ludlum) 1906 - The temperature at Snake River, WY, dipped to 50 degrees below zero, a record for the U.S. for the month of March. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987) 1952: The ban on using the word "tornado" issued in 1886 ended on this date. In the 1880s, John P. Finley of the U.S. Army Signal Corps, then handling weather forecasting for the U.S., developed generalized forecasts on days tornadoes were most likely. But in 1886, the Army ended Finley's program and banned the word "tornado" from forecasts because the harm done by a tornado prediction would eventually be greater than that which results from the tornado itself. The thinking was that people would be trampled in the panic if they heard a tornado was possible. The ban stayed in place after the Weather Bureau; now, the National Weather Service took over forecasting from the Army. A tornado that wrecked 52 large aircraft at Tinker Air Force Base, OK, on 3/20/1948, spurred Air Force meteorologists to begin working on ways to forecast tornadoes. The Weather Bureau also began looking for ways to improve tornado forecasting and established the Severe Local Storm Warning Center, which is now the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, OK. The ban on the word "tornado" fell on this date when the new center issued its first Tornado Watch. 1970: Chicago, IL had their greatest snowstorm for so late in season as 14 inches fell. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1985: A strong F3 tornado tore through Venice, FL during the early morning hours. 55 homes were destroyed and 220 were damaged. Two people were killed and 45 were injured. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1987 - A powerful spring storm produced severe thunderstorms over the Central Gulf Coast States, and heavy snow in the High Plains Region. A tornado caused three million dollars damage at Natchez MS, and six inches of rain in five hours caused five million dollars damage at Vicksburg MS. Cactus TX received 10 inches of snow. Western Kansas reported blizzard conditions. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 - A winter storm produced heavy snow from the northeast Texas panhandle to the Ozark area of Missouri and Arkansas. Up to fifteen inches of snow was reported in Oklahoma and Texas. Snowfall totals in the Ozark area ranged up to 14 inches, with unofficial reports as high as 22 inches around Harrison AR. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1989 - Strong northerly winds ushered snow and arctic cold into the north central U.S. Winds gusted to 58 mph at Sydney NE and Scottsbluff NE, Cadillac MI received 12 inches of snow, and International Falls MN reported a record low of 22 degrees below zero. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1990 - Showers and thunderstorms associated with a slow moving cold front produced torrential rains across parts of the southeastern U.S. over a two day period. Flooding claimed the lives of at least 22 persons, including thirteen in Alabama. Up to 16 inches of rain deluged southern Alabama, with 10.63 inches reported at Mobile AL in 24 hours. The town of Elba AL was flooded with 6 to 12 feet of water causing more than 25 million dollars damage, and total flood damage across Alabama exceeded 100 million dollars. Twenty-six counties in the state were declared disaster areas. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 2002: A Pacific storm system with lots of moisture caught forecasters by surprise, dumping 25.7 inches of snow at Anchorage, AK in 24 hours, easily surpassing the old record of 15.6 inches. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) The record was not merely broken, it was smashed. Anchorage AK Int’l Airport received 28.7 inches. Snow in a 24-hour period almost doubling its old record of 15.6 inches. The SE side of Anchorage was “downsloped” so much less snow fell; Rabbit Creek had 6 inches. (Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2012 Accord Pub. 2011, USA)

35 / 13 (0.5 in the bucket yesterday and peak gusts to 41 here overnight. Colder next two days and then we'll see how much we can clear out this weekend otherwise it looks cloudy Fri - Sun with Sunday being the warmest day around 60. Beyond there overall near normal through the 25 and drier then perhaps moderation above/warmer to close the month but not indication of strong warmth or cold. https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES19/ABI/SECTOR/eus/02/GOES19-EUS-02-1000x1000.gif

Today EWR: 67 / 45 (+14) NYC: 57 / 48 (+10)

Up to 68 ahead of the rain areas just south did touch 70.

Was referring to the period as a whole should for the 7 - 10 days be near normal - a couple of colder days mixed in with normal/ warmer days.

