988 CSUS03 KPWM 021925 CLMPWM CLIMATE DATA FOR THE MONTH..MARCH 2001..PORTLAND ME NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME 330 PM EDT MON APR 2 2001 MARCH TEMPERATURE DATA (RANK: 1ST = WARMEST, 61ST = COLDEST) 2001 NORMAL DEPARTURE RANK WARMEST COLDEST AVG. MONTHLY 30.4 33.0 MINUS 2.6 45TH* 39.5 1946 25.6 1956 AVG. MAXIMUM 37.7 41.4 MINUS 3.7 54TH 51.4 1946 35.8 '56&84 AVG. MINIMUM 23.0 24.5 MINUS 1.5 35TH 31.0 1973 15.3 1956 *TIES 1955 & 1997 NUMBER OF DAYS: NORMAL NORMAL MAX. 32 OR BELOW.. 6 4.3 MIN. 32 OR BELOW.. 27 25.8 MAX. 90 OR ABOVE..ZERO ZERO MIN. 0 OR BELOW...ZERO ZERO HIGHEST...49 ON THE 20TH COLDEST HIGH...19 ON THE 2ND. LOWEST.... 2 ON THE 4TH WARMEST LOW....35 ON THE 19TH. HEATING DEGREE DAYS COOLING DEGREE DAYS 1067 MAR 2001 TOTAL ZERO 992 NORMAL ZERO PLUS 75 DEPARTURE ZERO 6254 SEASONAL TOTAL ZERO 6264 NORMAL ZERO MINUS 10 DEPARTURE ZERO ASOS PRECIPITATION DATA (RANK: 1ST = WETTEST, 131ST = DRIEST) ==== NORMAL DEPARTURE RANK TOTAL FOR MAR 2001 8.01 IN. 3.67 IN. PLUS 4.34 IN. 7TH TOTAL FOR YEAR 11.92 IN. 10.53 IN. PLUS 1.39 IN. 56TH GREATEST MDNT TO MDNT FOR MONTH 3.36 INCHES ON THE 22ND. GREATEST IN ANY 24 HOUR PERIOD FOR MONTH 3.39 INCHES ON 22-23RD. -COOPERATIVE OBSERVER- (RANK: 1ST = MOST, 120TH = LEAST) SNOWFALL/ICE PELLETS NORMAL DEPARTURE RANK TOTAL FOR MAR 2001 40.5 IN. 11.6 IN. PLUS 28.9 INCHES 4TH TOTAL FOR 2000/01 99.0 IN. 67.8 IN. PLUS 31.2 INCHES 13TH GREATEST MDNT TO MDNT FOR MONTH 11.5 INCHES ON THE 6TH. GREATEST IN ANY 24 HOUR PERIOD FOR MONTH 16.5 INCHES ON 5TH-6TH.(EST.) GREATEST DEPTH ON GROUND FOR MONTH 30 INCHES ON THE 10TH. NUMBER OF DAYS NORMAL DAYS WITH SNOWFALL OF NORMAL .01 INCH OR MORE PCPN. 11 11.3 1 WHOLE INCH OR MORE SNOW 6 3.1 .10 INCH OR MORE PCPN. 7 3 WHOLE INCHES OR MORE SNOW 5 1.3 .50 INCH OR MORE PCPN. 4 6 WHOLE INCHES OR MORE SNOW 4 0.5 1.00 INCH OR MORE PCPN. 3 SKY COVER DATA NO LONGER AVAILABLE HEAVY FOG 6 3.3 DUE TO AUTOMATION OF SURFACE THUNDERSTORMS 1 0.4 OBSERVATIONS ON AUG 1, 1994. MARCH 2001 ASOS WIND DATA* AVG ==== MPH NORMAL DATE SPD AVERAGE WIND SPEED 10.3 10.0 WINDIEST DAY 6TH 21.4 MPH FASTEST MILE 32/060 ON THE 22ND CALMEST DAY 17TH 3.9 MPH PEAK GUST 40/010 ON 6TH; 40/330 ON 10TH; 40/060 ON 22ND NUMBER OF DAYS WITH AVERAGE WIND SPEED 10 MPH OR MORE....15 LIST OF DAILY RECORDS...MIDNT TO MIDNT..SET OR TIED DURING MAR 2001. DATE DAILY RECORDS SET PREVIOUS RECORD AND YEAR 2......COLDEST HIGH......19 19 IN 1962...TIED 6...SMALLEST RANGE...3 DEG. 4 DEGREES 1979 22...24 HR PRECIP...3.36 IN. 3.19 INCHES IN 1979 23...24 HR SNOWFALL..6.0 IN. 4.7 INCHES IN 1997 30...24 HR SNOWFALL..6.0 IN. 3.8 INCHES IN 1942 31...SMALLEST RANGE...3 DEG. 3 DEGREES 1979...TIED MARCH 2001 WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR FOUR LATE WINTER/EARLY SPRING STORMS THAT AFFECTED MUCH OF MAINE AND NEW HAMPSHIRE, WITH