Unprecedented Warm March Blows Several Records Away!

Never in modern climate record keeping had there been a March like this past March for warmth across Southeast Lower Michigan. All three cities (Detroit, Flint and Saginaw) blew away their previous warmest March records by about three degrees! Detroit left it's old record warm March's /1945/ average temperature /47.9/ in the dust by nearly three degrees /+2.8/, while Flint surpassed it's old record March /1945/ temperature /46.0/ by an even wider margin with 3.5 degrees! Saginaw was just a tenth shy of the 3.0 degree exceedance with +2.9 degrees above the old record of 45.1, also in 1945 (see more on March of 1945 from a write up I did back in 1997; including a rather interesting but depressing account of the weather that followed that spring and beyond across the central and northeast portion of the country).

From the climate records at the NWS in White Lake /DTX/:

Top Ten Warmest Marchs

DTW	FNT	MBS
1.    50.7    (2012)	1.    49.5    (2012)	1.    48.0    (2012)
2.    47.9    (1945)	2.    46.0    (1945)	2.    45.1    (1945)
3.    46.1    (1946)	3.    44.6    (1946)	3.    44.0    (1910)
4.    44.0    (2000)	4.    41.4    (1929)	4.    42.0    (1938)
4.    44.0    (1910)	5.    41.3    (2000)	5.    41.9    (1946)
6.    43.3    (1973)	5.    41.3    (1973)	6.    41.4    (2000)
7.    42.5    (1921)	7.    40.8    (1938)	7.    40.7    (1977)
8.    42.4    (2010)	8.    40.4    (1935)	8.    40.6    (1903)
9.    41.6    (1938)	9.    40.1    (1936)	9.    40.5    (1929)
9.    41.6    (1929)	9.    40.1    (1921)	10.   39.4   (2010)

Number of days in which each of the climate site had high temperatures at/or above 60, 70 and 80 degrees in March:

SITE	# Days at or Above 60	# Days at or Above 70	# Days at or above 80
DTW	18	11	3
FNT	18	10	4
MBS	17	10	4

New Daily Records:

