Thursday, March 22, 2012

New England Heat Records Fall Before Noon

9 PM Update: Here are the updated records:
Boston     83°   
Portland 82°
Providence 81°
This is also the earliest 80° temperature on record at Portland.

Other records were set as follows (old record and date in parentheses):
Worcester MA 78 (76, 1938)
Hartford CT 83 (75, 1948)
Concord NH 84 (74, 1946)
Houlton ME 79 (71, 1939)
Bangor ME 84 (66, 1979)
Caribou ME 73 (63, 1979)
This is also a new monthly record for March at Bangor (previous 79° in 1946).

The following temperatures of 80° or above were reported by the National Weather Service in northern Maine (not all official):
..WASHINGTON COUNTY  

3 SSW MILLBRIDGE (64 FT)(APRSWXNET) 143 PM MAR 22 85 F
7 NNW DEBLOIS (285 FT)(MEDOT) 400 PM MAR 22 84 F
5 S CALAIS (209 FT)(RAWS) 319 PM MAR 22 84 F
1 W MARSHFIELD (190 FT)(APRSWXNET) 137 PM MAR 22 84 F
COOPER (272 FT)(APRSWXNET) 206 PM MAR 22 83 F
2 ESE PRINCETON (262 FT)(APRSWXNET) 333 PM MAR 22 83 F
1 SW EAST MACHIAS (59 FT)(APRSWXNET) 151 PM MAR 22 83 F
PASSAMAQUODDY BAY TIDE GAGE (10 FT)(GOES) 354 PM MAR 22 82 F

..PISCATAQUIS COUNTY

PISCATAQUIS RIVER GAGE (358 FT)(COOP) 130 PM MAR 22 82 F

..PENOBSCOT COUNTY

SUNKHAZE MEADOWS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE 231 PM MAR 22 85 F
2 SW BREWER (49 FT)(APRSWXNET) 419 PM MAR 22 85 F
BANGOR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (188 FT)(ASOS) 353 PM MAR 22 84 F
MILLINOCKET MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (409 FT)(ASOS) 253 PM MAR 22 80 F

..HANCOCK COUNTY

BLUE HILL (18 FT)(APRSWXNET) 209 PM MAR 22 85 F
4 E BROOKSVILLE (419 FT)(APRSWXNET) 208 PM MAR 22 82 F
3 W BAR HARBOR (423 FT)(RAWS) 1258 PM MAR 22 82 F
BAR HARBOR TIDE GAUGE (20 FT)(GOES) 312 PM MAR 22 80 F
2 E SURRY (98 FT)(APRSWXNET) 133 PM MAR 22 80 F


Original post:
Image (click to enlarge): U.S. surface temperatures at 1 pm EDT, March 22, 2012, from Unisys

High temperature records have already been broken before noon today in New England.

Boston's temperature of 73° at 11:45 am broke the old record of 72° in 1948. Boston's climate history dates back 140 years to 1872.

At Portland, Maine, the 11 am temperature of 74° was 4° above the old record for March 22 of 70° in 1948. Yesterday's high of 79° crushed the previous record of 60° in 1946. Official temperature records at Portland began in 1941.

Providence, Rhode Island hit a record of 75° early this afternoon, beating the 74° also observed in 1948. Providence's climate history began in 1904.

Here are the latest temperatures (2 pm EDT):
Boston     79°
Portland 80°
Providence 77°

Update: March Heat Records More Than Double to Incredible Ratio of 35 to 1 vs. Cold Records


Image (click to enlarge):
Monthly ratio of daily high temperature to low temperature records set in the U.S. for January 2011 through March 19, 2012, seasonal ratio for summer and fall 2011, winter 2011-2012, and annual ratio for 2012 and 2011;
CapitalClimate chart from NOAA/NCDC data, background image © Kevin Ambrose (www.weatherbook.com). Includes historical daily observations archived in NCDC's Cooperative Summary of the Day data set and preliminary reports from Cooperative Observers and First Order National Weather Service stations. All stations have a Period of Record of at least 30 years.


The onslaught of heat records this month is so furious that it's almost impossible to keep up. The National Climatic Data Center was forced to take its reporting system offline for several days to do emergency maintenance in order to cope, but the reports are still lagging by 2 days. In just the 4 days since the previous update, data through Monday (March 19) show that the number of new daily heat records for March has more than doubled to nearly 4000, while the number of cold records has increased by less than 20, to 113. This gives an astonishing ratio of 34.8 to 1, over 50% above last August's incredible pace. For the year to date, the ratio is approaching 20 to 1, nearly 10 times the pace of the previous decade.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Mid to Upper 80s Smash All-Time March Temperature Records in Northern Michigan;
Marquette Exceeds Mid-July Normal

Temperatures well into the 80s today in northern Michigan utterly demolished daily records and set all-time March records, in several cases for the second consecutive day. At Marquette, the daily average temperature was slightly above the normal for mid-July. From the National Weather Service:
A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 87 DEGREES WAS SET AT THE CHERRY   
CAPITAL AIRPORT IN TRAVERSE CITY MI WEDNESDAY...WHICH BREAKS THE OLD
RECORD OF 74 DEGREES SET IN 1938. THIS ALSO BREAKS THE ALL-TIME
MARCH HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORD...WHICH WAS 86 DEGREES...SET JUST
YESTERDAY.

