March 2025

[LibertyBell]

16 minutes ago, EastonSN+ said:

I believe Raleigh, SE Virginia through the Delmarva were the hardest hit this winter. 

The best place to be for getting consistent snowfall is in the mountains.  It doesn't even really matter north or south as long as you are away from the ocean the chances of getting snow are better.

The Poconos had 36-48 inches of snow this winter which while below normal for them, in an absolute sense is a good amount of snow. 

[Brian5671]

29 minutes ago, EastonSN+ said:

16 this morning (cold).

Might be the coldest morning until next winter

[Sundog]

2 minutes ago, Brian5671 said:

Might be the coldest morning until next winter

 

Probably. It felt really cold this morning.

[Rjay]

4 minutes ago, Sundog said:

 

Probably. It felt really cold this morning.

Welcome back

[EastonSN+]

20 minutes ago, LibertyBell said:

The best place to be for getting consistent snowfall is in the mountains.  It doesn't even really matter north or south as long as you are away from the ocean the chances of getting snow are better.

The Poconos had 36-48 inches of snow this winter which while below normal for them, in an absolute sense is a good amount of snow. 

Especially for early and late season.

[snowman19]

1 hour ago, ag3 said:

The pattern has flipped. Now it’s warm with only short transient shots of cold.

Spring is taking hold.

 

After 3/10, I think any consistent cold is done

[wdrag]

I look at GEFS monthlies out to 35 days... the data proposed on FEB 1 for our area through March 7 was pretty good... only short by half a foot on snowfall nw NJ-ne PA and near Asheville. Otherwise I thought helpful and the rainfall will work out to between 3-5" by the time Match 7 arrives..  already sitting at 2.25-3.5" the past month and the storm of 3/5 coming. That will have been good.

That said... I add the GEFS through 4/1 as issued 00z/2.  Take it for what its worth... keeping us steady in drought but not alarmingly short the next 4 weeks with some robins snow possibilities for NYC, and shovelable inches I84 corridor (yes I think we're all going to see a little snow here 3/6-3/10).

So here goes. {+ snow depth change,  10-1 ratio snowfall, rainfall (yellow 4, browns 5+), modeled drought change which looks to me to be too conservative east slopes of the Rockies where drying and following summer heat may be a little more pronounced than currently outlooked and the drought monitor as of last week.  For us in NYC... guidance might be a little high but I suspect close to 4" by the time March ends.  It all starts 3/5. 

We can go back and check April 2...  places along the east coast where I've drought concern is MD south. It's only a model ensemble, but I think we'll rainfall within an inch of modeled up here... and snowfall is more uncertain but for I84 its not a shutout.

[Sundog]

2 minutes ago, wdrag said:

I can't remember seeing so much of the country under some type of drought condition. 

[SACRUS]

 

28 / 8 off a low of 16.  Back to near 4 or low 40s.  Rain 0.75 - >1.00 Tuesday night into Wed.  50s Tue - Sat before brief colder shot Sunday into next Monday.  Much warmer buy 3/10 into mid month or could turn warm/wet.

 

 

[LibertyBell]

3 minutes ago, Sundog said:

I can't remember seeing so much of the country under some type of drought condition. 

Some areas really need the rain but I consider this a regression back to normal for us because we have had some anomalously extremely rainy decades.  Just need to control the foliage for wildfire season.

 

[SACRUS]

 

Records:

 

Highs:

EWR: 70 (2024)
NYC: 68 (2024)
LGA: 68 (2024)
JFK: 68 (2024)

 

Lows:

EWR: 9 (1950)
NYC: 11 (2003)
LGA: 10 (1950)
JFK: 12 (1950)

Historical:

 

1896: The temperature in downtown San Francisco, California, fell to 33 degrees, which was the lowest ever for the city in March. 

1966 - A tornado hit Jackson, MS, killing 54 persons. (David Ludlum)

 

1966:  An F5 tornado, which would become known as the “Candlestick Park” tornado, named after a shopping center in south Jackson, was destroyed by the tornado. One of only two documented F5 tornadoes to strike Mississippi in the 20th century. The worst damage occurred in parts of Hinds, Rankin, Scott, and Leake counties, where 57 people were killed and over 500 were injured. 

