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March brought warm and dry conditions for Alaska’s midsection, while cool and wet conditions prevailed for the eastern and western ends of the state. The strongest temperature departures occurred for the Interior and Southcentral portions of the state, and were in the 4-6 degrees Fahrenheit range. Along with the warmth, most of these areas experienced drier than normal conditions for the month. Precipitation anomalies were strongest for the western third of the state, with some locations reporting more than twice the normal amount for the month. In Alaska, March is normally one of the driest months of the year. The vernal equinox, or time of equal daylight and darkness across the globe, occurred on March 20.

Overall, it was a warmer than normal month in Fairbanks this March. The mean monthly temperature was 15.4 degrees, which is 4.3 degrees above average. The average high and low temperatures were 28 degrees and 3 degrees, respectively. The absolute highest temperature was 46 degrees on March 7 that set a new record high for that date. The absolute low temperature was minus 16 degrees on March 1. With the warmth, heating degree-days were about 150 units below average, with 1,529. Snowfall was 4.1 inches less than normal for March, with only 1.4 inches. This continues a trend for the winter season. By month’s end, there were 15 inches of snow on the ground at the Fairbanks International Airport. Liquid water equivalent precipitation totaled a tenth of an inch, almost three times lower than average.

The average temperature in Big Delta was almost 5 degrees above normal for March at 18.9 degrees. The average high and low temperatures also were well above normal at 29 degrees and 9 degrees, respectively. On March 5, the high for the month was 46 degrees that set a new record for that date. Just a few days earlier, on March 1, the low for the month was minus 13 degrees. Heating degree-days were 245 units less than normal, due to the warmth at 1,576 units. Liquid water equivalent precipitation was just seven-tenths of an inch, about 30 percent of the normal March total. No snow data were available at the time of this summary.

Warm and dry characterized Anchorage this March, with an average temperature of 30.6 degrees, which was 4.7 degrees above normal. The snowfall total for the month was 2 inches, which is 8.3 inches below normal. High temperatures averaged 37 degrees and low temperatures averaged 24 degrees. The absolute high for the month was 45 degrees on March 9. The absolute low was 12 degrees on March 1. Heating degree-days were 150 less than normal for March, with 1,061 units. Along with a light snowfall total, there was a low liquid water equivalent precipitation total of 0.41 inches. This amount is a quarter-of-an-inch below average. A 5-inch snowpack was on the ground at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport by the start of April.

It wasn’t until the last few days of March that temperatures elevated above 0 degrees in Barrow. The average high and low temperatures were minus 10 degrees and minus 22 degrees, respectively. The absolute high was 13 degrees on March 31. The absolute monthly low temperature was minus 36 degrees the first days of March. Overall, the month was 2.4 degrees cooler than normal, with a mean monthly temperature of minus 16.1 degrees. Because of this, heating degree-days were about 100 units above average at 2,521. The seasonal snowpack stayed at a constant 14 inches at the airport. Only a few trace snow events occurred in March. There was no measurable liquid water precipitation reported.

Nome’s temperature conditions averaged close to March climatology this year. The mean for the month was 9 degrees, just two-tenths of a degree cooler than normal. The average high and low temperatures were 16 degrees and 2 degrees, respectively. The high for the month was 35 degrees, and was reported and on March 7. The low of minus 17 degrees occurred on March 19. Heating degree-days also were near normal, with 1,732 units. Snowfall for the month totaled 10 inches, bringing the seasonal total up to 93 inches. The snowfall amount was about 35 inches more than normal. The seasonal snowpack decreased in depth during the month, though 37 inches were on the ground at the airport by the start of April. Liquid precipitation was almost a quarter-of-an-inch more than normal at 0.83 inches.

Juneau weather conditions were on the warmer and wetter side of normal this March. The average temperature was 35.1 degrees, which is about 1.5 degrees above normal. The average high and low for the month was 41 degrees and 30 degrees, respectively. The absolute high for the month was 45 degrees and occurred on March 28. The low was 18 degrees on March 15. The high of 44 degrees on March 3 tied the record high for that date. Snowfall at the airport was a few inches more than normal for the month at 13.5 inches. This brought the seasonal snowfall total just shy of 97 inches. Liquid precipitation was just more than 4 inches. Heating degree-days totaled 919 units, about 50 less than normal.

March brought wetter than normal conditions to Ketchikan this year. Precipitation totaled 14.63 inches, which is 3.3 inches more than normal. March 2 brought a one-day total of 3.19 inches of precipitation. There were only six completely dry days during the month. Temperatures averaged 37.1 degrees, slightly cooler than normal for March. High and low temperatures averaged 42 degrees and 32 degrees, respectively. The absolute high temperature was 46 degrees on March 9 and March 29. The absolute low temperature registered at 28 degrees on March 10, 12, 23, 26, 27, and 28. Heating degree-days were 40 units more than normal for March, with a total of 855 units.

Temperature and precipitation conditions were quite close to normal in King Salmon this March. The average temperature for the month was 23.4 degrees, cooler than normal by only two-tenths of a degree. High and low temperatures averaged 30 degrees and 16 degrees, respectively. The absolute high and low temperatures were 48 degrees on March 31 and minus 11 degrees on March 20. Precipitation (in liquid water) totaled 0.77 inch, just a few tenths shy of normal. Snowfall was 3.5 inches above average, with 9.7 inches. However, there was no snow on the ground by the month’s end. Heating degree-days were right about average for March, with 1,282 units.

This information consists of preliminary climatological data that was compiled by Martha Shulski at the Alaska Climate Research Center, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks. For more information on weather and climatology, contact the center at 474-7885 or visit the center Web site at climate.gi.alaska.edu. Please report any errors to webmaster@climate.gi.alaska.edu.