Summer in March

March Heat-wave Continues Across United States

Each year, when the list of coldest U.S. cities is compiled, International Falls, Minnesota regularly winds up at the top of the list, earning its title as "Icebox of the Nation". The city once hit -55° F (-48° C on January 6, 1909), and the city takes pride in the distinction of being the coldest city in the United States. 

But yesterday, International Falls set a truly phenomenal weather record for warmth. The city's temperature soared to 77° F (25° C), which was 42° above the average high temperature for the date. Not only was it the city's hottest March temperature on record by 4°, it was just 4° shy of yesterday's high in Miami, Florida. But what was truly amazing is that the 77° F high in International Falls beat the previous record for the date by 22° F.  Incredible.

It is extremely rare -- if not unheard of -- for a weather station with a century-plus period of weather records to break a daily record by such a wide margin (International Falls' records date to 1895).

Yesterday's temperatures in International Falls were but one chapter in the on-going story of one of the most extreme meteorological events in U.S. history. Never before has such an extended period of extreme and record-breaking warm temperatures affected such a large portion of the United States in March, going back to the beginning of record keeping in the late 1800s. 

Chicago, Ill. has set record highs 5 days in a row through Sunday. All 5 of those days have been in the 80°s F, an unprecedented occurrence. That hadn't happened even two consecutive March days in Chicago, ever.  Chicago's records date to 1872.

At least a dozen cities have set records for the warmest temperatures so early in the season, including an hard to believe 81° F (27° C)  reading on Mar. 16 in Bismarck, N.D. and an equally amazing 81° F  in Traverse City, Mich. on Mar. 14. Then temperatures soared into the 80°s on St. Patrick's Day and again Sunday.

Unseasonable and record warmth will persist across the eastern two-thirds of the USA on Monday, winter's last full day, with no signs of chilly weather returning in the foreseeable future.

Spring officially starts early Tuesday morning at 1:14 a.m. EDT, but many might argue that Monday feels more like spring is about to end, not winter.

Temperatures on Monday are once again set to soar into the 70°s F as far north as the Great Lakes with widespread highs in the 80°s set to bake both the South and Ohio Valley.

Even parts of Michigan will climb out of the 70°s, while 90-degree heat sizzles deep South Texas.

The warmth is so unusual for mid-March that record highs will once again be set from the Gulf Coast to the Midwest.  The latter region is where it will be hard for any community not to break a record with temperatures soaring 20 to 40 degrees farenheit above highs that are typical for this time of year.

How out of season is this extreme weather? As an example, consider high temperatures on Monday for a couple of Midwest cities.  The table below illustrates the average high for March 19, then the time of year when the warm Monday highs would be considered average. Finally a city is listed where the Monday warmth would be considered average for mid-March. 

	Avg. high Mar. 19	When warmth is "average"	Where warmth is "average" now
Mpls./St. Paul	43	Early June	Tampa
Chicago	48	Mid-June	Miami

Chicago's record warmth now would be average warmth for mid-March in Miami. Tampa-like mid-March warmth in the Twin Cities.

 Unrelated but equally important, I included the image below because it looks like the road traveled in WALKING DEAD's finale tonight.  What can we say?  Shane. . . R.I.P.  We'll miss you.