March temperatures in Southeastern
Alaska higher than normal
April 10, 2010
Saturday
(SitNews) - March temperatures were several degrees below normal
in Interior and Western Alaska, as well as along the Aleutians.
The strongest negative departures from normal were found along
the west coast and on the Pribilofs, with mean monthly temperatures
reaching from four to 13 degrees below normal, while temperatures
in northern and southeastern Alaska were higher than normal.
March temperatures averaged
1.3 degrees above average in Ketchikan in March, with a mean
monthly value of 39.7 degrees Fahrenheit. The monthly high temperature
was 50 degrees Fahrenheit on March 20, and the recorded low was
27 degrees on March 8. Precipitation was 13.81 inches greater
than normal for March, with 24.5 inches reported. Precipitation
occurred on all but three days during the month, and the highest
daily amount was 3.26 inches on March 24.
Graphic courtesy Alaska
Climate Research Center
Temperatures were on the warm side in Juneau, as the average
temperature was 36.5 degrees Fahrenheit, 2.9 degrees above normal
for March. The high was 48 degrees Fahrenheit on March 29 and
the low for the month was 24 degrees Fahrenheit on March 8. Precipitation
was 6.05 inches, 72 percent above normal, and snowfall amounts
were also above normal. The airport reported 12.6 inches, 2.8
inches more than normal for March. Season-to-date snowfall is
62.3 inches, 33 inches below the normal amount. Juneau set a
new daily precipitation record of 0.7 inches on March 23, smashing
the old record of 0.43 inches set in 1960. On the same day, Juneau
set a new snowfall record of 3.1 inches, surpassing the old record
of 1.6 inches set in 2008.
Temperatures in Fairbanks were 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit below the
normal in the month of March, averaging 10.8 degrees Fahrenheit.
The high temperature was 48 degrees Fahrenheit on March 28 and
the low was minus 26 degrees Fahrenheit on March13. Precipitation
was reported as 0.09 inches, just 32 percent of normal, the seventh
consecutive month of below normal precipitation. And, in a month
when snowfall normally averages 5.3 inches,
Fairbanks received just 1.6
inches. At the end of March, the seasonal snowfall total was
24.8 inches, 35.8 inches less than normal for this time in the
season. This is the third-lowest total winter snowfall through
the end of March (for the period 1930-present). While there is
still a chance of snowfall in the next five weeks, this season
may be counted as one of the least snowy on record. Fairbanks
International Airport reported 10 inches of snow on the ground
at the end of the month.
March temperatures in Nome
averaged 8 degrees lower than normal and the average for the
month was 1.2 degrees Fahrenheit. The monthly high temperature
was 29 degrees Fahrenheit on March 19, March 20 and March 26.
The low temperature was minus 32 degrees on March 1. Precipitation
was 0.16 inches, 27 percent of normal. Snowfall was less than
normal, totaling 4.7 inches, bringing the season-to-date snowfall
to 43.5 inches, 11.7 inches less than normal for the time of
year. There were 12 inches of snow on the ground at the end of
March, which is also well below average for Nome.
Barrow had a warmer than normal March, with an average temperature
of minus 9.9 degrees Fahrenheit, 3.8 degrees above normal. The
highest and lowest temperatures were 13 degrees Fahrenheit on
March18 and minus 43 degrees Fahrenheit on March 15. Precipitation
amounts totaled 0.15 inches, 0.06 inches greater than normal.
Snowfall totaled 4.1 inches for the month, which is 2.4 inches
more than normal, bringing the total season-to-date snowfall
to 39.3 inches, 12.2 inches above average. A total of 11 inches
was on the ground by the start of April. On March 10, Barrow
set a new snowfall record of 1 inch, breaking the old record
of 0.8 inches set on that date just last year.
March brought warmer and drier than normal weather to Anchorage.
The mean monthly temperature was 27 degrees Fahrenheit, a departure
of plus 0.9 degrees. The monthly high and lows were 43 degrees
Fahrenheit on March 19, March 29, March 30 and March 31, and
minus 5 degrees on March 10. Precipitation totaled 0.34 inches,
53 percent of normal, and snowfall totaled just 0.65 inches for
the month, 9.6 inches less than normal. The season-to-date total
at the end of March was 51.8 inches, 15.7 inches less than normal
for this time. Just a trace of snow was noticeable on the ground
at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport by month's end.
King Salmon's average temperature recorded for March was 8 degrees
cooler than the 15.5 degrees Fahrenheit average. The high for
the month was 43 degrees Fahrenheit on March 25 and the low was
minus 24 degrees on March 11 - a new record low. The previous
record was minus 23, set on March 11 in 1966. While precipitation
totals were 52 percent below normal for the month (0.41 inches),
snowfall amounts were recorded at 90 percent above average, 11.8
inches being reported at the airport. The below normal value
of
precipitation, but above normal snowfall was caused by the negative
deviation in temperature. A large percentage of the precipitation
fell as snow. At the end of the month there were just 4 inches
on the ground. The seasonal snowfall total-to-date of 43.9 inches
is 2.6 inches above normal.
This information consists of preliminary climatological data
compiled by the Alaska Climate Research Center, Geophysical Institute,
University of Alaska Fairbanks.
On the Web:
Weather and climatology
http://akclimate.org
Source of News:
Alaska Climate Research Center,
Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks
http://akclimate.org.
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