Record-Setting Warm March Weather

A STRETCH OF WEATHER IN MID-MARCH HAS BEEN MUCH WARMER THAN
USUAL ACROSS THE CENTRAL U.S., WITH NUMEROUS RECORDS FALLING ACROSS
THE AREA.  THE WARM WEATHER HAS BEEN TRIGGERED BY A NUMBER OF
WEATHER AND CLIMATE FACTORS, INCLUDING STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS NEAR
AND JUST ABOVE THE GROUND, A JET STREAM THAT HAS LOCKED COLD AIR
WELL NORTH OF THE CENTRAL U.S., LACK OF A SNOWPACK TO THE NORTH, AND
A PERSISTENTLY POSITIVE NORTH ATLANTIC OSCILLATION, WHICH IS A
WEATHER PATTERN THAT FAVORS WARMTH IN THE EASTERN AND CENTRAL U.S.
 
THIS YEAR MARKS THE WARMEST MARCH TO DATE ON RECORD AT OMAHA,
LINCOLN, AND NORFOLK.  WITH WARM TEMPERATURES EXPECTED THROUGH AT
LEAST THE NEXT 7-10 DAYS, A NEAR-RECORD TO RECORD WARM MARCH IS
POSSIBLE.
 
THE RECORDS THAT HAVE BEEN BROKEN AT EACH SITE SO FAR IN MARCH ARE
LISTED BELOW.
 
OMAHA:
DAILY RECORDS SET IN MARCH 2012:
DATE       RECORD                 PREVIOUS RECORD
MARCH 13   WARM MAX TEMP    81    80 (2007)
MARCH 14   WARM MIN TEMP    49    48 (1945, 1902)
MARCH 16   WARM MIN TEMP    52    49 (2003)
MARCH 16   WARM MAX TEMP    81    81 (TIES WITH 1966)
MARCH 17   WARM MIN TEMP    62^   56 (1894)
MARCH 17   WARM MAX TEMP    84^   84 (TIES WITH 1894)
MARCH 17   WARM AVG TEMP    73^   70 (1894)
MARCH 18   WARM MIN TEMP    65    57 (1903)
 
LINCOLN:
DAILY RECORDS SET IN MARCH 2012:
DATE       RECORD                 PREVIOUS RECORD
MARCH 13   WARM MAX TEMP    83    80 (2007)
MARCH 17   WARM MIN TEMP    60^   58 (1894)
MARCH 17   WARM AVG TEMP    71.5^ 71 (1894)
MARCH 18   WARM MIN TEMP    62    56 (1903)
 
NORFOLK:
DAILY RECORDS SET IN MARCH 2012:
DATE       RECORD                 PREVIOUS RECORD
MARCH 13   WARM MAX TEMP    80    76 (1946)
MARCH 16   WARM MAX TEMP    84    78 (2009)
MARCH 17   WARM MIN TEMP    62*^  57 (1894)
MARCH 17   WARM MAX TEMP    84    79 (1994)
MARCH 17   WARM AVG TEMP    73*^  71 (1943)
MARCH 18   WARM MIN TEMP    64    48 (1921)
MARCH 18   WARM MAX TEMP    84    82 (1921)
 
* THESE ARE ALSO ALL-TIME RECORDS FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH
^ THESE ARE RECORD EARLIEST READINGS TO REACH THAT TEMPERATURE


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