March - Detroit Records 1874 - Present

March Normals (1980-2010)				Maximum		Minimum		Average Daily Temperature		Precipitation
Date	Max	Min	Avg	Record High	Lowest Max	Highest Min	Record Low	Highest	Lowest	Greatest	Date
1	40	24	32.0	64/1992	12/1962	47/1882	1/1962	52/1882	7/1962	1.29/2007	1
2	40	24	32.0	63/1991	11/1925	47/1882	-4/1978	55/1882	6/1925	0.82/1976	2
3	40	24	32.0	67/1974	12/1943	42/1974	-4/2003	55/1974	6/1943	1.71/1953	3
4	41	25	33.0	69/1983	16/1895	44/1880	5/1912	55/1983	12/1912	1.18/1895	4
5	41	25	33.0	68/2004	16/1890	49/1894	2/1948	56/1894	11/1890	1.00/2011	5
6	41	25	33.0	67/2009	17/1920	49/2009	2/1901	58/2009	10/1901	0.73/1959	6
7	42	26	34.0	76/2000	16/1920	47/2012	2/1913	58/2012	10/1913	1.06/2009	7
8	42	26	34.0	80/2000	15/1996	56/2000	-1/1943	68/2000	8/1943	0.95/1974	8
9	43	26	34.0	68/1878	20/1937	46/1879	1/1978	56/1879	13/1996	1.20/1998	9
10	43	27	35.0	70/1925	19/1933	44/1878	4/1877	54/1977	13/1877	0.97/2009	10
11	44	27	35.0	72/1977	17/1948	48/1973	7/1960	59/1973	12/1948	0.92/1922	11
12	44	27	36.0	75/1990	16/1896	48/1927	4/1896	59/1990	10/1896	1.13/1877	12
13	44	27	36.0	73/1990	20/1888	57/1990	5/1896	65/1990	13/1896	1.58/1918	13
14	45	28	36.0	77/1990	10/1895	52/1990	2/1895	65/1990	6/1895	1.54/1997	14
15	45	28	37.0	77/2012	17/1893	55/2012	5/1993	66/2012	12/1895	0.93/1912	15
16	46	28	37.0	74/1945	19/1900	56/1945	4/1900	65/1945	12/1900	1.15/1876	16
17	46	29	38.0	75/2012	13/1941	51/1927	-2/1900	62/2012	7/1900	0.97/1973	17
18	47	29	38.0	75/2012	14/1876	51/2012	7/1916	63/2012	10/1876	0.99/1925	18
19	47	30	38.0	76/1921	15/1883	55/1903	4/1885	64/2012	11/1885	0.93/1881	19
20	48	30	39.0	82/2012	11/1885	59/1921	-2/1885	70/2012	4/1885	0.88/1984	20
21	48	30	39.0	84/2012	16/1885	56/2012	-1/1885	70/2012	8/1885	1.03/1994	21
22	48	31	40.0	86/2012	18/1906	55/2012	3/1885	71/2012	11/1885	0.93/1916	22
23	49	31	40.0	73/1994	18/1888	51/1953	2/1888	57/1945	10/1888	0.91/1938	23
24	49	31	40.0	81/1910	16/1888	50/1928	2/1888	61/1928	10/1888	0.96/1947	24
25	50	32	41.0	78/1945	25/1940	51/1963	4/1974	61/1945	17/1974	1.73/1954	25
26	50	32	41.0	81/2007	23/1894	54/2004	11/2001	66/2007	18/1937	1.08/1934	26
27	51	32	42.0	81/2007	27/1955	57/1998	3/1934	68/1998	15/1934	1.35/1880	27
28	51	33	42.0	82/1945	19/1923	59/1910	4/1934	69/1945	15/1923	1.69/1985	28
29	52	33	42.0	78/1986	23/1887	54/1910	7/1887	67/1908	15/1887	0.79/1979	29
30	52	34	43.0	81/1998	29/1969	59/1910	10/1923	67/1998	21/1923	1.76/1922	30
31	53	34	43.0	80/1943	21/1923	60/1998	6/1923	67/1998	14/1923	1.52/1949	31
Normal High: 45.8				Normal HDD: Month: 862				Normal Monthly Precip: 2.28
Normal Low : 28.6				Normal HDD Season: 5405				Normal Yearly Precip: 6.26
Normal Mean: 37.2				Normal CDD: Month: 0				Ave Snow this Month : 6.9
				Normal CDD Season: 0				Ave Snow for the Season: 41.0
Precip: Greatest Monthly Total: 5.63/1913							Snow: Greatest Monthly Total: 30.2/1900
Precip: Least Monthly Total: 0.38/1910							Snow: Least Monthly Total: -1.0/1946

