March was Cold and Dry

Friday, April 01, 2011 10:41 AM

Prince George, B.C. - March came in like a lion this year, and as Environment Canada Meteorologist Jim Steele says "March was wearing a parka as we saw the coldest temperatures of the month on the 1^st."

Steele says the month will hit the books as being cold, and dry.

In hismonthly report, Steele says March remained cool well into the second week "then finally above freezing daytime highs starting on the 12^th."

Here is his full report:

The mildest day of the month arrived on the 15^th with a close second on the 30^th. Still, with the arrival of milder air, daytime highs never did manage to climb into the double digits for the entire month. This resulted in mean temperatures running over 2 degrees below normal.

On the precipitation side of things,. It was a pretty dry month with total precipitation only about a quarter of the normal. Snowfall, after the February dump, was also well below the average for the month.

Into the record books, March 2011 will show cold and dry.

Temperatures

Average daily high of 2.3 was below the normal of 5.0 degrees C.
Average daily low of -8.1 was below the normal of -5.5 degrees C.
Mean temperature of -2.9 was below the normal -0.3 degrees C.
Warmest Day on the 15^th with a maximum temperature of 9.6 degrees
Coldest day on the 1^st with an overnight minimum of -27.0 degrees

Precipitation

Total precipitation of 9.1 mm was 27% of the normal of 32.7 mm.
Total Snowfall of 11.0 cm was 48% of the normal of 22.9 cm
Total rainfall of 2.3 mm was 17% of the normal of 13.1 mm
Measurable precipitation on 7 days xxx the normal of 12 days
Greatest snowfall one day 5.0 cm on the 5^th
Greatest rainfall one day 2.0 mm on the 31^st

Daily / Monthly Records

No new daily or monthly records.

Notes.

Total precipitation of the year to date is 121.6 mm, 104% of the normal of 116.8 mm

Records for March

Mean temperature Extreme Daily temps

Mildest 3.8 1992 Max 18.9 30^th 1995

Coolest -8.1 1955 Min -37.8 24^th 1955

Precipitation

Driest 7.5 mm 2010 Wettest day 19.8 mm 21^st 1955

Wettest 66.8 mm 1955 Snowiest day 19.8 cm 21^st 1955

Most Snow 61.7 cm 1955

South Central Interior

	Mean Temp Degrees C	Total Precip. mm	Maximum Degrees C	Minimum Degrees C
Quesnel	-0.8	19.7	12.6 / 30^th	-23.5 / 3^rd
Williams Lake	-0.8	16.4	11.4 / 30^th	-26.5 / 1^st
Blue River	0.3	70.9	14.1 / 25^th	-18.3 / 7^th
Kamloops	5.0	30.0	18.9 / 30^th	-14.3 / 1^st