March 2020 Summary – Tenth Warmest on Record

Blue Hill Observatory March 2020 Summary:

March was generally very warm with much less snowfall than average. The 24-hour adjusted mean temperature for the month of 40.5 deg F was 6.1 degrees warmer than the 120-year average for March and 4.8 degrees warmer than the 1981-2010 30-year average. The month tied for the tenth warmest March on record. The average maximum temperature of 49.8 deg F was about 5 degrees warmer than the 30-year mean, and this mean was the eighth warmest on record. The average minimum temperature of 32.3 deg F was 4.5 degrees warmer than the 30-year mean. The highest temperature for the month was 72F on the 9th, and the lowest temperature was 15F on the 1st. Twenty-two of the thirty-one days during the month were warmer than average. Precipitation totaled 4.67 inches, which was very close to the long-term 120-year average but nearly an inch less than the 30-year mean. The greatest precipitation in 24 hours was 2.37 inches during a period of snowfall that turned to heavy rain on the 23rd-24th. Snowfall in March totaled only 2.8 inches, which was nearly 10 inches less than the 30-year mean. The greatest snowfall in 24 hours was 1.6 inches on the 23rd. The combined snowfall for January through March was only 7.6 inches, which was the second lowest on record behind only 7.5 inches observed in Jan-Mar 1937. The mean wind speed for the month was 12.9 mph, which was the third lowest ever observed in March, and the prevailing wind direction was from the west. The monthly peak gust was 56 mph from the west on the 4th. March was sunnier than average with 188.3 hours of bright sunshine, or 53 percent of possible, which was four percent more than the long-term average.

BHO Warmest March 24-Hour Adjusted Mean Temperature, deg F (1885-2020):

1) 43.5 in 1946
2) 43.4 in 2012
3) 42.7 in 2045
4) 42.2 in 1903
5) 41.5 in 2010
6) 41.2 in 1921
7) 40.8 in 2000
8) 40.7 in 1977
   40.7 in 2016
10) 40.5 in 1973
   40.5 in 2020

BHO Warmest March Average Maximum Temperature, deg F (1885-2020):

1) 55.9 in 1946
2) 54.4 in 1945
3) 53.6 in 2012
4) 52.6 in 1921
5) 52.3 in 1903
6) 50.9 in 2000
7) 50.2 in 1977
8) 49.8 in 2020
9) 49.7 in 2010
   49.7 in 2016

BHO Lowest January-March Snowfall, inches (1885-2020):

1) 7.5 in 1937
2) 7.6 in 2020
3) 12.1 in 1973
4) 12.3 in 1980
5) 14.0 in 1889

BHO Lowest March Mean Wind Speed, mph (1886-2020):

1) 12.1 in 1995
2) 12.8 in 2012
3) 12.9 in 2020
4) 13.1 in 2014
5) 13.2 in 2009
   13.2 in 2016

Mike Iacono
Chief Scientist
Blue Hill Observatory