1980 - A coastal storm produced 25 inches of snow at Elizabeth City, NC, and 30 inches at Cape Hatteras NC. At Miami FL the mercury dipped to 32 degrees. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987)

1983 - The last of a series of storms to strike the California coast finally came to an end. Waves fifteen to twenty feet high pounded the coast for two days, and in a four day period up to 18 inches of rain drenched the Los Angeles and Santa Barbara area. On the morning of the first, thunderstorms spawned two tornadoes which moved through the Los Angeles area. (Storm Data)

1987 - A storm brought heavy rain and gale force winds to Washington and Oregon. Quillayute WA received 2.67 inches of rain in 24 hours, and winds gusted to 60 mph at Astoria OR. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1988 - A small but intense low pressure system roared across west central Mississippi at 90 mph early in the morning. A tornado in southern Mississippi picked up an automobile, carried it 150 feet, and tossed it through the brick wall of an unoccupied retirement home. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1989 - Wintry weather prevailed from the southern Rockies to the Upper Great Lakes. Neguanee MI received 19 inches of snow, and up to 24 inches of snow blanketed Colorado. Blizzard conditions were reported in Minnesota. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990 - An upper level weather disturbance produced snow in the Colorado Rockies, with eight inches reported at Winter Park, and a storm moving off the Pacific Ocean began to spread rain and snow across the western U.S. March continued to start off like a lamb elsewhere around the country. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1991: A significant ice storm coated parts of central and northwestern New York State with up to two inches of ice. The damage totaled $375 million. It was the most costly natural disaster ever in the state up until that time. Nearly half a million people were without power at the height of the storm, and many would not see their power restored until the 16th.

2003 - It was a day of temperature extremes. Miami reached a high temperature of 90 degrees, the earliest observed 90 degree temperature since March 5, 1964. Meanwhile Marquette, MI, dropped to 30 degrees below zero, the lowest temperature ever recorded in the city in March.

2016:  A deadly severe weather event affected the Southeastern United States on March 3, 2019. Over 6 hours, 41 tornadoes touched down across portions of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. The strongest was an EF4 tornado that devastated rural communities from Beauregard, Alabama, through Smiths Station, Alabama, to Talbotton, Georgia, killing 23 people and injuring at least 100 others. Click HERE for more information from the NWS Office in Birmingham, Alabama. 

 

[LibertyBell]

8 minutes ago, wdrag said:

I look at GEFS monthlies out to 35 days... the data proposed on FEB 1 for our area through March 7 was pretty good... only short by half a foot on snowfall nw NJ-ne PA and near Asheville. Otherwise I thought helpful and the rainfall will work out to between 3-5" by the time Match 7 arrives..  already sitting at 2.25-3.5" the past month and the storm of 3/5 coming. That will have been good.

That said... I add the GEFS through 4/1 as issued 00z/2.  Take it for what its worth... keeping us steady in drought but not alarmingly short the next 4 weeks with some robins snow possibilities for NYC, and shovelable inches I84 corridor (yes I think we're all going to see a little snow here 3/6-3/10).

So here goes. {+ snow depth change,  10-1 ratio snowfall, rainfall (yellow 4, browns 5+), modeled drought change which looks to me to be too conservative east slopes of the Rockies where drying and following summer heat may be a little more pronounced than currently outlooked and the drought monitor as of last week.  For us in NYC... guidance might be a little high but I suspect close to 4" by the time March ends.  It all starts 3/5. 

We can go back and check April 2...  places along the east coast where I've drought concern is MD south. It's only a model ensemble, but I think we'll rainfall within an inch of modeled up here... and snowfall is more uncertain but for I84 its not a shutout.

we are okay with between 3-4 inches of rain.  Our long term average rainfall should be around 40 inches per year, the last few decades were abnormally wet.

 

[SACRUS]

 

Mar 3 - 4, 1960

NYC: 14.5 inches of snow
EWR: 13.9 inches of snow

[Brian5671]

6 minutes ago, Sundog said:

I can't remember seeing so much of the country under some type of drought condition. 

