The cold weather over the last week-plus is in stark contrast to the beginning of the month. In fact, 11 of the first 13 days of this month were warmer-than-normal, including an average temperature of 48 degrees on March 12, which is 10 degrees above normal. Despite the temperature contrast between the first two weeks of March with the last eight days, the average temperature for this month is 37.7 degrees, which is exactly normal. Things were quite different in March of 2012, however.
Last March was, by far, the warmest on record. The average temperature for March of 2012 was 47.1 degrees, which is nearly eight degrees above the normal (39.3 degrees) and well above the previous record of 43.0 degrees set in 1979. Incredibly, 28 of the 31 days were warmer than normal, and 14 days were at least 10 degrees above normal. The highest temperature was 71 degrees on March 22 and 23. There were five record high temperatures, including both 71-degree days, established that month.
It marked the 13th straight warmer-than-normal month across southwestern Connecticut. The last time we had an average monthly temperature below normal prior to March of 2012 happened in February, 2011, at the end of one of the snowiest stretches in recent memory. However, the average temperature that month was less than one degree (0.8) below the normal average of 31.9 degrees.
Temperatures will continue to be below normal over the next couple of days. Today will be partly sunny, breezy, and chilly with a possible flurry or two and a high temperature close to 40 degrees. Tonight will become mostly clear, breezy, and cold with a low in the 20s. Tomorrow will feature sunny skies, but it will be windy and chilly with a high in the mid 40s. Another fair and chilly day is expected Sunday with daytime highs in the mid 40s and nighttime lows in the 20s.
Paul
