March 2020 was significantly drier and warmer than normal. My maximum temperature average (60.6°) was 7.1° above normal but my minimum temperature average (41.9°) was even more significantly above normal (+8.5°), resulting in
the mean temperature average of 51.2° to be 7.8° above normal. My total precipitation of 2.46″ was 1.28” below the normal March value for my station of 3.74”. There were 13 days with measurable precipitation, distributed fairly evenly
throughout the month. All daily values were less than one inch as the maximum monthly daily amount was only 0.57” on the 19th. Unfortunately no snow fell during the entire month, effectively ending the 2019-2020 snow season with a meager total of 3.0 inches falling the entire winter.

There really were no significant cold snaps during the month. A telling statistic during the month was in the grand total of only 2 days with freezing minimums the entire month, including the only moderately cold min day of the month (23.8°) on the
1st. There were 7 days with maximums in the 40s, the coldest of which was 44.5° on the rainy 23rd. Four single days interspersed throughout the month featured the only days with maximum values in the 70s, highlighted by the highest reading of the month of 78.2° on the 20th.

Unlike February, there were no severe weather days during March.

The highest dew point temperature reached during the month (20th) was 65°, also the warmest day of the month.. Only two other days during the month had 60° max daily dew points, on the 13th and 29th. The lowest dew point temperature value was reached on the 8th with an 8° reading, which coincided with my lowest relative humidity percentage value of the month (an amazing 13%). This brief, very dry
period marked a heightened fire danger on the still rather dormant vegetation in our gardens and woods in my area. Rains came on to relieve this condition within a few short days thereafter before it got to serious levels. .

March had 13 cloudy days, 11 partly cloudy days, and 7 clear/sunny days. There were 429 heating degree days and 2 cooling degree days during the month. There were
8 foggy days, 7 windy days, and 0 days with snow. The peak wind gust noted from across the street at the USG gauge during February was 45 MPH from the W/NW
late on the 2nd and early on the 3rd day of the month.

My maximum temperature frequencies included 4 days between 70° and 79°, 12 days between 60° and 69°, 8 days between 50° and 59°, and 7 days below 50°.  On the minimum temperature frequency side of things, there was 1 day 30° or below, 11 days between 30.1° and 39°, 17 days between 40° and 49°, and 2 days of 50° or above. The coldest daily max temperature day was 44.5° on the 23rd while the warmest daily min temp day of 56.3° was reached on the 20th.

The diurnal range daily monthly average was 18.7° (- 1.4°). Our greatest daily range of temperature was 36.3° on the 9th (76.2°- 39.9°). We only had a total of 3 days with daily ranges above 30°. Our lowest range of temperature was 4.1° on the rainy 25th (47.5°- 43.4°). There were only a total of 3 days with diurnal temperature ranges of less than 10° during the month, less than half the February amount (8).

March 2020 finished up a virtually snowless and quite mild 2019-2020 meteorological winter period. My meager seasonal snowfall of 3.0” was quite depressing
and probably about 15% of normal with what looks like a predictably snowless April (though with a few surprise close-calls of late actually), as we suffered through a
rather bare-ground winter. There never was any real ice formation on local ponds.

My new Davis Vantage Vue console will be installed as soon as the all-clear travel ban is lifted. I have been using Marty’s spare VP2 console with no problems over the past
few months. I also need to do a firmware update on the weatherlink software along with ithe installation of my new Dell computer, which needs to get my Thunderbird email program loaded on to. I am not sure where Marty and I can find the time to do all this and much more, especially with this current coronavirus pandemic we are under.  All OK on that “front” here right now thank goodness, and hope it is on your end too! I am still actively sheltering in place these days as I am sure you all are doing also.

My March 2020 Data Spreadsheet PDF :   2020-03 Rockville 2.8 WNW MD

MARCH 2020 – ROCKVILLE 2.8 WNW MARYLAND
SUMMARY STATISTICS

Average high temperature 60.6° (+ 7.1°)
Average low temperature  41.9° (+ 8.5°)
Mean temperature             51.2° (+ 7.8°)

Precipitation                                        2.46″ (- 1.28“)
Greatest daily amount (date)               0.57″ (19)
Greatest storm total (dates)               0.66” (18-19)
2020 year-to-date precipitation total 8.90″ (- 0.50”)

Total monthly snowfall 0.0”
Seasonal snowfall         3.0”

High temperature for the month (date) 78.2° (20)
Low temperature for the month (date)  23.8° (1)

Highest barometric pressure (date)   30.58” (22)
Lowest barometric pressure (date)    29.46” (3)

Peak wind gust (date/direction): 45 (2,3/W,NW)
(USG data across the street)

Heating degree days for the month: 429
Cooling degree days for the month:    2

Greatest diurnal range (date): 36.3° (9)
Least diurnal range (date)          4.1° (25)

Number of days:

Fog                   8
Windy               7 (PWG => 30 MPH)
Snow                 0
Sleet/Glaze       0
Cloudy               13
Partly Cloudy     11
Sunny/Clear       7
Max temp = 70°  4
Min temp <= 32°  2
Precip = 0.01”     13