HEAVY SNOW BEING THE MAJOR HIGHLIGHT. THE FIRST OCCURRED ON THE 5TH /MON/ INTO THE 7TH /WED/ WHERE PORTLAND WITNESSED 43 HOURS OF CONTINUOUS SNOWFALL. THIS WAS A COMPLEX STORM THAT TOOK A LONG TIME TO EVOLVE. IT MOVED OFF THE DELMARVA COAST LATE SUNDAY AND EVENTUALLY STALLED JUST SOUTH OF CAPE COD WHERE IT RAPIDLY INTENSIFIED MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY BEFORE MOVING OFF TO THE SOUTHEAST TUESDAY NIGHT. IN FACT, BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED FOR MUCH OF THE 6TH, AS 50 TO 60 MPH WIND GUSTS WERE REPORTED OVER LAND AND 60 TO 70 MPH GUSTS FROM THE COASTAL BUOYS. THIS SNOWSTORM WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A PERSISTENT STRONG ONSHORE WIND AND COUPLED WITH CELESTIALLY ENHANCED HIGH TIDES, PRODUCED COASTAL FLOODING AND BEACH EROSION FOR MAINE AND NEW HAMPSHIRE ON THE 6TH AND 7TH FROM A STORM SURGE OF 1 AND 1/2 TO 2 AND 1/2 FEET ALONG WITH THE PORTLAND BUOY REPORTING 19 FOOT SEAS AND CASHES LEDGE BUOY 27 FOOTERS. MAINE SNOWSTORM TOTALS RANGED FROM 26 INCHES IN SOUTH BERWICK TO A MERE 2 INCHES AT HARMONY, FLAGSTAFF LAKE AND AURORA. NEW HAMPSHIRE STORM TOTALS RANGED FROM 40 INCHES AT NOTTINGHAM TO 4 INCHES AT FIRST CONNECTICUT LAKE, LANCASTER, AND PITTSBURG. THE SECOND HEAVY SNOW PRODUCER OCCURRED ON THE 9TH AND 10TH. THIS SYSTEM INTENSIFIED AS IT MOVED NORTHEAST THROUGH THE GULF OF MAINE AND DID NOT LAST AS LONG NOR WAS AS WINDY AS THE FIRST SYSTEM. HOWEVER IT DUMPED SOME OF THE HEAVIEST SNOWS OVER NEARLY THE SAME AREAS AS THE STORM OF THE 5TH-7TH. THE EXCEPTION BEING SOUTHEASTERN MAINE WHICH GENERALLY RECEIVED AROUND A FOOT OF SNOW IN THIS EVENT, BUT WAS ONLY IN THE 4 TO 8 INCH RANGE FROM THE PREVIOUS STORM. HOWEVER THE GREATEST SNOWFALL IN THE 9TH-10TH EVENT OCCURRED OVER WASHINGTON COUNTY AS TOPSFIELD RECEIVED THE MOST WITH 20 INCHES, KOSSUTH 19 INCHES, ROBBINSTON 16 INCHES, CALAIS AND CUTLER 12 INCHES AND EASTPORT 9 INCHES. SOUTH BERWICK WAS TOPS IN THE WESTERN HALF OF MAINE AND GILFORD WAS TOPS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AS BOTH RECORDED 15 INCHES. THE THIRD OCCURRED LATE WEDNESDAY /21ST/ INTO FRIDAY /23RD/. HEAVY SNOW, TORRENTIAL RAIN AND STRONG WINDS WERE THE RESULTS OF A PROLONGED, MULTI-FACETTED, "WARM" NOR'EASTER. IT BEGAN AS RAIN ALONG THE COAST, A MIX OF RAIN, SLEET AND SNOW INLAND, AND ALL SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS. TEMPERATURES FELL WITH TIME AND ALL PRECIPITATION TURNED TO SNOW EXCEPT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NEW HAMPSHIRE AND SOUTHWEST MAINE WHERE UP TO 5 INCHES OF RAIN WAS RECORDED. THIS PRODUCED FLOODING OF SMALL RIVERS AND STREAMS AS WELL AS ROADWAYS WITH POOR DRAINAGE PROBLEMS COMMON THIS TIME OF YEAR. MEANWHILE, THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS OF MAINE REPORTED OVER 2 FEET OF SNOW. THE