While February and the start of March have be very warm this year in fact after 15 days this March with a mean of 46.5 would be the 2nd warmest March if this holds until the end of the month. But that said 2012 has one of the greatest Heat Waves that have been recorded.
We generally do not think of the term “Heat Wave” when we think of the Month of March but in March of 2012, we had a very remarkable warm event take place. This was not a one or two day “warm” spell that we sometimes get in March but instead lasted for (at Grand Rapids) for 12 days. It started in earnest on March 14th when Grand Rapids had a high of 80° and for the next 12 days we had temps that would be more like June then March. Reaching a peak on March 21st with a high of 87° In all in that 12-day stretch Grand Rapids had 5 days of 80 or warmer 5 days of 71 or warmer and 2 days in the 60’s
New All-Time Record High Temperatures for March
City New Record High (Date) Old Record High (Date)
Detroit, Mich. 86 (3/22) 82 (3/28/1945)
Lansing, Mich. 86 (3/21) 82 (3/24/1910)
Toledo, Ohio 85 (3/21, 3/22) 83 (3/24/1910)
Bangor, Maine 84 (3/22) 79 (3/29/1946)
Milwaukee, Wis. 84 (3/21) 82 (3/29/1986, 3/31/1986)
Cleveland, Ohio 83 (3/20-3/22) – tie 83 (3/24/1910, 3/25/1945)
Madison, Wis. 83 (3/21) 82 (3/29/1986, 3/31/1981)
Buffalo, N.Y. 82 (3/21) 81 (3/26/1945)
London, Ontario 81 (3/22) 77 (3/30/1998)
Marquette, Mich. 81 (3/21) 71 (3/8/2000)
Ottawa, Ontario 81 (3/21) 80 (3/29/1946)
International Falls, Minn. 79 (3/18) 73 (3/31/1963)
Toronto, Ontario 79 (3/22) 78 (3/28/1945)
Montreal, Quebec 78 (3/21) – tie 78 (3/28/1945)
Caribou, Maine 75 (3/21) 73 (3/30/1962)
Winnipeg, Manitoba 75 (3/19) 74 (3/27/1946)
Quebec City, Quebec 65 (3/21) 64 (3/30/1962)
The ‘Heat Wave’ of March 2012, By the Numbers
32 The gap, in degrees, between the old and new record high on March 21 in Marquette, Mich. The new record high was 81 degrees, obliterating the old record of 49 degrees. The margin of defeat was so great that the 21.2 The temperature departure (in degrees Fahrenheit) from normal for the month of March thus far in Winnipeg, Canada. This occurred despite temperatures having dropped below zero for four days early in the month.
1921 The last year it was above 80 degrees in Boston before March 28 of any given calendar year. In reaching 83 degrees on March 22, this came to fruition for the first time since March 21, 1921.
86 The new all-time record high temperature for March in Detroit, Mich., set on March 22. In fact, a new all-time high temperature was set two days in a row, with the mercury first climbing to 84 degrees on March 21.
60 The average low temperature in Chicago, Ill., from March 17 to March 22 of this year. Such low temperatures, about 30 degrees above normal, are more typical for mid-June.
e low temperature that day was even higher than the old record high temperature
9 The number of consecutive days that Chicago, Ill., has broken a record high, from March 14 to March 22. Eight of those days saw the mercury climb above 80 degrees, which is normal for mid-June.
93 The temperature swing that occurred over the course of just nine days in International Falls, Minn., from a low of minus 14 degrees on March 9, to a high of 79 degrees on March 18. Also, 10 straight days of new record highs (March 13 to March 22).
26 The number of inches of snow that melted over the course of just seven days in Caribou, Maine, from March 15 to March 22, thanks to the unusual warmth. Also, 18 inches of snow was still on the ground when the first record high fell on March 18 (64 degrees).
In Detroit, the mid-March heat wave was enough to vault the month to the top of the list of warmest Marches on record. Not only that, but the records for the most consecutive March days with highs above 60, 70, and 80 degrees were also set.
