March came and went, much like most of this winter (2011-2012), with little fanfare.
We broke one last record for March 2012, we ended up with the warmest March on record.
This record has stood for almost 70 yrs
| Year | March Avg Temp |
| 2012 | 46.7 °F |
| 1945 | 44.4 °F |
| 1946 | 43.9 °F |
| 1973 | 42.6 °F |
| 1903 | 42.1 °F |
| 1921 | 42.0 °F |
| 1910 | 41.2 °F |
| 1929 | 41.0 °F |
| 2010 | 40.5 °F |
| 1936 | 40.2 °F |
Feds: Cause of “meteorological March madness” was mostly chance
For much of March, record temperatures hit as high as 35 degrees above normal and averaged about 18 degrees warmer than usual. The United States broke or tied at least 7,733 daily high temperature records in March, which is far more than the number of records broken in last summer’s heat wave or in a blistering July 1995 heat wave, according to federal records.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration analyzed the causes and chances of what it nicknamed “meteorological March madness.” Meteorologist Martin Hoerling said the main cause was a persistent warm wind sending toasty air north from the Gulf of Mexico. The study is not peer-reviewed and some outside scientists say it is short-sighted.
“Climate change was certainly a factor, but it was certainly a minor factor,” Hoerling said.
He said the bigger issue was wind patterns. Low pressure in the Pacific Northwest and high pressure in New England created a perfect funnel, like the gutter lane in a bowling alley, for warm air in the Gulf of Mexico to head north. That air is about 15 to 20 degrees warmer than the air in the Midwest. From time to time that air heads north, but what is unusual is that the wind pattern stayed that way for about two weeks.