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 83 DEGREES WAS SET AT THE OTSEGO COUNTY
AIRPORT IN GAYLORD MI WEDNESDAY...WHICH BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 57
DEGREES SET IN 1976 AND 2003. THIS ALSO BREAKS THE ALL-TIME MARCH
HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORD...WHICH WAS 80 DEGREES...SET JUST YESTERDAY.

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 85 DEGREES WAS SET AT THE PELLSTON
REGIONAL AIRPORT IN PELLSTON MI WEDNESDAY...WHICH BREAKS THE OLD
RECORD OF 53 DEGREES WHICH WAS LAST SET IN 2007. THIS ALSO BREAKS
THE ALL-TIME MARCH HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORD...WHICH WAS 84
DEGREES...SET JUST YESTERDAY.

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 85 DEGREES WAS SET AT THE ROSCOMMON
COUNTY - BLODGETT MEMORIAL AIRPORT IN HOUGHTON LAKE MI TODAY. THIS
BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 72 SET IN 1938 AND ALSO THE ALL-TIME MARCH
HIGH TEMPERATURE...WHICH WAS 81 DEGREES...SET JUST YESTERDAY.

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 87 DEGREES WAS SET AT THE ALPENA COUNTY
REGIONAL AIRPORT IN ALPENA MI WEDNESDAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD
OF 68 SET IN 1946. THIS ALSO BREAKS THE MARCH ALL-TIME HIGH
TEMPERATURE RECORD FOR ALPENA...WHICH WAS 84 DEGREES...WHICH WAS
JUST SET YESTERDAY.

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 83 DEGREES WAS SET AT THE SANDERSON
FIELD AIRPORT IN SAULT STE MARIE MI ON WEDNESDAY...WHICH BREAKS THE
OLD RECORD OF 57 DEGREES SET IN 1946. TODAYS HIGH TEMPERATURE
ALSO BREAKS THE ALL-TIME MARCH HIGH TEMPERATURE...WHICH WAS 75
DEGREES SET BACK IN 1946.

THE MERCURY REACHED 81 TODAY AT THE MARQUETTE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE OFFICE...BREAKING NOT ONLY THE PREVIOUS DAILY RECORD HIGH
TEMPERATURE OF 49 BUT ALSO THE ALL TIME MARCH RECORD HIGH OF 78 THAT
WAS SET ON SUNDAY...MONDAY AND TUESDAY. TODAY WAS THE FIRST TIME THE
THERMOMETER REACHED 80 AT THIS LOCATION IN MARCH. THE PREVIOUS
EARLIEST OCCURRENCE OF 80 DEGREES WAS ON APRIL 12TH IN 1968.

THE LOW TEMPERATURE THIS MORNING WAS 53...WHICH IS ALSO A NEW DAILY
RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE. THE PREVIOUS DAILY RECORD WAS 34...
ESTABLISHED ON MARCH 21ST IN 2000.

NORMAL HIGH AND LOW TEMPERATURES FOR THIS DATE AT THE MARQUETTE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ARE 36 AND 16. THE OBSERVED HIGH AND LOW
TEMPERATURES TODAY ARE CLOSER TO THE NORMALS OF 77 AND 55 FOR MID
JULY.

WEATHER RECORDS FOR THE MARQUETTE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE
LOCATED IN NEGAUNEE TOWNSHIP DATE BACK TO 1961.

More Midwest March Madness: Century-Plus Temperature Records Crushed in Wisconsin, Minnesota

In addition to the records being set in Chicago, high temperature records are being crushed in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Some selected reports from the National Weather Service:
THE HIGH TEMPERATURE AT LA CROSSE WISCONSIN ON MARCH 20 CLIMBED TO   
74 DEGREES. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 71 DEGREES SET IN 1918.

IN ADDITION...THE LOW TEMPERATURE FOR MARCH 20 WAS ONLY 57 DEGREES.
THIS SMASHED THE PREVIOUS RECORD FOR THE WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE OF
46 DEGREES SET IN 1884.

