Climatological Report (Monthly) Issued by NWS Portland, ME
000
CXUS51 KGYX 040141
CLMPWM
PWMCLMPWM 000
TTAA00 GYX 032101
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME
500 PM EDT MON APR 03 2023
...................................
...THE PORTLAND ME CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH 2023...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD: 1991 TO 2020
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1941 TO 2023 (FOR TEMPERATURES)
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1871 TO 2023 (FOR PRECIPITATION)
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1882 TO 2023 (FOR SNOWFALL)
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 88 03/31/1998
LOW -21 03/04/1950
HIGHEST 54 03/21 62 -8 65 03/18
LOWEST 18 03/01 6 12 1 03/01
AVG. MAXIMUM 43.6 42.3 1.3 45.0
AVG. MINIMUM 27.8 26.0 1.8 26.4
MEAN 35.7 34.1 1.6 35.7
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 4.0 -4.0 3
DAYS MIN <= 32 29 24.5 4.5 19
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.4 -0.4 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 11.24 2010
MINIMUM 0.09 1915
TOTALS 2.84 4.08 -1.24 3.06
DAILY AVG. 0.09 0.13 -0.04 0.10
DAYS >= .01 8 11.3 -3.3 14
DAYS >= .10 6 7.0 -1.0 8
DAYS >= .50 2 2.9 -0.9 1
DAYS >= 1.00 1 0.8 0.2 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 1.11 03/04
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 49.0 1993
TOTALS 14.0 13.6 0.4 3.0
SINCE 7/1 56.5 65.9 -9.4 44.1
SNOWDEPTH AVG. 4
DAYS >= TRACE 12 5.1 6.9
DAYS >= 1.0 2 2.8 -0.8
GREATEST
SNOW DEPTH 15 03/05
24 HR TOTAL 8.5 03/04
DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 898 956 -58 901
SINCE 7/1 5235 5767 -532 5514
COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0
SINCE 1/1 0 0 0 0
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WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 9.5
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 36/360 DATE 03/14
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 48/010 DATE 03/14
SKY COVER
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.56
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 65
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 HEAVY RAIN 0
RAIN 2 LIGHT RAIN 8
FREEZING RAIN 0 LT FREEZING RAIN 0
HEAVY SNOW 1 SNOW 3
LIGHT SNOW 12 FOG 12
FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 3 HAZE 0
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
&&
THE SNOWY PATTERN THAT SET IN AT THE END OF FEBRUARY CONTINUED INTO
THE FIRST WEEK OF MARCH. THIS PATTERN WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
NEGATIVE PHASE OF THE NAO THAT HELPED TO KEEP LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS
FROM TRACKING TO THE WEST OF NEW ENGLAND. INSTEAD, LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEMS TRACKED FROM THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ACROSS SOUTHERN NEW
ENGLAND KEEPING THE PORTLAND AREA ON THE COLDER AND SNOWIER SIDE OF
THE SYSTEMS. AS ONE SYSTEM EXITED ON THE 1ST ANOTHER WEAK SYSTEM
CROSSED ON THE 2ND BRINGING LIGHT SNOW. A MORE SIGNIFICANT SYSTEM
TRACKED ALONG THE SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND COASTLINE ON THE 4TH THAT
BROUGHT 8.5 INCHES OF SNOW TO THE PORTLAND AREA AND WOULD BE THE
GREATEST SNOWFALL OF THE MONTH. THEREAFTER, THE ACTIVE PATTERN
TRANSITIONED TO A DRY ONE UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH WITH
TEMPERATURES RUNNING A COUPLE DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. ANOTHER
SIGNIFICANT SYSTEM IMPACTED NEW ENGLAND FROM LATE ON THE 13TH UNTIL
THE MORNING OF THE 15TH. DESPITE THIS SYSTEM BEING A STRONG LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM WITH A FAVORABLE TRACK FOR SNOW AS IT CROSSED
THROUGH THE GULF OF MAINE, THE AXIS OF HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION WAS
DISPLACED FAR TO THE NORTHWEST OVER VERMONT AND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
TEMPERATURES DURING THIS STORM HOVERED A COUPLE DEGREES ABOVE
FREEZING RESULTING IN WET SNOW FALLING FROM THE SKY, BUT NOT READILY
ACCUMULATING ON SURFACES. THE REST OF THE MONTH WAS RELATIVELY QUIET
WITH TEMPERATURES RUNNING A COUPLE DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL, EXCEPT FOR
A TREND TO BELOW NORMAL DURING THE FINAL WEEK OF THE MONTH.
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WAS 35.7 DEGREES, WHICH WAS
1.6 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE WARMEST MARCH ON RECORD WAS IN 2012
WHEN THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS 41.1 DEGREES. THE COLDEST WAS 25.6
DEGREES IN 1956.
A TOTAL OF 2.84 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION FELL, WHICH WAS 1.24 INCHES
BELOW NORMAL. THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION FELL ON THE 4TH WHEN A
LIQUID EQUIVALENT OF 1.11 INCHES WAS RECORDED. THE DRIEST MARCH ON
RECORD WAS IN 1915 WHEN ONLY 0.09 INCHES FELL. THE WETTEST WAS IN
2010 WHEN 11.24 INCHES FELL.
A TOTAL OF 14.0 INCHES OF SNOW FELL, WHICH WAS 0.4 INCHES ABOVE
NORMAL. THE HEAVIEST SNOW FELL ON THE 4TH WHEN 8.5 INCHES FELL. THE
SNOWIEST MARCH ON RECORD WAS IN 1993 WHEN 49.0 INCHES FELL. THE
LEAST SNOWIEST WAS IN 1946 WHEN NO SNOW WAS RECORDED FOR THE MONTH.
NO RECORDS WERE SET OR TIED AT PORTLAND IN MARCH.
$$
DS