GaWx

KATL’s warmest March on record is the 64.5F of 2012. That appears out of reach. However, their 2nd warmest is the 61.8 of 1945. Is it reachable? As it is now, a record warmest first 1/2 of March near 64.5 is looking likely there assuming I haven’t missed any warmer ones. But then it’s looking to cool down significantly to ~50 for 3/16-22. That would bring the MTD down to ~60 as of March 22. After that, March 23-31 would need to average above 66 to get the full March average to 61.8. That’s ~8 AN for 3/23-31. Although it isn’t looking explicitly that warm, it is looking pretty mild on the extended ensembles. So, I suppose there’d be a chance for it to end up that warm assuming models aren’t warm enough although that’s 2-3 weeks away, too far to be able to predict.

A good number of the last posts here would imho better belong in the 25-26 thread instead of 26-27. Isn’t March of ‘26 part of 25-26? And then the last post was about DJF 25-6.

IF this occurs, we’d be looking at the realistic possibility for the 2nd warmest March on record in places like Atlanta. Currently, their warmest on record is the 64.5F of 2012. That appears out of reach. However, their 2nd warmest is the 61.8 of 1945. As it is now, a record warmest first 1/2 of March near 64.5 is looking likely there assuming I haven’t missed any warmer ones. But then it’s looking to cool down significantly to ~50 for 3/16-22. That would bring the MTD down to ~60 as of March 22. Then March 23-31 would need to average 66.2 to get the full March average to 61.8. That’s ~8 AN for 3/23-31. I suppose there’d be a chance for it to be that warm although that’s 2-3 weeks away, too far to be able to predict.

Today’s MJO forecasts: GEFS EPS: @EastonSN+

6Z GEFS clown mean for St. Patrick’s Day at 10:1:

Thankfully, though the front month of crude is still up sharply from Friday (~10-11%), some sanity has returned relative to where it was at its 119 peak near 10:30PM last night as it has fallen back to the low 100s. Later months hadn’t been up nearly as sharply based on the feeling that crude won’t stay up more than a relatively short period. Once crude finally does start settling down and falling back, the ever-present challenge of retail following through will be there as they love spiking their prices quickly and reducing them back much more slowly.

This is excluding the huge rise last week, which was the largest one week rise in the history of crude futures!

Much needed heavy rain, due to drought, from a recently popped up thunderstorm now. This will also help to clean off the widespread pine pollen that’s on everything.

Purely for entertainment as this is well out into fantasyland on 12Z GFS:

-My post above yours shows that the March Euro going back to 2005 was too warm by the most in 2014 and 2017 (1.1 too warm). -2014 OHC wasn’t that warm in Feb but was in March -2017 OHC wasn’t that warm in Feb/Mar -1990, which is too far back to see model progs, had quite warm OHC in Feb/Mar (+1.1), but it didn’t lead to El Nino as it peaked at only +0.4 per ONI Edit: This shows that OHC may have at least temporarily peaked in Feb:

It might cool back to ~63-4 this evening due to the rain, but it shouldn’t get back down to 60 before midnight as it looks now.

More on the Euro warm bias for predicting ENSO ONI: Euro JAS ONI March prog vs actual 2026: ~+1.5/? 2025: +0.26/-0.28 2024: -0.39/-0.07 2023: +1.11/+1.37 2022: +0.04/-0.87 2021: +0.10/-0.45 2020: +0.09/-0.53 2019: +0.94/+0.19 2018: +0.5/+0.3 2017: +1.1/-0.1 2016: -0.4/-0.5 2015: +1.8/+1.9 2014: +1.3/+0.1 2013: +0.4/-0.3 JJA: 2012: +0.6/+0.3 2011: -0.5/-0.6 2010: -0.3/-1.1 2009: +0.4/+0.5 2008: -0.6/-0.4 MJJ: 2007: -0.2/-0.5 2006: +0.3/0 JJA: 2005: +0.4/-0.1 Summary of March 2005-25 Euro ONI progs: -2025’s +1.5 prog is 2nd warmest to 2015’s +1.8, which verified very closely -14 too warm with 6 being 0.7+ too warm -5 within 0.2 (2 of those El Niño) -only 2 too cold, though 1 was El Niño, with both being 0.3 too cold and recent (2023 and 2024) -Avg miss: +8/21 = +0.4 with largest +1.2 (twice) -Avg miss for Nino alone: only +0.2 with misses being -0.3, +0.2, -0.1, +1.2, -0.1, +0.3 -Keep in mind that these progs are for ONI, not RONI

More on the Euro warm bias for predicting ENSO ONI: Euro JAS ONI March prog vs actual 2026: ~+1.5/? 2025: +0.26/-0.28 2024: -0.39/-0.07 2023: +1.11/+1.37 2022: +0.04/-0.87 2021: +0.10/-0.45 2020: +0.09/-0.53 2019: +0.94/+0.19 2018: +0.5/+0.3 2017: +1.1/-0.1 2016: -0.4/-0.5 2015: +1.8/+1.9 2014: +1.3/+0.1 2013: +0.4/-0.3 JJA: 2012: +0.6/+0.3 2011: -0.5/-0.6 2010: -0.3/-1.1 2009: +0.4/+0.5 2008: -0.6/-0.4 MJJ: 2007: -0.2/-0.5 2006: +0.3/0 JJA: 2005: +0.4/-0.1 Summary of March 2005-25 Euro ONI progs: -2025’s +1.5 prog is 2nd warmest to 2015’s +1.8, which verified very closely -14 too warm with 6 being 0.7+ too warm -5 within 0.2 (2 of those El Niño) -only 2 too cold, though 1 was El Niño, with both being 0.3 too cold and recent (2023 and 2024) -Avg miss: +8/21 = +0.4 with largest +1.2 (twice) -Avg miss for Nino alone: only +0.2 with misses being -0.3, +0.2, -0.1, +1.2, -0.1, +0.3 -Keep in mind that these progs are for ONI, not RONI

The current record number of non-shared record highs in a single March at KATL is 3 set by two of them: 1974’s Mar 8-10 and 1907’s 20th, 22nd, and 28th. Before today, 1974 had been the only March with a current 4 non-shared record highs for Mar 7-10. Wednesday’s (3/11) high is forecasted to be close to the record of 82. So, if Wed is 83+, then 2026 would join 1974 and 1907 with 3 non-shared record highs. Stay tuned! March 1-11 of 2026 is likely headed to a record high for Mar 1-11, beating out Mar 1-11 of 1974. It’s likely going to end up near the normal for Apr 25-May 5! I may as well say that March 1-15 of 2026 is also likely headed for a record high there for March 1-15.

KATL once again had a record high today of 83, beating the daily record by 3! Tonight’s 0Z runs will be the last runs to be released during standard time. Starting with tomorrow’s 6Z runs, they’ll be released an hour later on the clock due to the switch to DST at 2AM. That won’t change back til early Nov assuming no changes in the law before then.