..RECORD WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE SET FOR MARCH 20 AT ROCHESTER MN
THE LOW TEMPERATURE FOR MARCH 20 WAS 58 DEGREES. THIS SMASHED THE
PREVIOUS WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE FOR THE DATE OF 42 DEGREES SET IN
1918.

TODAY IS THE 8TH STRAIGHT DAY THAT RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES HAVE
BEEN SET ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST WISCONSIN. AS OF 7PM...THE
FOLLOWING CITIES HAVE SET NEW RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR MARCH
21, 2012.

HIGH
CITY TEMP PREVIOUS RECORD/YEAR

ANTIGO 73 68/1938
APPLETON 81 68/1911 & 1938
GREEN BAY 82 67/1911
MANITOWOC 73 68/1911
MARSHFIELD 74 70/1938
MERRILL 72 71/1938
OSHKOSH 82 75/1938
RHINELANDER 74 67/1911 & 1938
STEVENS POINT 78 72/1911
WAUSAU 76 71/1938
WISCONSIN RAPIDS 80 75/1938

THE HIGH TEMPERATURE TODAY [March 21] CLIMBED TO 74 DEGREES AT LA CROSSE
WISCONSIN TODAY. THIS IS THE 8TH CONSECUTIVE DAY THE TEMPERATURE HAS
RISEN TO OR ABOVE 70 DEGREES AT LA CROSSE WISCONSIN. THIS BREAKS THE
PREVIOUS RECORD OF 7 CONSECUTIVE DAYS WHICH OCCURRED FROM MARCH 23RD
THROUGH MARCH 29TH OF 1910.

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 69 DEGREES WAS SET AT INTERNATIONAL
FALLS MN TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 56 SET IN 1987.

SO FAR TODAY...MARCH 21ST 2012...THE TEMPERATURE AT GENERAL MITCHELL
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT [Milwaukee] HAS REACHED 84 DEGREES. THIS BEATS THE
PREVIOUS RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 75...SET IN 1938. THIS ALSO
BEATS THE RECORD FOR THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE RECORDED IN MARCH OF 83
DEGREES...SET YESTERDAY.

SO FAR TODAY...MARCH 21ST 2012...THE TEMPERATURE AT THE DANE COUNTY
REGIONAL AIRPORT IN MADISON HAS REACHED 83 DEGREES. THIS BEATS THE
PREVIOUS RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 75...SET IN 1911. THIS ALSO
BEATS THE RECORD FOR THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE RECORDED IN MARCH OF 82
DEGREES...SET MARCH 15TH 2012...MARCH 29TH 1986...MARCH 31ST
1981...AND MARCH 29TH 1910.

THE RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE...OR RECORD WARMEST LOW
TEMPERATURE...WAS SHATTERED IN ST CLOUD FOR THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE
DAY ON MONDAY. THE LOW TEMPERATURE ON MARCH 20TH WAS 50
DEGREES...WHICH EXCEEDED THE OLD RECORD BY 13 DEGREES.

THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 37 DEGREES WAS SET ON MARCH 20TH 1918.

THE RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE...OR RECORD WARMEST LOW
TEMPERATURE...WAS SHATTERED IN THE TWIN CITIES FOR THE FOURTH
CONSECUTIVE DAY ON TUESDAY. THE LOW TEMPERATURE ON MARCH 20TH WAS 57
DEGREES...WHICH EXCEEDED THE OLD RECORD BY 16 DEGREES.

THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 41 DEGREES WAS SET ON MARCH 20 1938.

Northern Maine March Monthly Heat Records Broken by Multiple Degrees;
Daily Record Obliterated by 23°

Preliminary record high temperatures in northern Maine this afternoon have not only crushed the previous daily records, they have also set new all-time March records by several degrees. At Houlton, where climate records date back to 1948, today's high of 79° obliterated the old record of 61° set in 1979, and it also surpassed the previous all-time March record by 4° . . . set yesterday.

At Bangor, where climate records began in 1925, today's high of 83° destroyed the previous record of 64° in 1946 by 19°. This is also a record high temperature for the month of March by a margin of 4°, and it is the earliest 80°+ temperature by 3 weeks (previous was on April 11).

