March 2019 Saint Cloud Weather Summary

Saint Cloud Weather Summary for March 2019

Remarkable Half-Winter for Snow Continues

Snowy Start to March Produces Above Average Snowfall

Believe it or not, the winter of 2018-2019 has only been marked by true winter weather since the second half of January. Nearly all of the cold and most of the snow has come since January 15. In the case of March, two shovelable snowfalls, including over 7 inches of snow on March 9 and 10, continued the amazing rate of snow accumulation. By the end of that storm, plow piles were 6 feet tall in town with much higher drifts. The snow depth was over 20 inches in much of Minnesota (see NWS NOHRSC snow depth on March 12). In between the two storms an outbreak of arctic air that would be typical for January or February, but was record breaking coming the first week of March, produced a sub-zero high in St. Cloud on March 3 (the second latest of all time) and produced record cold temperatures on both March 3 and 4.

Below average cold continued through March 12 with 8 of the 12 days being at least 15 degrees colder than average.

Snow Now at 8th Highest for Cold Season, 3rd in Feb-April Snow

The snowfall has been remarkable, especially for its concentration in the second half of the snow season.St. Cloud had only 15.1 inches through January 15 (none in January at that point) and was more than 11 inches behind for the season. However, the past three months has packed in the snow. The 11.4 inches of March snowfall was only 3 inches above average, since the snow quit for a while after March 12. However, the additional 8.3 inches that has fallen in April has pushed the 2018-2019 snowfall total to 68.5 inches, the 8th highest in St. Cloud records.

As has been the case in most of the recent years with heavy snow, the bulk of it has come from February 1 on. St. Cloud has picked up 47.3 inches of snow from February 1 through April 15, the 3rd highest snowfall since February in St. Cloud records. Only 2012-2013 (57.8 of 78.5 inches), and 1964-65 (which had St. Cloud's snowiest month of March 1965 with 51.7 inches) rank higher.

Temperatures Eased After Early Month Cold

However, the weather pattern changed for most of the last 3 weeks of March. The next storm produced all rain (0.81 inch). The rain and above freezing temperatures knocked the snow cover down to less than half of what was on the ground. And, a more west-to-east flow pattern began, keeping what was left of the arctic air locked up in northwestern Canada and never letting it get any closer than northern Manitoba and Ontario. From March 12 on, every high but 2 days got beyond the freezing mark. The first 50-degree day (14 days late) and 60-degree day (8 days early) arrived on March 27. The snow cover finally disappeared officially on March 28, ending a streak of 91 consecutive days (since December 27) with at least an inch of snow on the ground. That only ranks as 5 days more than average.

Colder Than Average, But Not Record-Breaking Cold

Overall, March did finish with a below normal temperature. The average in St. Cloud was 23.7 degrees, 5.7 degrees below average. This didn't directly overlap the winter, but January through March, the coldest 3 months of this winter, averaged 15.9 degrees, but that is merely the 45 coldest of the 138 January through Marches on record.

When this winter was cold, it produced more cold weather markers than average. There were 5 days when the temperatures stayed at zero or colder all day, including March 3, the second latest occurrence in St. Cloud history. The latest was March 1, 1948. There have been 7 days with a low of -20 or colder, more than 5.4 day average. However, March 3 and 4 fell just short of that with lows of -18 and -19, although the -19 on March 4 was enough to tie the record cold low. 2018-2019 was the first winter in 10 years to register a low of -30 or colder. The 2018-2019 cold season has produced 49 days with a low of zero or colder, 7 more than average.

Still, none of these extremes rivaled the mark of the last really cold winter in 2013-2014. In fact, this winter seems extremely cold merely since it has come on the heels of so many milder than average winters (7 of the 14 mildest on record since 1997-1998)

Result of High Snowfall Total? Spring Flooding

All of this snow has created a major problem in snowmelt flooding. The Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers have already seen high flood waters with records set on the Upper Minnesota River. There has also been record flooding along the Missouri River and its tributaries from eastern South Dakota across eastern Nebraska, southwestern Iowa and Missouri. And, the crest of it has yet to be seen in the Red River of the North. Fargo and points downstream were already having a major flood before the April snow began to melt. This may end up producing the second highest crest to the 1996-1997 flood, which put Grand Forks under water for a month.

While flooding didn't get as extreme, the Sauk River rose suddenly due to ice jams, flooding patrons at Anton's Restaurant for a night.