Welcome to the month of March. According to convention, meteorological spring has begun its run with the three month interval, March, April and May. The name March apparently comes from "Maritus", named for "Mars", a mythical Roman god of war, in honor of the end of winter and the resumption of military campaigns.
WEATHER OVER THE WEEKEND -- By the beginning of the weekend, portions of New England had been buried by more than a foot and a half of snow from a nor'easter -- a storm system that moves northeastward along the Atlantic Coast and which is preceded by strong northeasterly winds. Cape Cod and portions of southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island reported the heaviest snow. High winds were also a problem, creating near-blizzard conditions. This storm system finally moved into the Maritimes and the residual snow on the west side of the storm came to an end on Friday evening.
Farther west, a double-barreled low pressure system moved across the Rockies late Thursday night. Snow was reported across the higher terrain of Montana and Wyoming. This system reorganized on the lee side of the mountains on Friday, and by evening, one low pressure center was located in the Dakotas, while another low was situated near Kansas City, MO. To the south of that low pressure system, a flow of warm, humid Gulf air northward assisted in the development of showers and thunderstorms across the Plains. On Friday morning thunderstorms in western Iowa produced large hail. Chanute, KS reported a record high temperature of 75 degrees on Friday afternoon.
On Saturday, the storm system moved northeastward, toward the western Great Lakes. Thunderstorms became severe in the "warm sector" of the storm system situated to the south and southeast of the low pressure center between the warm front that extended eastward across the Ohio Valley and cold front that trailed southwestward across the mid Mississippi Valley into east Texas. On Saturday morning thunderstorms dropped large hail, with diameters in excess of an inch, across portions of south central Missouri. A report of 2.25 inch hail was made from St. Louis. A tornado was reported in Illinois approximately 15 miles to the east of St. Louis, MO in early afternoon. Hail and damaging winds continued across southern Illinois and into southern Indiana. Two people were injured by winds that destroyed mobile homes in southwestern Kentucky on Saturday afternoon. Later in the afternoon, the thunderstorm activity shifted southward, as high winds caused damage across portions of southern Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. Large hail was also reported across the region. The thunderstorms moved eastward into Alabama and Georgia during Saturday evening, causing additional wind damage and large hail across widely scattered sections of these two states. Warm conditions continued across the southern Plains to the south of the advancing cold front, as the Saturday afternoon high temperature at Austin, TX was a record 87 degrees.
The storm system and accompanying precipitation continued to move across the Great Lakes on Sunday morning. As the storm continued to move toward Georgian Bay on Sunday morning, the northerly and northwesterly winds to the west of the low brought cold air southward across the western Great Lakes into Michigan. By sunrise on Sunday morning, three inches of lake-enhanced snow had fallen across northern Lower Michigan, and by evening, at least one location had received nine inches.
To the east and south of the storm, a large region of rain extended from the Great Lakes into the Middle Atlantic States and southward into the Appalachians on Sunday morning. Farther south along the eastward moving cold front, strong thunderstorms moved across the Southeast, causing some wind damage in the Florida Panhandle during the predawn hours of Sunday morning. Large hail was reported in South Carolina. Later on Sunday afternoon, minor wind damage from a thunderstorm was also reported near Fayetteville, NC. Dayton Beach, FL recorded 1.24 inches of rain on Sunday, setting a new record rainfall for the date.
In the Pacific Northwest, the nearly two day hiatus from storms ended on Saturday morning as the next storm system came on shore over Washington State's Olympic Peninsula. This storm system brought heavy rain, high-elevation snow and windy conditions to the Pacific Northwest. Even with the passage of the cold front, the onshore flow of moist Pacific air continued to produce heavy rainfall across western Oregon. Nearly 3 inches of rain were reported for the 24 hours ending Sunday morning at Grants Pass. Inland, heavy snow, with amounts exceeding 4 inches, was reported. Gusts to 70 mph were reported along the coast near Tillamook, OR. Flooding has occurred on various area rivers. Mudslides have also caused problems, affecting highways and disrupting train traffic.
This persistent onshore flow, coupled with the numerous Pacific storm systems that have crossed the Pacific Northwest over this winter season have produced some amazing snow totals to date. Mt. Baker in Washington State has already received approximately 850 inches of snow (or more than 70 feet). Paradise Lodge at Mount Rainier National Park near Seattle has had approximately 756 inches of snow. With the heavy snows, avalanches could remain a major problem. At least one fatality and two people are missing as a result of avalanches so far this year.
A ridge of high pressure was situated over the Great Basin over the weekend. Record high temperatures were tied Sunday in Utah at Delta (74 degrees), Heber City (64 degrees) and Park City (55 degrees).
WEATHER FOR STARTING THE NEW WEEK -- .By Sunday night, the storm that moved through the Great Lakes states over the weekend had undergone an evolutionary process where the southern low pressure center, located near New York City had become the dominant center. A warm front extended eastward across southern New England, and a cold front stretched southward along the Middle Atlantic Coast to the Outer Banks of North Carolina before continuing out to sea. The northern low pressure center remained nearly stationary near Georgian Bay was beginning to weaken. A widespread region of precipitation associated with the storm system stretched from the Southeast northward into the Middle Atlantic states and westward into the eastern Great Lakes. Except for some light lake-enhanced snow that continued across lower Michigan in the cold northwesterly flow around the Georgian Bay low pressure system, most of the precipitation was in the form of rain. Some light snow also fell across northern portions of interior New England and Upstate New York.