TOP THREE MAINE SNOWFALLS OCCURRED AT EUSTIS /32 IN./, FLAGSTAFF LAKE /26 IN./ AND HARTFORD /25 IN./, WHILE NEW HAMPSHIRE'S TOP THREE WERE DIAMOND POND /23 IN./, DIXVILLE NOTCH /20 IN./ AND ALEXANDRIA /18 IN./. IN ADDITION, WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 60 MPH OVER MAINE'S MID COAST PRODUCED DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES RESULTING IN POWER OUTAGES WITH THE PEAK GUST OF 76 MPH AT CHARLIE'S HOUSE ON MONHEGAN ISLAND. THE FINAL STORM BEGAN EARLY FRIDAY /30TH/ OVER NEW HAMPSHIRE AND LASTED ROUGHLY 20 TO 30 HOURS, AND EXITED EXTREME EASTERN MAINE SUNDAY /APR 1ST/. SNOWFALL WAS GENERALLY IN THE 10 TO 18 INCH RANGE OVER BOTH STATES WITH MOST COASTAL LOCALITIES AS WELL AS SOME SOUTHERN INTERIOR SECTIONS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE REPORTING MUCH LESS ACCUMULATIONS. NORTHERN MAINE REPORTED THE MOST WITH 26 INCHES IN LINCOLN, AND 23 INCHES AT THE CARIBOU WEATHER OFFICE. A PEAK GUST OF 77 MPH OCCURRED AT THE ISLES OF SHOALS AT 1835 EST FRIDAY. THE WATER EQUIVALENT OF THE SNOW WAS QUITE HIGH AND CAUSED ANOTHER BOUT OF POWER OUTAGES. HOWEVER, WITH A DEEP SNOWPACK ACROSS MOST OF BOTH STATES, THE SPRING FRESHET POSES A PROBLEM ESPECIALLY IF ANY HEAVY RAINS ARRIVE IN EARLY APRIL. SPEAKING OF LATE SEASON DEEP SNOWPACK, MARCH 1971 APPEARS TO BE THE TOPS AS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW HAMPSHIRE WAS COVERED BY A 30 TO 50 INCH BLANKET OF SNOW BY THE 12TH, WHILE MAINE SAW UP TO 76 INCHES ON THE GROUND AT BOTH GUILFORD AND SPRINGFIELD WHICH ARE STATE RECORDS FOR SNOW DEPTH SO LATE IN THE SEASON, MARCH 12TH. MARCH 2001 WITH 40.5 INCHES OF SNOW FALL IS PORTLAND'S SNOWIEST MONTH SINCE MARCH 1993 /49.0 IN./. THIS WAS ALSO PORTLAND'S FIRST MONTH TO BREAK INTO THE TOP 50 SNOWIEST MONTHS SINCE JANUARY 1996 /37.1 IN./ AND BECOMES PORTLAND'S 20TH ALL-TIME SNOWIEST MONTH ON RECORD. TO BREAK INTO PORTLAND'S TOP 50, A MONTH HAS TO MEASURE AT LEAST 30.3 INCHES OF SNOW OR MORE. AS FAR AS MARCHES GO, 2001 IS PORTLAND'S 4TH SNOWIEST ON RECORD WITH THE TOP MARCHES BEING 1993 /49.0 IN./, 1956 /46.6 IN./ AND 1906 /41.0 IN./. DURING THIS SNOWFALL SEASON, PORTLAND RECORDED 97 CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITH ONE WHOLE INCH OR MORE OF SNOW ON THE GROUND /DEC 20, 2000-MAR 26, 2001/, AND 65 CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITH A FOOT OR MORE OF SNOW ON THE GROUND /JAN 16-MAR 21, 2001/. BOTH STRETCHES APPEAR TO BE QUITE LENGTHY. HOWEVER, THE 1970/71 SEASON IS PORTLAND'S TOP DOG WITH 121 CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITH ONE WHOLE INCH OR MORE OF SNOW ON THE GROUND /DEC 6, 1970-APR 5, 1971/, AND 102 CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITH A FOOT OR MORE OF SNOW ON THE GROUND /DEC 17, 1970-MAR 28, 1971/. AS FOR THE REST OF PORTLAND'S WEATHER