March 2015 Saint Cloud Weather Summary

Saint Cloud Weather Summary for March 2015

Relatively Mild March Huge Improvement From Past 2 Marches

The March 2015 average temperature marked a warm-up from a slightly colder than average winter season. The average temperature was 32.4°F (high 43.3°F, low 21.5°F) was three degrees milder than average. More importantly it was more then 10 degrees warmer than both March 2013 (21.9°F) and March 2014 (22.5°F).

March got off to a slow start with three days with lows of zero or colder, including a -16 low on March 5 that was one degree short of the record cold low. There was also a cool period durnig March 21-27 when the high stayed between 33 and 38 degrees and there were two lows in the teens. Other than that, there were huge mild periods, including 9 straight days (March 8-16) with temperatures at least 10 degrees warmer than average and the last three days of the month with highs in the 50's to lower 60's. Record warm high temperatures were set on March 10 and 15, each at least 5 degrees warmer than the previous record high ( see table below).

The 70 degree high on March 15 was the 4th earliest first 70-degree high on record. The earliest 70-degree high was set on March 6, 1987. The only other earlier 70-degree highs were March 7, 2000, and March 14, 2012.

The warm period still cannot compare to mid-March of three years ago. There are still 6 standing record highs between March 11 and 19 and 7 straight record warm lows between March 17-23.

Snow Drought Continues With Impact on Ground Moisture

If ever there was a winter in which an early major snowfall meant nothing, it was this winter. Despite 13.5 inches on November 10-11 and a total of 17.6 November inches of snow, the snowfall since then has been few and far between. The March version of this was a total of 3.3 inches of snow, 4.8 inches below average. From December through March, this season's snowfall has only totalled 12.5 inches close to a third of the average 33.6 inches. That makes the December through March period of this winter the fifth most snow-free in St. Cloud records. The last time there was less snow in December through March was in the winter of 1986-1987 when there were less than 10 inches. The least snowiest Dec-Mar was in 1901-1902 when only 6 inches fell.

The total snowfall for the season so far has been 30.1 inches, 15.6 inches less than average.

There was only one March day with at least an inch of snowfall, March 3 when 2.3 inches fell. That's only the 5th day this winter with at least an inch. If we get no more snowfalls of at least an inch, it will tie several winters, including 1986-1987, for the least fewest 1-inch snow days.

Over the whole winter, St. Cloud has had 105 days with at least an inch of snow on the ground. That's actually a few days more than average (101) for a cold season in St. Cloud. However, we've never had more than 35 straight days with an inch on the ground (longest streak: Nov 10-Dec 14). The average for a winter is nearly three months (86 days). In fact, 35 consecutive days ranks tied for 12th for the fewest in a winter. To compare, the last really mild winter, 2011-2012, had only 33 consecutive days of snow cover and only 63 total days with an inch on the ground.

The snow is gone and the frost is out of the ground in central and southern Minnesota. Now, we have an opportunity to green up the surface vegetation from the good supply of ground water built up last year. So far, 2015 so far has produced only 0.97 inch of precipitation ( 4th lowest first 3 months of the year in St. Cloud records), which has taken its toll on river and streamflow (gold stations among the lowest 25%, red stations among the lowest 10% on the USGS Waterwatch). There are also many stations with below average streamflow on the Minnesota DNR gages. Rivers and lakes are the main bodies affected by the low snow cover. That's the problem shown by the US Drought Monitor with its area of moderate drought covering Minnesota. An inch or two of rain would certainly help the situation.

However, most of the snow melt runs off before the ground thaws, so the biggest effect on the ground was the large surplus in northern and central Minnesota last year. That will eventually help the greening of the ground.

In the meantime, warm, windy days are producing high fire danger statewide.

You can probably start thinking about lucky St. Cloud has been compared to the past 2 winters in snow and in cold