March 2017 Saint Cloud Weather Summary

Saint Cloud Weather Summary for March 2017

A Month That Actually Lived Up to Its Reputation

March Has Closest to Average Temperature Since Summer 2016

The up-and-down temperature trend of the past cold season continued in March 2017. However, the warm periods could not manage to be as much above average as during previous months. The coldest period of March 2017 was during March 8-15. Highs did not break freezing and lows were usually in the single digits with two days (10th and 14th) having lows of zero or below. While temperatures broke 60 degrees three times during the warmer periods,, there were only 5 days with a temperature of at least 10 degrees warmer than average. The last month with so few days more than 10 degrees above average was October 2016

1.2 Degrees Above Average Nearest Since July

This struggle to get really warm kept the St. Cloud average March temperature within 1.2°F of average (March temperature: 30.6°F; March average 29.4°F). That is the closest St. Cloud's temperature has come to a monthly average since July 2016 (monthly temperature +0.1°F). Only one other month (August 2016) has been within 1.5 degrees of average since then.

The two below zero lows did run the 2016-2017 days with a low of zero or colder to 24 days. That's the 15th fewest number of days with cold lows in St. Cloud records. The average for the season is 43 days. The cold season did end up with 1 day with a low of -20 or colder (average 5.4 days). That was on December 18, when the low was -28, the coldest St. Cloud temperature since January 21, 2011.

There was one temperature record tied in March. That was the March 5 average temperature of 48 degrees, tying March 5, 2000 for that record.

Third Warmest November Through March, Just Short of Last Winter

Despite the closer-to-average March temperature, the overall November-March period is now the third warmest November-March in St. Cloud records. Only 2011-2012 and last winter were milder than this past year.

There were only 10 days with a high of freezing or colder in March. That brings the seasonal total to 65 days. If there are no further days with a high colder than freezing, it would rank as the 10th fewest days in St. Cloud records, one day more than last cold season, which ranks 9th. There have been only 24 days with a low of zero or colder, the 14th lowest total in St. Cloud records.

Dry Pattern Persisted

While we weren't as warm as in previous months, the generally dry weather pattern intensified in March. During March only southeastern Minnesota got into the main precipitation track often enough to finish with over 2 inches of precipitation. While much of the Lower Mississippi Valley, Tennessee and the East got over 5 inches of precipitation (red), spots in the Dakotas and especially west central and central Minnesota were among the few areas to receive less than half an inch of precipitation. Parts of the Detroit and Alexandria Lakes got less than a quarter inch of precipitation in March.

The St. Cloud Regional Airport picked up 0.67 inches in March, less than half of the average precipitation of 1.55 inches. Since the beginning of 2017, St. Cloud has been missing most storms, so the total precipitation is 1.99 inch, more than 0.8 inch below average. It's still too early to panic about being dry yet.

There were only 2.0 inches of snow that fell in March. That was more than 6 inches below average, but far short of the 10 most snowless Marches in St. Cloud records. There have been 7 Marches without measurable snowfall (both in 2000 and 2010) and three years with 0.3 inch or less. For the season, St. Cloud has picked up only 30.9 inches of snow, more than 15 inches below the seasonal average of 45.6 inches. There were 5 days with at least an inch of snow on the ground. The 2016-2017 total was 63 days, more than a month and a half short of the St. Cloud average of 101 days. The consecutive days total of 45 days was three weeks short of the St. Cloud average of 86 days.

So, the frost has departed the soil in most of central and southern Minnesota. Many small and medium-sized lakes in southern and central Minnesota have become ice free, although Lake Mille Lacs has not thawed so far.

There are hints of a change to a wetter weather pattern early next week, but we've had some close calls in some storms at times.

Among the notable weather records set in March were the earliest tornadoes in Minnesota history, including one that moved across Sherburne County from northwest of Zimmerman to south of Princeton.