Climatological Report (Monthly)
Issued by NWS Portland, ME

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

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


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