March Was The Fifth Warmest Month On Record In Washington

March was another month of record high temperatures for Washington – the fifth in the last nine months.

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“Last month was again abnormally mild, and there was minimal frost during the final three weeks of March,” Gerrit Hoogenboo, Washington State University (WSU) AgWeatherNet director says. “Crop development is generally two to three weeks ahead of schedule, and south central Washington cherries and apples were already at or near bloom by month’s end.”

AgWeatherNet, provides real-time data for  WSU’s statewide weather network. The station is located at WSU Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Prosser.

Temperatures recorded in Prosser, WA, were five degrees warmer than normal. One day in specific, March 27 was record-setting for Wapato, where the high reached 80°F. Pullman logged 72°F.

Nic Loyd, a meteorologist with AgWeatherNet,, says a large and persistent atmospheric circulation pattern is to blame for these record temperatures.

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“The background state has featured a warm, semi-permanent ridge of high pressure near Washington,” Loyd says. “Unfortunately, it has been behaving like the thing from another world. Even when the ridge finally seems to disappear, it quickly returns as strong as ever within a few days.”

Although Pullman recorded a high of 72°F on March 27, a low of 19°F occurred on March 4. The low in Mount Vernon was 53°F on March 11.

Rainfall was all over the place, with Long Beach, WA, registering 1.8 inches of rain on March 15.

Meteorologists expect warm and dry conditions to continue throughout the rest of the year. A stronger El Niño may also be possible. With a stronger El Niño this coming winter, there is a higher possibility of a low snowpack again.

Source: WSU news release

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