March - Flint Records 1921 - Present

March Normals (1980-2010)				Maximum		Minimum		Average Daily Temperature		Precipitation
Date	Max	Min	Avg	Record High	Lowest Max	Highest Min	Record Low	Highest	Lowest	Greatest	Date
1	37	20	28.0	60/1992	9/1962	37/1985	-11/1967	46/1991	2/1962	0.37/2007	1
2	38	20	29.0	58/1964	9/1950	42/2004	-12/1978	47/2004	6/1978	0.71/1948	2
3	38	20	29.0	68/1974	16/1943	46/1974	-11/2003	57/1974	3/2003	1.10/1941	3
4	38	21	30.0	63/1983	15/2002	45/1983	-2/1978	54/1983	9/1978	1.46/1974	4
5	39	21	30.0	66/2004	20/1960	47/1935	-10/1948	55/1935	6/1948	0.71/2011	5
6	39	21	30.0	67/2009	16/2007	50/1983	-7/1960	54/1983	8/1960	0.77/1956	6
7	40	22	31.0	75/2000	13/1986	49/2012	-6/1999	58/2012	6/1986	0.86/2009	7
8	40	22	31.0	80/2000	13/1996	57/2000	-10/1943	69/2000	5/1943	1.26/1942	8
9	40	22	31.0	67/2000	17/2003	41/2006	-5/1978	51/1977	8/2003	0.87/1998	9
10	41	23	32.0	65/1977	18/1933	39/2010	0/1996	51/1977	13/2003	1.03/1992	10
11	41	23	32.0	68/1977	15/1948	49/1973	-7/1960	59/1973	7/1960	0.64/1957	11
12	42	23	32.0	75/1990	22/1992	54/1990	0/1948	65/1990	12/1992	0.74/2012	12
13	42	24	33.0	76/1990	23/1926	59/1990	-4/1960	68/1990	13/1960	0.99/2006	13
14	43	24	33.0	76/2012	19/1993	58/1990	5/1993	67/1990	12/1993	1.01/1973	14
15	43	24	34.0	78/1990	23/1997	58/2012	3/1960	68/2012	16/1992	0.74/1943	15
16	43	25	34.0	75/2012	27/1950	57/1935	6/1992	64/2012	19/1967	1.92/1942	16
17	44	25	34.0	79/2012	20/1967	56/2012	-5/1926	68/2012	14/1967	0.66/1980	17
18	44	25	35.0	75/2012	20/1939	52/2012	3/1959	64/2012	14/1967	0.38/1989	18
19	45	26	35.0	80/2012	19/1939	50/1976	-1/1923	65/2012	14/1949	2.33/1948	19
20	45	26	36.0	84/2012	18/1986	57/2012	2/1923	71/2012	13/1986	0.95/1996	20
21	46	27	36.0	86/2012	21/1965	54/2012	7/1965	70/2012	14/1965	0.92/1972	21
22	46	27	36.0	84/2012	22/1940	57/1938	7/1940	70/1938	15/1940	1.05/2007	22
23	47	27	37.0	71/1994	19/1940	50/1979	2/1965	60/1979	12/1940	0.69/1938	23
24	47	28	37.0	73/1928	19/1974	54/1936	-7/1965	62/1936	10/1965	0.67/1947	24
25	48	28	38.0	79/1945	23/1937	53/2004	-1/1960	62/1945	13/1960	1.06/1954	25
26	48	28	38.0	76/2007	24/1996	56/2007	4/2001	66/2007	16/2001	0.98/1927	26
27	48	29	39.0	78/1989	26/1955	66/1946	-2/1965	70/1998	15/1965	1.36/1991	27
28	49	29	39.0	79/1945	27/1921	57/1998	3/1934	68/1945	19/1934	1.37/1985	28
29	49	29	39.0	77/1963	31/1970	52/1986	12/1923	64/1986	25/1970	0.94/1973	29
30	50	30	40.0	79/1998	29/1969	62/1998	4/1954	71/1998	18/1954	0.83/1960	30
31	50	30	40.0	77/1943	32/1922	57/1943	0/1923	67/1943	18/1923	1.41/1949	31
Normal High: 43.5				Normal HDD: Month: 957				Normal Monthly Precip: 1.91
Normal Low : 24.8				Normal HDD Season: 6045				Normal Yearly Precip: 5.02
Normal Mean: 34.1				Normal CDD: Month: 0				Ave Snow this Month : 6.5
				Normal CDD Season: 0				Ave Snow for the Season: 45.1
Precip: Greatest Monthly Total: 4.33/1948							Snow: Greatest Monthly Total: 19.4/1965
Precip: Least Monthly Total: 0.25/1958							Snow: Least Monthly Total: -1.0/1945