Could make for a hot summer

[SACRUS]

 

Pushing 1.00 inch widespread (most of this is TuePM - Wed)  

 

[SACRUS]

 

March Blizzard of 1960

 

[LibertyBell]

1 minute ago, SACRUS said:

 

Records:

 

Highs:

EWR: 70 (2024)
NYC: 68 (2024)
LGA: 68 (2024)
JFK: 68 (2024)

 

Lows:

EWR: 9 (1950)
NYC: 11 (2003)
LGA: 10 (1950)
JFK: 12 (1950)

Historical:

 

1896: The temperature in downtown San Francisco, California, fell to 33 degrees, which was the lowest ever for the city in March. 

1966 - A tornado hit Jackson, MS, killing 54 persons. (David Ludlum)

 

1966:  An F5 tornado, which would become known as the “Candlestick Park” tornado, named after a shopping center in south Jackson, was destroyed by the tornado. One of only two documented F5 tornadoes to strike Mississippi in the 20th century. The worst damage occurred in parts of Hinds, Rankin, Scott, and Leake counties, where 57 people were killed and over 500 were injured. 

1980 - A coastal storm produced 25 inches of snow at Elizabeth City, NC, and 30 inches at Cape Hatteras NC. At Miami FL the mercury dipped to 32 degrees. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987)

1983 - The last of a series of storms to strike the California coast finally came to an end. Waves fifteen to twenty feet high pounded the coast for two days, and in a four day period up to 18 inches of rain drenched the Los Angeles and Santa Barbara area. On the morning of the first, thunderstorms spawned two tornadoes which moved through the Los Angeles area. (Storm Data)

1987 - A storm brought heavy rain and gale force winds to Washington and Oregon. Quillayute WA received 2.67 inches of rain in 24 hours, and winds gusted to 60 mph at Astoria OR. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1988 - A small but intense low pressure system roared across west central Mississippi at 90 mph early in the morning. A tornado in southern Mississippi picked up an automobile, carried it 150 feet, and tossed it through the brick wall of an unoccupied retirement home. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1989 - Wintry weather prevailed from the southern Rockies to the Upper Great Lakes. Neguanee MI received 19 inches of snow, and up to 24 inches of snow blanketed Colorado. Blizzard conditions were reported in Minnesota. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1990 - An upper level weather disturbance produced snow in the Colorado Rockies, with eight inches reported at Winter Park, and a storm moving off the Pacific Ocean began to spread rain and snow across the western U.S. March continued to start off like a lamb elsewhere around the country. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1991: A significant ice storm coated parts of central and northwestern New York State with up to two inches of ice. The damage totaled $375 million. It was the most costly natural disaster ever in the state up until that time. Nearly half a million people were without power at the height of the storm, and many would not see their power restored until the 16th.

2003 - It was a day of temperature extremes. Miami reached a high temperature of 90 degrees, the earliest observed 90 degree temperature since March 5, 1964. Meanwhile Marquette, MI, dropped to 30 degrees below zero, the lowest temperature ever recorded in the city in March.

2016:  A deadly severe weather event affected the Southeastern United States on March 3, 2019. Over 6 hours, 41 tornadoes touched down across portions of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. The strongest was an EF4 tornado that devastated rural communities from Beauregard, Alabama, through Smiths Station, Alabama, to Talbotton, Georgia, killing 23 people and injuring at least 100 others. Click HERE for more information from the NWS Office in Birmingham, Alabama. 

 

1980 - A coastal storm produced 25 inches of snow at Elizabeth City, NC, and 30 inches at Cape Hatteras NC. At Miami FL the mercury dipped to 32 degrees. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987)

 

wow this is absolutely crazy for March!

I think we got some snow out of that too, the 80s were somewhat snowy in the 80s and 90s.

 

Highs:

EWR: 70 (2024)
NYC: 68 (2024)
LGA: 68 (2024)
JFK: 68 (2024)

 

Lows:

EWR: 9 (1950)
NYC: 11 (2003)
LGA: 10 (1950)
JFK: 12 (1950)

 

Last year on this date, nice and warm :-)

 

2003's 11 degrees on this date.... such an underrated great historic winter.