Of course there was a price for crops to pay as April 2012 ended up close to average and there was a hard freeze on April 29th when the temp fell to 28° causing a lot of damage to crops that year.
The official H/L yesterday at Grand Rapids was 53/31 there was no rain/snow fall the sun was out 98% of the time. For today the average H/L is 53/31 the record high of 79 was set in 1990 the record low of 3 was set in 1900. The most rainfall of 1.50” fell in 1942. The most snowfall of 10.0” fell in 1895. The most snow on the ground was 10” in 1904. Last year the H/L was 51/34 and there was 0.19” of rainfall. So far this year there has been 7.96” of precipitation that is a departure of +2.21” This winter season so far has had only 40.5” of snowfall that is a departure of -32.8”
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
325 AM EDT SAT MAR 16 2024
KEY MESSAGES
– RAIN CHANCES MOVING IN TODAY
– MUCH COLDER WITH SNOW SHOWERS SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY
– CHANCE OF LIGHT MIXED PRECIP THURSDAY/FRIDAY
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 325 AM EDT SAT MAR 16 2024
– RAIN CHANCES MOVING IN TODAY
THE LEADING EDGE OF THE PATTERN CHANGE BACK TO LATE WINTER CAN BE
SEEN ON THE REGIONAL RADAR IMAGERY, WITH LIGHTER RAIN EVIDENT ACROSS
NRN WISCONSIN AND THE WESTERN U.P. THIS MORNING. THIS PRECIPITATION
IS ASSOCIATED WITH AN UPPER LOW COMPLEX DROPPING DOWN, AND AN
ASSOCIATED SFC LOW NORTH OF LAKE SUPERIOR TAILING DOWN INTO
WISCONSIN.
THE COLD FRONT WILL PRESS THROUGH THE AREA THROUGH TODAY, AND WILL
BRING SOME HIGH PROBABILITY OF LIGHT AMOUNTS OF RAIN TO MOST OF THE
AREA. THE FORCING WITH THE UPPER WAVE AND STRENGTH OF THE FRONT WILL
ALLOW FOR THE PRECIPITATION. HOWEVER, THE LACK OF RICH AND DEEP
MOISTURE WILL LIMIT AMOUNTS TO LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH.
SHOWER CHANCES WILL PERSIST AT TIMES THROUGH TONIGHT, WITH P-TYPE
TRANSITIONING FROM RAIN TO SNOW AS THE COLDER AIR ARRIVES. THE UPPER
LOW COMPLEX WILL SETTLE OVER THE AREA, AND SHORT WAVES WILL BE
TRAVERSING THROUGH THE AREA. ACCUMULATING SNOW DOES NOT LOOKS VERY
LIKELY AS TEMPS WILL BE NEAR FREEZING, AND THE CORE OF THE COLDEST
AIR ALOFT REMAINS JUST NORTH OF THE AREA.
FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE THAT EVEN WITH INVERSION HEIGHTS IN THE
5-7K FT RANGE, THE DGZ WILL BARELY BE SATURATED. THIS IS WHAT WILL
KEEP ACCUMULATIONS FROM BEING MUCH MORE THAN A COUPLE OF TENTHS OF
AN INCH OVER GRASSY AREAS.
– MUCH COLDER WITH SNOW SHOWERS SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY
A FEW SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE SUNDAY, WITH MUCH OF THE DAY NOT
SEEING MUCH ACCUMULATION. WE DO EXPECT THAT THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL INCREASE LATE ON SUNDAY. THIS IS THE RESULT
OF SHORT WAVES MOVING THROUGH, AND THEN THE UPPER JET SINKING
FURTHER SOUTH, AND DEEPER COLD AIR ARRIVING LATE SUNDAY. THIS WILL
ALLOW FOR MORE WIDESPREAD AND MORE INTENSE SNOW SHOWERS.
