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000
CXAK57 PAJK 031020
CLMASI
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK
147 AM AKDT WED APR 03 2024

...................................

...THE SITKA CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH 2024...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD: 1991 TO 2020
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1944 TO 2024

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART   LAST YEAR`S
                VALUE   DATE(S)   VALUE   FROM     VALUE
                                          NORMAL
..............................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH             62   03/18/2019
 LOW               4   03/05/1951
                       03/04/1951
HIGHEST           56   03/19         52       4
LOWEST            15   03/03         22      -7
AVG. MAXIMUM    45.5               42.5     3.0
AVG. MINIMUM    34.6               32.5     2.1
MEAN            40.0               37.5     2.5
DAYS MAX >= 90     0                0.0     0.0
DAYS MAX <= 32     3                1.2     1.8
DAYS MIN <= 32     5               14.4    -9.4
DAYS MIN <= 0      0                0.0     0.0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM       13.37   1955
 MINIMUM        0.87   1974
TOTALS          5.54               5.60   -0.06
DAILY AVG.      0.18               0.18   -0.00
DAYS >= .01       16               18.4    -2.4
DAYS >= .10       13               12.6     0.4
DAYS >= .50        3                3.6    -0.6
DAYS >= 1.00       1                1.0     0.0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL   1.08   03/08 TO 03/09


DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL    767                852     -85
 SINCE 7/1      4764               5566    -802
COOLING TOTAL      0                  0       0
 SINCE 1/1         0                  0       0

FREEZE DATES
EARLIEST                        10/08
LATEST                          03/14
..............................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              8.0
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    36/150    DATE  03/08
                                36/170          03/13
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    55/150    DATE  03/13


WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                0     RAIN                       9
LIGHT RAIN               17     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       4
LIGHT SNOW                8     SLEET                      2
FOG                      19     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      0
HAZE                     12

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

$$

...A MAINLY BENIGN MARCH WAS EXPERIENCED ACROSS SOUTHEAST ALASKA...

Daily average temperatures were a bit above normal and total
precipitation values were a bit below normal as a whole for the
region for March. This is primarily due to most of the frontal
systems approaching the Panhandle from a south or southwesterly
direction, which brought primarily southerly warm air advection to
the area out ahead of those. Also, high temperatures skyrocketed on
several days during March between weather systems during prolonged
periods of widespread mostly sunny to sunny skies over the area.
Many of the aforementioned frontal systems were also relatively
quick-moving, which means they did not dump massive amounts of
liquid equivalent precipitation over the region. The only exception
is Yakutat, which experienced 1.21 inches above normal liquid
equivalent precipitation mainly due to a long deep swath of
atmospheric moisture aimed at the northeastern Gulf Coast region
from a frontal system approaching from the southwest around the
middle of the month. Significant snow storms were also not
experienced during the month for the 4 climate sites.

Juneau Airport`s average temperature was 2.1 degrees above normal
and their liquid equivalent precipitation was 0.59 inches below
normal for March. For Yakutat, their average temperature was 3.1
degrees above normal and their liquid equivalent precipitation was
1.21 inches above normal for the month. For Sitka, their average
temperature was 2.5 degrees above normal and their liquid equivalent
precipitation was just 0.06 inches below normal for March. For
Ketchikan, their average temperature was 1 degree above normal and
their liquid equivalent precipitation was 2.64 inches below normal
for the month.

As for records tied or broken during the month, On March 5th,
Ketchikan Airport set a record low temperature of 8 degrees, which
broke their previous record of 9 degrees, which was set way back in
1951. On March 14th, Ketchikan Airport set record liquid equivalent
precipitation with 1.95 inches, which broke their old record of 1.77
inches, which was set in 2017. On that same day, Juneau Airport
reported a record high temperature of 48, which broke their previous
record of 47, which was set back in 1998. On March 15th, Yakutat
reported 2.65 inches of liquid equivalent precipitation, which tied
their old record, which was set way back in 1947. On the 16th,
Ketchikan Airport broke their old high temperature record of 55 with
56 degrees, which was set back in 1966. On the 23rd, Juneau Airport
broke their high temperature record of 51 with 52 degrees, which was
set in 2019.

Chambers
$$