 

[LibertyBell]

2 minutes ago, Brian5671 said:

Could make for a hot summer

and a nice westerly flow hopefully lower humidity!!

[Sundog]

1 minute ago, Brian5671 said:

Could make for a hot summer

I would take 95/55 over 85/75.

High dewpoints make me miserable. 

[LibertyBell]

1 minute ago, SACRUS said:

 

March Blizzard of 1960

 

Great storm but January 2016 was better.  They rank 3,4 on NESIS, but I believe they should be flipped and would be if NESIS properly accounted for the 30"+ snowfall reports across the most densely populated part of the country in January 2016.

 

[SACRUS]

2 minutes ago, LibertyBell said:

1980 - A coastal storm produced 25 inches of snow at Elizabeth City, NC, and 30 inches at Cape Hatteras NC. At Miami FL the mercury dipped to 32 degrees. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987)

 

wow this is absolutely crazy for March!

I think we got some snow out of that too, the 80s were somewhat snowy in the 80s and 90s.

 

Highs:

EWR: 70 (2024)
NYC: 68 (2024)
LGA: 68 (2024)
JFK: 68 (2024)

 

Lows:

EWR: 9 (1950)
NYC: 11 (2003)
LGA: 10 (1950)
JFK: 12 (1950)

 

Last year on this date, nice and warm :-)

 

2003's 11 degrees on this date.... such an underrated great historic winter.

 

 

 

No snow / precip made it up here in 1980

[LibertyBell]

1 minute ago, Sundog said:

I would take 95/55 over 85/75.

High dewpoints make me miserable. 

Definitely, I remember how you said the heat in July 2010 was so much fun because of low humidity lol.  We hit 100+ three out of four days and I went running.

 

[SACRUS]

 

MArch 1980 North Carolina record snows

 

https://www.weather.gov/mhx/Mar011980EventReview#:~:text=Widespread snowfall totals of 12,Cherry Point (Figure 1).

[LibertyBell]

3 minutes ago, Sundog said:

I would take 95/55 over 85/75.

High dewpoints make me miserable. 

High dew points belong down in the gulf.  102/60 is better than 85/75 too.

I black out when the dew point gets close to 80.

1996 we had a lot of humidity but very few hot days, one of the most miserable days I've ever experienced was overcast with a temperature of 82 degrees and a dew point of 82 (100% humidity!)

 

[Sundog]

1 minute ago, LibertyBell said:

Definitely, I remember how you said the heat in July 2010 was so much fun because of low humidity lol.  We hit 100+ three out of four days and I went running.

 

That was a crazy month. Constant westerly winds.

 

I am tired of Aruba dewpoints without the scenery, beaches, or trade winds. 

[forkyfork]

59 minutes ago, EastonSN+ said:

Your making this too easy lol.

this decade has been like the 80s but several degrees warmer with less snow

[LibertyBell]

2 minutes ago, Sundog said:

That was a crazy month. Constant westerly winds.

 

I am tired of Aruba dewpoints without the scenery, beaches, or trade winds. 

Yeah and it causes more mold and allergies and a lot of other horrible crap too.

 

[LibertyBell]

3 minutes ago, forkyfork said:

this decade has been like the 80s but several degrees warmer with less snow

Yep so far averaging about 5-6 inches less snow than the 80s in a similar pattern.

December and January in the 80s were several degrees colder.

[EastonSN+]

2 hours ago, LibertyBell said:

Yep so far averaging about 5-6 inches less snow than the 80s in a similar pattern.

December and January in the 80s were several degrees colder.

I THINK NYC is at 10.6 inches this year. If so, this decade (15.38) is 4.36 inches behind the 80s average (19.74). 

However this deficit can be erased with a 22.5 inch season next year. 

I still find it incredible that the 1990s had the highest average snowfall of the three low snowfall decades despite only having 2 above average snowfall seasons. Of course those two seasons were 75.6 and 53.4.

 

[brooklynwx99]

36 minutes ago, snowman19 said:

After 3/10, I think any consistent cold is done

agreed, though the trend for more -NAO probably does limit the extent of the warmth