Historic March Heat Wave Sets New Milestones

[font size="1"]Amanda Diaz, bottom left, reads a book as Ciara Perez, top left, and Chris Elam sit in a tree during the unseasonably warm weather in the Rittenhouse Square park Tuesday, March 13, 2012, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)[/font]


Historic March Heat Wave Sets New Milestones
Climate Central | March 19, 2012 10:02 a.m.


The March heat wave continues to shatter longstanding records from the Upper Midwest to the Northeast, with more than 2,200 warm temperature records set during the month so far. It’s quite possible that this March heat wave will be considered as an unprecedented event in the U.S. historical record, which extends back to the late 19th century, based on the margin by which records are being exceeded, the wide geographic scope of the heat wave, the duration of the event and the time of year when it is occurring.

According to the HAMweather website, 1,192 record daytime highs were set in the U.S. from March 12-18, along with 708 high minimum temperature records. This compares to just 66 coldest maximum temperature records, and only eight records for the coldest overnight low temperature. More records are likely to be set today through the end of this week, when a cooler airmass finally moves eastward (as it does so, it may spark rounds of severe weather).

According to the CapitalClimate blog, so far this month warm weather records have been outpacing cold records by a lopsided ratio of 19-to-1. Since January 1, the ratio has been closer to 14-to-1.


[font size="1"]Temperature departures from average on March 16, 2012. Credit: NOAA/NCDC.[/font]

Prior to this year, there had been just 10 March 80-degree days in Chicago, which means on average in March there’s an 80-degree high once every 14 years or so. Average temperatures for the month are on track to exceed the record for the warmest such month on record in the windy city. “It is likely that Chicago and Rockford will not only break… but shatter their current record warmest Marches,” the Weather Service stated. ...................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://news.opb.org/article/historic_march_heat_wave_sets_new_milestones/


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It was so warm Sunday on Belle Isle in Detroit that it seemed like a lazy summer day instead of one of the last days of winter.

Couples and families fired up grills on Belle Isle or just relaxed in the warmth along the Detroit River, scenes likely repeated throughout parks and backyards across the region. The high recorded at Metro Airport was 75 degrees.

"Michigan has lived up to its reputation this winter," said Jayna Jamerson, 25, of Southfield, who was with her fiancé, Ashton O'Day, 25, of Clawson. "You never know what you're going to get."

According to the National Weather Service office in White Lake Township, Detroit broke a record for the highest temperature for March 18. ...............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.freep.com/article/20120319/NEWS05/203190344/Sunday-sets-record-as-Michigan-s-warmest-ever-March-18