By Monday morning the low pressure system near New York City should be located near Boston, MA. Most of the precipitation in the eastern quadrant of the storm system was expected to turn to rain as the warm air moved northeastward across New England. The heavy rain falling upon the several feet of snow cover could cause some localized flooding. In the colder air to the north and west of the storm system, winter weather advisories were issued for the Adirondacks for 3 t o 5 inches of new snow. Winter weather advisories were also issued through Monday for snow across western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Windy conditions should be associated with this storm. Gale warnings were in effect from New York's Long Island, to include portions of Long Island Sound to Eastport, ME.
The storm system that made landfall on Saturday had moved eastward and was located over to the north of the US-Canadian border in eastern Alberta as of late Sunday night. A cold front trailed southwestward over northwestern Montana, the Idaho Panhandle and into Oregon. Snow was falling across the northern Rockies. Widely scattered rain was reported in western Washington and Oregon. Farther south, a large area of rain fell across northern California near San Francisco Bay. This storm system is expected to continue to the east, while the cold front should push to the south and east.
A tight pressure gradient continued to produce strong southwesterly or westerly winds along the Pacific Northwest coast behind the cold front. Gale warnings were in effect for the Washington State Coast from Cape Flattery to Cape Shoalwater. Heavy surf advisories were posted for the Oregon coast from the mouth of the Columbia River south to Cape Arago and along the west facing beaches in California of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Los Angeles Counties.
TEMPERATURE EXTREMES IN THE COTERMINOUS U.S. -- The lowest temperature on Sunday was 2 degrees below zero at Presque Isle, ME while Sunday's highest temperature was 88 degrees at Thermal, CA.
ALASKAN WEATHER -- A large storm system, with a complex of several low pressure centers, was located over the north Gulf coast on Sunday. An area of light snow extended inland over portions of interior and western Alaska. A low pressure system located over the southern portion of the Panhandle was responsible for rain at Annette and other locations in the Panhandle. Gusty winds, reaching 35 mph, were reported over the southern sections of the Panhandle. A weak trough of low pressure located over Bristol Bay was moving toward the western end of the Alaska Peninsula. Gusty winds were found over Bristol Bay and the eastern Aleutians.
A high pressure ridge extended from over the Russian Far East across the Bering Sea. Relatively cloud-free skies were found across the northwest corner of Alaska and the Seward Peninsula. Subzero temperatures on Sunday afternoon were reported north of the Brooks Range and on the Seward Peninsula.
The strong pressure gradient that developed between this high pressure ridge and the low pressure systems over the Gulf of Alaska produced brisk northerly winds over much of western Alaska. As a result of the winds and subzero air temperatures, wind-chill advisories were in effect for the southern coast along Kotzebue Sound for wind-chill equivalent temperatures of 70 degrees below zero, and along the coastal regions of the Kuskokwim Delta and Bristol Bay for equivalent temperatures to 55 degrees below zero.
On Sunday night, Whittier experienced blizzard conditions as winds to 45 mph caused visibilities to fall to a quarter mile in snow and blowing snow.
The coldest overnight temperatures in the state on Sunday morning were 34 degrees below zero at Umiat. The highest mid-afternoon temperature in the state was 46 degrees at Klawok, Metlakatla and Annette.
HAWAIIAN WEATHER -- A shear line, or the southern terminus of a slow-moving midlatitude cold front, was found over the islands on Sunday. This front, accompanied by clouds and isolated showers, was weakening. Another low pressure system to the northwest of Kauai was moving southeast toward located the islands. By Monday this low should be within 600 miles of Oahu before the low turns and moves toward the northeast. Light winds were expected to until Monday, before stronger northeast trade winds develop in association with a high pressure system that should move into the region behind the low pressure system. Ten foot high surf from the north necessitated high surf advisories for the north shores of the islands. Early on Saturday morning water and debris from high surf were reported across roads along the north shore of Oahu.
A FEBRUARY TO REMEMBER -- So you think that this just concluded February was bad? The National Climate Data Center (NCDC) has produced a feature entitled Climate-Watch, February 1999 that includes a description of the "Great Cold Wave of February, 1899". Subzero temperatures were recorded along the Gulf Coast and ice was observed in the Gulf of Mexico. All-time record lowest temperatures for Florida, Louisiana, Nebraska and Ohio set during this month still stand after one hundred years.
LOOKING FOR SIGNS OF SPRING -- After a relatively mild winter, some signs of an early spring have begun to appear across the country. However, the recent snows across the Northwest and New England may provide a momentary setback for spring. Check the Monday optional Supplemental Information for a discussion of various spring-time phenological observations.
BECOMING AWARE -- During this coming week of 1-8 March, Oklahoma, Illinois, West Virginia and Kentucky will observe their Severe/hazardous Weather Awareness Week. . These weeks are usually scheduled before the onset of the severe weather season. If you live in any of these states, you should take time to become familiar with the various public affairs announcements issued by your local National Weather Service Office. Other states will observe their Severe Weather Awareness weeks in the next month.
From the files of the Aviation Weather Center, Kansas City, MO and Intellicast
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Prepared by Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D., email hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
© Copyright, 1999, The American Meteorological Society.