At Caribou, the high of 75° smashed the old record of 57°, also in 1946, by 18°. The 64° at Caribou on Sunday was the earliest 60°+ temperature on record. Caribou also had its earliest 70° temperature yesterday (March 20) with a high of 73° (previous was on March 30). This also broke the old daily record by the incredible margin of 23° in a climate history which began in 1939. If the daily low temperature had been exceeded by a comparable amount, it would have been 32° below zero.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Chicago Has 3rd 2nd Warmest March Day; 90-Year Record Broken by 9°

March 21, 7 PM CDT Update: Today's temperature was also a new record by a wide margin and a tie for the second warmest March temperature at Rockford. From the National Weather Service:
A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 84 DEGREES WAS SET AT ROCKFORD IL   
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 78 SET IN 1938. THIS IS THE
SEVENTH OF EIGHTH CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITH A NEW RECORD HIGH
TEMPERATURE SET. 84 DEGREES TIES FOR THE SECOND WARMEST MARCH DAY
(3/31/86) AT ROCKFORD.
March 21, 5 PM CDT Update: The preliminary daily high temperature was 87° at Chicago, blowing away the previous record from 1938 by 10° and tying the second highest March temperature in 142 years.

March 21, 4 PM CDT Update: The temperature at Chicago has been 85° for the past 2 hours, so the 3rd warmest March temperature has been at least tied for the second consecutive day.

Original post:
The heat records keep on rolling at Chicago, where the National Weather Service reports the high temperature today of 85° crushed the 1921 record for the date of 76° by 9°. This made it the 3rd warmest March day ever, behind the 88° on March 29, 1986 and the 87° on March 31, 1981. It was also the 6th 80°+ day this month, further extending the record for most such days in March. It was already 80° by noon. The daily record had been broken an hour earlier, and the temperature is still 82° at 6 pm CDT.

It was also a record by a wide margin at Rockford:
A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 83 DEGREES WAS SET AT ROCKFORD IL   
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 79 SET IN 1921. IT IS THE SIXTH
TIME SINCE MARCH 14 THAT A NEW RECORD HIGH FOR THE DATE HAS BEEN SET
AT ROCKFORD. IT IS ALSO THE FIFTH 80 DEGREE DAY IN MARCH 2012...
EXTENDING THE RECORD SET THIS MONTH FOR MOST 80 DEGREE DAYS IN MARCH.
83 DEGREES IS THE THIRD WARMEST MARCH TEMPERATURE ON
RECORD...SURPASSED ONLY BY THE 85 DEGREE READING OBSERVED ON MARCH 29
1986 AND THE 84 DEGREES OBSERVED ON MARCH 31 1986.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Minnesota's Monster March: International Falls Smashes Heat Record by Double Digits for 3rd Consecutive Day, All-Time Monthly Record

March 20, 9 AM CDT Update: The daily climate report from the National Weather Service confirms the record high minimum temperature at International Falls of 60°, and the Minnesota State Climatology Office reports that this is a new record for the entire month of March, breaking the previous record set 2 days earlier by 8°.

The monthly average temperature to date is now 15.1° above average and 1.3° above the previous record warmest March.

March 19, Midnight CDT Update: Some light showers lowered the midnight temperature to 62°, so it's likely that the incredible event of a new daily high minimum equaling the old daily high maximum in a climate history of over a century will be confirmed.

March 19, 7 PM CDT Update: The daily high was 78°, an incredible 42° above average. If the low holds until midnight, the day will be a mind-boggling 44° above average. The month to date through yesterday was 11.9° above average, but today alone will add about 1.5° to the entire month.

March 19, 4 PM CDT Update: Here's an indication just how crazy warm it is in northern Minnesota: Before today, the warmest it had ever been on March 19 in International Falls was 60° in 1918. That day also set the record for highest minimum on the date of 41°. However, today's morning low of 60° is warm enough to tie that record high. If it holds, it will break the old high minimum record by 19°. Meanwhile, the afternoon temperature has reached at least 77°, which is 17° above the old record high. This is also the third consecutive day with a high temperature above the pre-2012 March monthly high.

Original post:
As an outpost on the Canadian border near the northernmost point of the contiguous 48 states, International Falls, Minnesota jealously guards its reputation as "Icebox of the Nation"™. That reputation is seriously in jeopardy this spring as longstanding temperature records have been spectacularly demolished. With a climate history dating back 142 117 years to 1870 1895, it should be difficult to break daily temperature records by more than a degree or two. Instead, International Falls has broken high temperature records by double digits for the last 3 consecutive days. Yesterday's high of 77° absolutely crushed the old record of 55° in 1968 by a mind-boggling 22°. That was enough to soar past the previous March monthly high of 73° in 1963 by an equally astonishing 4°. Today's high of 79° surpassed that record by another 2°, far exceeding the previous record for the date of 66° in 1918. In the past 9 days, International Falls has set 6 new daily heat records by multiple degrees and tied one record.

As the charts from the Minnesota State Climatology Office show, the persistent heat has virtually wiped out the snow cover in the state over the last 2 weeks.

Seasonal Outlook

Latest seasonal forecast: Click here.


Latest 3-month temperature outlook from Climate Prediction Center/NWS/NOAA.