CYCLONIC FLOW, THERMAL TROUGH AND INVERSION HEIGHTS AROUND 5 TO 7
KFT WILL MEAN LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS PERSISTING THROUGH MONDAY
NIGHT THEN TAPERING OFF MONDAY IN BETWEEN SHORTWAVE TROUGHS. AN INCH
OR LESS OF SNOW ACCUMULATION EXPECTED. ANOTHER CLIPPER MOVES THROUGH
LATE MONDAY NIGHT/TUESDAY MORNING IN FAST NORTHWEST FLOW BUT
MOISTURE IS LIMITED AND SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR SNOW SHOWERS SHOULD
COVER IT.
– CHANCE OF LIGHT MIXED PRECIP THURSDAY/FRIDAY
COMPLEX EVOLUTION OF THE FLOW REGIME ACROSS THE CONUS MIDDLE AND
LATE NEXT WEEK WITH A REX BLOCK ACROSS THE WEST BREAKING DOWN AND
UPPER LOW MOVING EAST. THERE IS A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY HOW THIS
SOUTHERN UPPER LOW INTERACTS WITH THE NORTHERN STREAM THROUGH THE
END OF THE WEEK. THERE IS A WEAK SIGNAL FOR LIGHT MIXED PRECIP WITH
AT LEAST SOME PHASING TAKING PLACE BY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. EVEN THE
CHANCE POPS IN THE CURRENT FORECAST MAY BE TOO HIGH GIVEN LOW
CONFIDENCE IN THERE BEING MUCH MOISTURE RETURN BY THAT TIME. THE NBM
POPS WERE NOT TWEAKED, BUT MAY TREND LOWER IN THE FUTURE FORECAST
UPDATES.
Detailed Forecast for Grand Rapids
TodayA 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 3pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 53. Breezy, with a south southwest wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 16 to 21 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 33 mph.
TonightA slight chance of rain showers before 2am, then a slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. West northwest wind 14 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
SundayA 30 percent chance of snow showers, mainly after 9am. Cloudy, with a steady temperature around 35. West northwest wind 13 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.
Sunday NightA 30 percent chance of snow showers, mainly before 3am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. West northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.
MondayA 20 percent chance of snow showers before 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.
Monday NightMostly cloudy, with a low around 27.
TuesdayMostly cloudy, with a high near 44.
Tuesday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 26.
WednesdayMostly sunny, with a high near 42.
Wednesday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 25.
ThursdayMostly sunny, with a high near 46.
Thursday NightA chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30.
FridayA chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 46.
Get ready, the latest CPC shows no warm air for the next 2 weeks! WOW!
Look at all of this cold air! Mid winter cold baby! Face the facts!
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/16/weather/spring-weather-winter-temperatures-climate/index.html
Near normal temps mean close to 50 now, winter has been over for months and everyone loves it!
The last cpc say below normal temps next week and then near normal temps! Facts baby, facts!
Oh and would you look at that, warmer than normal temps back in the CPC, cold weather crazies said winter is still going full blast even though temps have been well above normal and zero snow! Happens every year!!
Winds gusting to 35 MPH currently! Let’s hit the links! What a joke! Too funny!
Golfing in 30 mph winds = horrendous and next week very cold wind chills! Wow!
Winds were 10-15 mph earlier with sun and decent temps. Just gotta get out early. Put on a sweatshirt and stop being a wimp.
30’s and 40’s with windchill in Spring in Western Michigan = HEAVENLY OUTSIDE!! INDY
It was earlier this am before the wind kicked up!
Anytime you can get outside in a sweatshirt and not have to walk around in slush and slop in March is a great day for me!
Happens every year!! The warm weather nuts saying that winter was over long ago, yet we are still seeing very cold temps! Some people will never learn! Incredible!
It has been over for a long time, temps regularly in the 50’s and 60’s with some 70’s and zero snow = winter has been over for months!
It was just a gorgeous morning for golf! Course has greened up very nicely and with the sun poking thru the clouds all morning all you need is a light sweatshirt or pullover and it was very comfortable! Plenty of people out there today enjoying this beautiful spring morning! Golfing in February & March now = HEAVEN ON EARTH!!
Get ready for a big cold front! Anyone planning to golf today or next week, you have my condolences! Today we will see winds around 25 to 30 mph and then a stretch of below normal temps and wind chills in the 20’s! Incredible!