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000
CXUS55 KBOI 100439
CLMBOI

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOISE ID
1040 PM MDT TUE APR 9 2013

...THE BOISE IDAHO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH 2013...

MARCH IS NORMALLY ONE OF THE WETTEST MONTHS OF THE YEAR AT BOISE.
BUT WITH ONLY .36 INCH OF PRECIPITATION...MARCH 2013 WAS THE DRIEST
SINCE 2007...AND IT RANKS AS THE 8TH DRIEST AT THE AIRPORT AND THE
14TH DRIEST SINCE PRECIPITATION RECORDS BEGAN. SNOWFALL FOR THE
MONTH WAS A MEAGER .3 INCH...ONE INCH BELOW NORMAL.

PACIFIC WEATHER SYSTEMS WHICH USUALLY BRING PRECIPITATION TO THE
INTERMOUNTAIN REGION DURING MARCH WERE EITHER BLOCKED OR DIVERTED
ELSEWHERE DURING MOST OF THE MONTH...DUE TO A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE
OVER THE WESTERN U.S.

THIS PATTERN WAS INTERRUPTED ON ST. PATRICK`S DAY...MARCH 17...AS A
LOW PRESSURE TROUGH FROM THE GULF OF ALASKA PUSHED INLAND OVER THE
NORTHWEST STATES...DRIVEN BY A STRONG NORTH PACIFIC JET STREAM.
ALTHOUGH IT BROUGHT ONLY A TRACE OF SNOW TO BOISE...IT TEMPORARILY
WEAKENED THE RIDGE...OPENING THE DOOR FOR AN EVEN DEEPER COLDER
TROUGH WHICH REACHED THE NORTHWEST COAST ON MARCH 20...AFTER PHASING
WITH A WARMER MOISTER TROUGH WEST OF CALIFORNIA. THIS MERGER
RESULTED IN NEARLY A THIRD OF AN INCH OF RAIN AT BOISE AS THE
COMBINED SYSTEMS MOVED INLAND LATER THAT DAY. DURING THE EVENING OF
THE 20TH...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS FORMED ALONG THE COLD FRONT...AND
GUSTY NON-THUNDERSTORM WINDS EXCEEDING 50 MPH FOLLOWED THE FRONT
ACROSS SOUTHEAST OREGON. OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS A MAJOR TROUGH
OF COLD AIR WAS CARVED OUT OVER THE ROCKIES AND NORTHERN PLAINS.
FROM THE 21ST THROUGH THE 25TH BOISE EXPERIENCED SOME OF THE COLDEST
TEMPERATURES OF THE MONTH. THE LOW OF 19 ON THE MORNING OR THE 23RD
WAS THE COLDEST SINCE JANUARY 24.

DURING THE LAST WEEK OF MARCH THE RIDGE SLOWLY REBUILT AND
TEMPERATURES GRADUALLY WARMED. ALTHOUGH MOISTURE CONTINUED TO DRIFT
INLAND...MECHANISMS TO SUPPORT PRECIPITATION WERE LACKING...SO ONLY
TRACES OF RAIN FELL AT BOISE ON THE 26TH THROUGH THE 29TH. BY EASTER
SUNDAY...MARCH 31...THE NEXT PACIFIC SYSTEM HAD STALLED OVER THE
CALIFORNIA COAST. IT WOULD EVENTUALLY MOVE INLAND...BUT TOO FAR
SOUTH TO AFFECT BOISE.



CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1878 TO 2013

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE
                                          NORMAL
.............................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
HIGHEST            73   03/31
LOWEST             19   03/23
AVG. MAXIMUM     56.8              54.6     2.2
AVG. MINIMUM     33.3              34.4    -1.1
MEAN             45.1              44.5     0.6
DAYS MAX >= 90      0
DAYS MAX <= 32      0
DAYS MIN <= 32     13
DAYS MIN <= 0       0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM         7.66   1871
TOTALS           0.36              1.39   -1.03
DAYS >= .01         3
DAYS >= .10         1
DAYS >= .50         0
DAYS >= 1.00        0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.32   03/20 TO 03/20

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
TOTALS            0.3
SINCE 7/1        16.0
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH         0   MM
 24 HR TOTAL      0.3   03/22 TO 03/22

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL     610               636     -26      547
 SINCE 7/1       4707              4795     -88
COOLING TOTAL       0                 0       0        0
 SINCE 1/1          0                 0       0
..............................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              7.2
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION   0/254
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    33/310    DATE  03/17
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    46/310    DATE  03/17

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     51


-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.

$$