Looking like near normal overall as we get into the last week of the month - back and forth warmer / cooler progression

Midway Dep EWR: +5.2 NYC: +5.1 LGA: +3.9 JFK: +2.9

Records: Highs: EWR: 82 (1990) NYC: 82 (1990) LGA: 77 (1990) JFK: 68 (2002) Lows: EWR: 17 (1992) NYC: 13 (1911) LGA: 19 (1992) JFK: 18 (1992) Historical: 1843: A great snowstorm affected areas from the Gulf of Mexico to Maine. Shelbyville, TN received 21 inches. Eight inches fell at Little Rock, AR. 10 inches fell at Memphis, TN and Washington, D.C. and a foot was reported at Baltimore, MD, New York City, NY and Philadelphia, PA. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1870: 24 trains between Springfield, MA and Albany, NY were blocked by a big snowstorm. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1885: On this date through the 21st, Pointe-des-Monts, Quebec Canada, received 98 inches of snowfall. 1942 - Two tornadoes, 24 minutes apart, struck Baldwin, MS, resulting in 65 deaths. (David Ludlum) 1942: A deadly tornado outbreak occurred over the Central and Southern US on March 16-17th. The tornado outbreak killed 153 people and injured at least 1,284. The best estimate indicates this event contained 13 F3 tornadoes, 6 F4s, and one F5. The F5 tornado occurred north of Peoria, Illinois, in the towns of Alta, Chillicothe, before crossing the Illinois River and striking the town of Lacon. A quarter of the homes in Lacon were destroyed, and debris was carried for 25 miles. 1975 - A single storm brought 119 inches of snow to Crater Lake, O,R establishing a state record. (The Weather Channel) 1986 - A small but rare tornado touched down perilously close to Disneyland in Anaheim CA. (Storm Data) 1987 - Softball size hail caused millions of dollars damage to automobiles at Del Rio TX. Three persons were injured when hailstones crashed through a shopping mall skylight. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) (The Weather Channel) 1988 - A winter storm produced heavy snow in the Central Rockies. Winds gusted to 80 mph at Centerville UT. Eighteen cities in the southeastern U.S. reported new record low temperatures for the date, including Tallahassee FL with a reading of 24 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) 1989 - A winter storm brought heavy snow and high winds to the southwestern U.S. Winds gusted to 60 mph at Lovelock NV, Salt Lake City UT, and Fort Carson CO. Snow fell at a rate of three inches per hour in the Lake Tahoe area of Nevada. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1990 - Thunderstorms developing ahead of a cold front produced large hail and damaging winds from northwest Florida to western South Carolina. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 75 mph at Floridatown FL. Sixteen cities across the northeastern quarter of the nation reported record high temperatures for the date. The afternoon high of 78 degrees at Burlington VT smashed their previous record for the date by 23 degrees. New York City reported a record high of 82 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 2002: Anchorage, Alaska on the 16th and 17th: Alaskan snowstorm dumps 28.7 inches of snow on Anchorage, breaking the old daily record of 15.6 inches. Snow amounts range from 24 to 29 inches at lower elevations (Ref. WxDoctor) 2005: A storm surge pushed 33 foot waves, rocks and tons of ice crashing along the Avalon and Baie Verte Peninsulas on the east coast of Newfoundland Canada, causing millions of dollars in damage. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2012: Record heat continues in the Mid-West see the 17th for more information. • 82 degrees at Chicago-O'Hare was the earliest it has been this warm in Chicago. Previously... the earliest 82 degree reading was not until March 27, 1945. • Chicago set a new record for most number of 80 degree days in a March with three... the previous record for greatest number of 80 degree days during March was 2 set back in 1986. • March 16th was the 3rd consecutive day above 80...which shattered the previous record for earliest in the season to have 3 consecutive 80 degree days. Previously the earliest Chicago has ever seen 3 consecutive 80 degree days was back on April 14-16 1976. (Ref. NWS)

59 / 58 about 0.23 in the bucket overnight. Windy - southerly flow / scattered storms with the worst / strongest storms likely south and west. Wild day in PA from heavy / strong thunderstorms to a period of snow. Ridge west this week trough east after the strong lakes cutting storm monday. Colder Tue / Wed before moderating towards normal Thursday and beyond with overall near normal period. the last 5-7 day looks back and forth perhaps warmer overall.

Updated

3/15 Sunrise: 7:08AM Sunset: 7:03 PM Daylight: 11H: 55M Gained 2H15M from the winter lull Roughly Equivalent to Sep 27th Gaining a annual max of 2:43 seconds now and through the next week. First 12 hour day on March 17 1th

Sat: Today's record highs include Downtown LA at 92 degrees (previous 90 degrees in 2015), LAX at 88 degrees (previous 86 degrees in 1994), and UCLA at 89 degrees (previous 87 degrees in 2015)

Latest on storms risk on Monday