PARAMETERS, MARCH 2001 WAS COLDER AND WETTER THAN USUAL. MEANWHILE, GRAY RECORDED ONLY 43 PERCENT OF POSSIBLE SUNSHINE WHICH IS GRAY'S CLOUDIEST MARCH IN THE SIX YEARS OF RECORD. TO FIND A MARCH IN PORTLAND WITH LESS SUNSHINE, ONE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO 1991 WHERE ONLY 40 PERCENT OF POSSIBLE WAS RECORDED. MARCH 2001 WAS PORTLAND'S COLDEST MARCH /30.4 DEG./ SINCE 1997 WHICH ALSO HAD AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 30.4 DEGREES, AND BOTH 2001 AND 1997 TIED 1955 AS PORTLAND'S 17TH COLDEST MARCH IN 61 YEARS. PLEASE NOTE THAT PORTLAND'S THREE PREVIOUS MARCHES WERE QUITE MILD AND WERE AT LEAST 2.5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL /33.0 DEG./ WITH 2000 BEING PORTLAND'S 4TH WARMEST MARCH /37.5 DEG./. TOTAL WATER EQUIVALENT WAS 8.01 INCHES WHICH IS PORTLAND'S WETTEST MARCH SINCE 1983 /9.75 IN./ AND THE 7TH WETTEST MARCH IN 131 YEARS. PORTLAND'S MARCH 2001 AVERAGE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 37.7 DEGREES WAS THE COLDEST SUCH MARCH AVERAGE SINCE 1984 /35.8 DEG./ AND OVERALL ITS 8TH COLDEST IN 61 YEARS. THIS MONTH ALSO BECOMES PORTLAND'S 5TH MARCH NOT TO ATTAIN A DAILY MAXIMUM OF 50 DEGREES OR MORE IN 61 YEARS. THE FOUR OTHER MARCHES ARE 1956, 1966, 1970 AND 1975. PORTLAND NORMALLY RECORDS FIVE MARCH MAXIMA OF 50 DEGREES OR MORE. PORTLAND'S MARCH 2001 AVERAGE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 23.0 DEGREES WAS THE COLDEST SUCH MARCH AVERAGE SINCE 1997 /22.6 DEG./ AND OVERALL PORTLAND'S 27TH COLDEST IN 61 YEARS. THIS MONTHS'S MINIMUM OF 2 DEGREES ON THE 4TH, WAS PORTLAND'S COLDEST MARCH MINIMA SINCE THE 5 BELOW ZERO READING ON MARCH 10, 1996. NEEDLESS TO SAY, IN PORTLAND, MARCH 2001 WAS DECIDEDLY COLD AS 18 DAYS AVERAGED OUT COLDER THAN NORMAL, TWELVE DAYS ENDED UP MILDER THAN USUAL, WITH THE 17TH THE ONLY DAY THAT WAS NORMAL. SIX DAYS HAD DEPARTURES OF 10 DEGREES OR MORE AND ALL WERE COLD /1ST-4TH, 26TH & 30TH/. THE COLDEST STRETCHES WERE THE FIRST AND LAST EIGHT DAYS OF THE MONTH WHERE ONLY THE 6TH AND 24TH WERE SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL. THE FOUR REMAINING COLD DAYS OCCURRED ON THE 12TH, 13TH, 21ST AND 23RD. PORTLAND'S MARCH 2001 WATER EQUIVALENT OF 8.01 INCHES IS THE MOST PRECIPITATION TO OCCUR IN THE FOREST CITY SINCE THE 8.80 INCHES OF SEPTEMBER 1999, OR IN 31 MONTHS. THE 4.34 INCH SURPLUS THIS MONTH TRULY PUTS A DENT IN THE 6.41 INCH DEFICIT ACCUMULATED FROM AUGUST 2000 THROUGH FEBRUARY 2001. LOOKING AT THE 12 MONTH PERIOD APRIL 2000-MARCH 2001, PORTLAND HAS RECORDED 42.64 INCHES, WHICH IS 1.70 INCHES BELOW NORMAL, AND OVERALL PORTLAND'S 57TH WETTEST APRIL-MARCH IN 130 YEARS. TO PUT THIS MONTH'S SNOWFALL OF 40.5 INCHES IN PERSPECTIVE, IT NEARLY EQUALS PORTLAND'S ENTIRE SNOWFALL FOR LAST SEASON OF 41.1 INCHES THROUGH MARCH 2000. ALSO, PORTLAND