The Great March Heatwave

[westMJim]

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.

[Hoosier]

Nice stats.  It's unforgettable for sure.

[PhiEaglesfan712]

Of course, that cold that didn't last for long. Many of those areas had a historically warm May as well.

[OttumwaSnomow]

2012 was horrible  here in SE Iowa. I unofficially  measured  30 days over 100! And around 70 days over 90! And many days over 105. I saw on a accurate  shaded thermometer  111F!   We literally  had almost  no rain June July Aug. A derecho rolled thru about  June 20th 2012. Knocking 100s of 100 yr old trees down. It was our only significant  rain.

It was then I learned  how torrid hot Iowa can be, cracked and dusty!  Lack of precip now quite common  but the heat was historic!

[PhiEaglesfan712]

8 hours ago, OttumwaSnomow said:

2012 was horrible  here in SE Iowa. I unofficially  measured  30 days over 100! And around 70 days over 90! And many days over 105. I saw on a accurate  shaded thermometer  111F!   We literally  had almost  no rain June July Aug. A derecho rolled thru about  June 20th 2012. Knocking 100s of 100 yr old trees down. It was our only significant  rain.

It was then I learned  how torrid hot Iowa can be, cracked and dusty!  Lack of precip now quite common  but the heat was historic!

If I remember correctly, the Derecho was the 29th. June 2012 was almost like April 2012 temperaturewise in the Eastern US, close to normal. Here in the Philly area, the first half of June was cool, like the 2nd half of April. After the Derecho was widespread, historic heat. July was another month of well above average temperatures for the Eastern US, following March and May.

[Black Hole]

The la nina summers of 2011 and 2012 were both brutal here with 44 and 38 days above 100 respectfully and multiple 110+ days as well. Awful. Certainly some parallels to 2012 and this year.