March - Saginaw Records 1892 - Present

March Normals (1980-2010)				Maximum		Minimum		Average Daily Temperature		Precipitation
Date	Max	Min	Avg	Record High	Lowest Max	Highest Min	Record Low	Highest	Lowest	Greatest	Date
1	36	21	28.0	55/1992	8/1962	37/1985	-11/1962	42/2000	-1/1962	0.79/1987	1
2	36	21	28.0	57/1964	9/1950	37/2004	-12/1962	45/1921	1/1962	1.61/1976	2
3	37	21	29.0	69/1974	13/1972	40/1974	-8/1943	38/2004	0/0	0.69/1953	3
4	37	21	29.0	56/2000	15/2002	37/1964	-6/1962	39/2004	0/0	2.02/1985	4
5	38	22	30.0	63/1910	15/1900	38/1935	-8/1948	48/2004	0/0	0.80/1899	5
6	38	22	30.0	62/1974	11/1913	39/1983	-5/1948	38/2005	0/0	0.95/1956	6
7	38	22	30.0	73/2000	14/1989	47/1983	-7/1978	35/2004	0/0	1.68/1995	7
8	39	23	31.0	78/2000	15/1996	54/2000	-8/1943	37/2006	0/0	1.09/1942	8
9	39	23	31.0	66/2000	16/2003	42/1977	-4/2003	44/2006	0/0	1.23/1918	9
10	40	23	31.0	64/1977	18/2003	38/1977	-1/2003	40/2006	0/0	1.23/1992	10
11	40	24	32.0	68/1977	16/1948	49/1902	0/1948	43/2006	0/0	0.69/1990	11
12	40	24	32.0	73/1990	21/1984	48/1977	-3/1948	47/2006	0/0	1.65/1902	12
13	41	24	32.0	72/1990	22/1993	51/1990	4/1926	47/2006	0/0	0.93/1918	13
14	41	25	33.0	78/2012	19/1993	54/1990	3/1993	58/2012	0/0	0.66/1918	14
15	42	25	33.0	78/2012	20/1916	51/1990	4/1925	65/2012	0/0	0.72/1912	15
16	42	25	34.0	71/1927	19/1900	50/1945	-3/1900	57/2012	0/0	1.86/1942	16
17	43	26	34.0	80/2012	12/1941	46/2012	-2/1900	63/2012	0/0	2.04/1973	17
18	43	26	34.0	74/1903	17/1939	53/2012	6/1939	63/2012	0/0	1.11/1998	18
19	43	26	35.0	80/2012	12/1923	63/1903	-1/1923	67/2012	0/0	2.11/1948	19
20	44	27	35.0	83/2012	20/1986	61/2012	3/1965	72/2012	0/0	0.54/1976	20
21	44	27	36.0	87/2012	18/1965	57/2012	1/1965	72/2012	0/0	0.73/1984	21
22	45	27	36.0	82/1938	21/1940	60/1938	5/1906	64/2012	0/0	1.33/1899	22
23	45	28	36.0	74/1938	18/1940	41/2000	1/1906	52/2005	0/0	1.08/1968	23
24	46	28	37.0	83/1910	15/1974	44/1910	3/1940	52/2003	0/0	1.01/1928	24
25	46	28	37.0	80/1945	22/1960	51/1920	4/1974	44/2005	0/0	1.40/1947	25
26	47	29	38.0	76/2007	24/1996	57/2007	7/1923	48/2005	0/0	1.09/1948	26
27	47	29	38.0	79/1945	26/1955	61/1998	8/1965	50/2005	0/0	1.21/1916	27
28	48	29	38.0	78/1946	16/1923	55/1998	4/1923	54/2003	0/0	1.21/2003	28
29	48	30	39.0	82/1910	24/1970	56/1905	7/1923	45/2005	0/0	0.48/1973	29
30	49	30	39.0	75/1910	23/1923	60/1998	5/1923	53/2005	0/0	0.87/1905	30
31	49	31	40.0	77/1943	18/1923	58/1967	2/1923	57/2006	0/0	1.31/1998	31
Normal High: 42.2				Normal HDD: Month: 969				Normal Monthly Precip: 2.06
Normal Low : 25.3				Normal HDD Season: 6068				Normal Yearly Precip: 5.38
Normal Mean: 33.7				Normal CDD: Month: 0				Ave Snow this Month : 6.4
				Normal CDD Season: 0				Ave Snow for the Season: 39.8
Precip: Greatest Monthly Total: 0.00/							Snow: Greatest Monthly Total: 0.0/
Precip: Least Monthly Total: 0.00/							Snow: Least Monthly Total: 0.0/

Making weather fun while we all learn,
Bill Deedler -SEMI_WeatherHistorian