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Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS Portland, OR
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NOUS46 KPQR 190041
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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OREGON
540 PM PDT MON MAR 18 2024

...UNUSUAL WARMTH FOR MARCH...

After a cool start, Mother Nature decided to give the region some
spring-time temperatures. In general, high temperatures for the
interior lowlands are in the middle to upper 50s for mid-March, and
50 to 55 deg along the coast. So, temperatures over the past few
days have been quite above average. On average, most sites only see
one day above 70 deg in March. Coastal areas have already cooled
back to average, and the interior will more typical mid-March
temperatures on Wednesday.

So, how unusual is this warmth? Rare. But, not out of the question
of possibility. Many stations have seen temperatures above 70 deg
earlier than mid-March. But, what makes this stretch of warm days
stand out is number of days and the consecutive days of such warmth.
For many of the interior locations, one has to go back to MAR 2019
or MAR 2005  to see as many days in March with 70 deg. But, even
farther back to March 1994 for as many consecutive days of 70+ deg.


FIRST, the warmest day of the this warm spell...
                   Warmest Day    First 70 deg Day of Spring Season
    City           temp / day         Average   Earliest on Record
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Coastal Area...
 Astoria            75 / 16 MAR        19 APR       30 JAN 1040
 Tillamook          75 / 16 MAR         3 APR       26 JAN 2015
 Newport            72 / 15,16 MAR     21 APR        8 JAN 1893
 Florence           70 / 16 MAR        19 APR       17 FEB 1977

Across the interior...
 Kelso, WA          76 / 16,18 Mar     31 MAR       18 FEB 2015
 Vancouver, WA      76 / 16 MAR         3 APR       26 FEB 1905
 Portland (airpt)   76 / 16-18 MAR      2 APR       28 FEB 1988
 Portland (downtn)  76 / 18 MAR         2 APR       27 FEB 1968
 Troutdale          77 / 18 MAR         3 APR        7 MAR 2001
 Hillsboro          77 / 18 MAR         1 APR       28 FEB 1968
 McMinnville        75 / 16 MAR         3 APR       27 FEB 1968
 Salem              76 / 16 MAR         4 APR       25 FEB 1991
 Corvallis          73 / 16 MAR         5 APR        1 MAR 1905
 Eugene             74 / 16 MAR        31 MAR       14 FEB 1916

 NOTE: for many sites, one or more of these days are in the top
      10 warmest days of March on record (but, not the warmest).

==================================================================

NEXT, the TOTAL number of days above 70 with this warm spell...
    On average, most sites only see 1 day in March with 70+ deg.

                             Last MAR with As      MARCH 70s
                   MAR 2024  Many 70s as 2024    [Record Most]
----------------------------------------------------------------
Coastal Area...
 Astoria                 1     MAR 2019       [ 6 / in 1941    ]
 Tillamook               2     MAR 2019       [ 3 /last in 2019]
 Newport                 2     MAR 1986       [ 3 /last in 1987]
 Florence                1     MAR 2019       [ 4 /last in 1994]

Across the interior...
 Kelso, WA               4     MAR 2019       [ 8 / in 1934    ]
 Vancouver, WA           4     MAR 2005       [10 / in 1934    ]
 Portland (airpt)        4     MAR 2005       [ 6 / in 1947    ]
 Portland (downtn)       3     MAR 2005       [ 8 / in 1941    ]
 Troutdale               4     MAR 2005       [ 7 / in 1965    ]
 Hillsboro               4     MAR 2019       [ 7 / in 1947    ]
 McMinnville             4     MAR 2019       [15 / in 1926    ]
 Salem                   4     MAR 2019       [ 9 / in 1934    ]
 Corvallis               4     MAR 2005       [ 9 / in 1941    ]
 Eugene                  3     MAR 2015       [ 7 / in 1934    ]

==================================================================

FINALLY, the CONSECUTIVE number of days 70+ with this warm spell.

                      MARCH 2024         Record Longest in March
----------------------------------------------------------------
 Portland (Airport)      4 days                6 days, in 1941
  ***  2024 string of 4 days is currently tied as 3rd longest
            along with MAR 2005, 1994, 1969 and 1947.

 Salem                   4 days                6 days, in 2005
  ***  2024 string of 4 days is currently tied as 4th longest
          along with MAR 2019, 1994, 1969, 1947, 1923, 1915, 1905.

====================================================================
PERIOD OF RECORD FOR KEY STATIONS...
       ASTORIA   1887-2024      PORTLAND DOWNTOWN 1871-2024
       TROUTDALE 1948-2024      PORTLAND AIRPORT  1941-2024
       HILLSBORO 1929-2024      VANCOUVER         1894-2024
       SALEM     1892-2024      MCMINNVILLE       1892-2024
       CORVALLIS 1893-2024      EUGENE            1892-2024

$$

ROCKEY
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office