RECORDED FOUR DAYS THIS MONTH WITH SNOWFALLS OF SIX INCHES OR MORE WHICH IS ONE DAY MORE THAN NORMAL FOR AN ENTIRE SEASON. SO FAR THIS SEASON, PORTLAND HAS RECORDED EXACTLY 99 INCHES WHICH IS THE 13TH SNOWIEST SEASON IN 120 YEARS AND THE SNOWIEST SEASON THROUGH MARCH SINCE 1995/96 /114.5 INCHES/. PORTLAND HAS HAD SIX DAYS WITH SNOWFALLS OF 6 INCHES OR MORE. AS FAR AS JANUARY THROUGH MARCH 2001 IS CONCERNED, PORTLAND'S AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS 25.1 DEGREES, OR 0.6 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL, BECOMES THE COLDEST SUCH PERIOD SINCE 1996 WHICH WAS ALSO 25.1 DEGREES. BOTH 2001 AND 1996 TIED 1980 AS PORTLAND'S 25TH COLDEST JANUARY THROUGH MARCH IN 61 YEARS. AS FOR PRECIPITATION, THE FIRST 3 MONTHS OF 2001 MEASURED 11.92 INCHES, WHICH IS WETTER THAN 2000 /9.97 IN./ BUT DRIER THAN 1999 /16.94 IN./, AND OVERALL PORTLAND'S 56TH WETTEST SUCH PERIOD IN 130 YEARS. WSFO GRAY MAINE CLIMATE OBSERVATORY =================================== MARCH 2001 SUNSHINE...AND SUNRISE TO SUNSET CLOUD COVER DATA HRS:MIN NUMBER OF DAYS WITH: ACTUAL TOTAL 158:52 PCT OF SNSH = CLD CVR DAYS PERCENT 43 0%-10% = CLOUDY 8 100% 370:40 11%-49% = M CLDY 7 50%-89% = M SNNY 13 90%-100% = SUNNY 3 MARCH 2001 TEMPERATURE DATA FOR GRAY MAINE AVG. MONTHLY 30.3 DEG. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH: AVG. MAXIMUM 37.8 DEG. MAX 32 OR BELOW 7 MIN 40 OR ABOVE 0 AVG. MINIMUM 22.7 DEG. MAX 50 OR ABOVE 1 MIN 32 OR BELOW 29 MAX 90 OR ABOVE 0 MIN 0 OR BELOW 1 HIGHEST....52 ON THE 20TH COLDEST HIGH....20 ON THE 2ND LOWEST.....-2 ON THE 2ND WARMEST LOW.....33 ON 19TH & 20TH MARCH 2001 DEGREE DAY DATA FOR GRAY MAINE HEATING | COOLING | GROWING (BASE 40 45 50 FOR MONTH 1060 | 0 | 31.0 7.5 1.0 FOR SEASON 6381 | 0 | 31.0 7.5 1.0 SEASON....07/01-06/30 |01/01-12/31| 03/01-02/28 OR 29 PRECIPITATION DATA FOR GRAY MAINE TOTAL FOR MAR 2001 7.38 INCHES. TOTAL FOR THE YEAR 2001 11.74 INCHES. GREATEST IN ANY 24 HOUR PERIOD FOR MONTH 3.01 INCHES ON 22ND-23RD. GREATEST IN 24 HOURS /MIDNT-MIDNT/ FOR MONTH 2.75 INCHES ON THE 22ND. TOTAL FOR OCT-MAR 2000/01 26.64 INCHES.[HYDROLOGIC YEAR OCT 1-SEP 30] SNOWFALL DATA FOR GRAY MAINE TOTAL FOR MAR 2001 58.4 INCHES. TOTAL FOR 2000/01 SEASON 127.1 INCHES. GREATEST IN 24 HOURS /MDNT-MDNT/ FOR MONTH 13.9 INCHES ON THE 6TH. GREATEST IN ANY 24 HOUR PERIOD FOR MONTH 15.0 INCHES ON 5TH-6TH. GREATEST DEPTH ON GROUND FOR MONTH 34 INCHES ON THE 10TH. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH: SNOWFALL OF: NO PCPN 17 NO SNOW 17 TRACE OF PCPN 3 TRACE OF SNOW 2 .01 INCH OR MORE PCPN. 11 0.1 INCH OR MORE 12 .10 INCH OR MORE PCPN. 7 1 WHOLE INCH OR MORE 9 .25 INCH OR MORE PCPN. 7 2 WHOLE INCHES OR MORE 9 .50 INCH OR MORE PCPN. 5 3 WHOLE INCHES OR MORE 5 1.00 INCH OR MORE PCPN. 3 6 WHOLE INCHES OR MORE 4 12 WHOLE INCHES OR MORE 2 SARDINHA