Weather

March 2018 Saint Cloud Weather Summary

Year-to-Date Graph Return to Daily Statistics by Month Table

Saint Cloud Weather Summary for March 2018

March Sorely Lacking True Spring Weather

Meteorological winter ended with the end of February, but spring weather was hard to come by in central Minnesota. While there were milder periods, the temperatures only managed to warm into the 40's. And, the snow kept cominb, especially early and late in the month. The net result was a cooler than average March. The average St. Cloud temperature was 28.2 degrees, 1.2 degrees colder than average. The middle of the month featured 7 days with highs in the 30's and the relatively moist air kept low temperatures no colder than 14 for all of the last three weeks, except for the last day. Unfortunately, during this period, the coldest of the cold air remained in place in extreme northern and northeastern Canada, which would become a factor late in the month and into April.

The March snowfall was 15.4 inches as the seasonal snowfall continued its rally from more than 10 inches behind in mid-February to near average by the end of March. There were two relatively large storms, 6.5 inches on March 5-6 and 6.3 inches on March 30-31. Daily record snowfalls were tied on March 5 with 6.0 inches and on March 30 with 2.8 inches.

The two major snowstorms were wet snowstorms, so the 0.73 inch melted precipitation contained in the March 5 snowfall also set a daily record. The total March precipitation was 1.99 inch, 0.44 inch above average.

March 2018 Statistics

Temperatures (°F)
Mar 2018
Average
Average High Temperature (°F)
36.8
39.0
Average Low Temperature (°F)
19.7
19.8
Mean Temperature for March (°F)
28.2
29.4
 
March Extremes
Temperature(°F)
Date
Warmest High Temperature for March 2018 (°F)
48
March 27
Coldest High Temperature for March 2018 (°F)
26
March 31
Warmest Low Temperature for March 2018 (°F)
32
March 3, 4
Coldest Low Temperature for March 2018 (°F)

4

March 2
Record Temperatures in March 2018
Temperature(°F)
Date
Old Record
No Records Set
Temperature Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
March 2018 Days with High Temperatures <= 32°F
6
10.1
Cold Season 2017-2018 Days with High Temperatures <= 32°F 80 87.7
March 2018 Days with High Temperatures <= 0°F
0
0.0

Cold-season 2017-2018 Days with High Temperatures <= 0°F

5
4.3
March 2017 Days with Low Temperatures <= 32°F
31
28.0

Cold-season 2016-2017 Days with Low Temperatures <= 32°F

160
155.4
March 2017 Days with Low Temperatures <= 0°F
0
3.5

Cold-season 2017-2018 Days with Low Temperatures <= 0°F

42 (including 1 in April)
42.7
March 2018 Days with Low Temperatures <= -20°F
0
0.0

Cold-season 2017-2018 Days with Low Temperatures <= -20°F

2
5.4
St. Cloud Historic -20°F Lows   Link to 10 Warmest/Coldest Marches
Liquid Equivalent Precipitation (in)
March 2018
Normal
March 2018 Melted Precipitation (in)
1.99
1.55
March Extremes
Precipitation (in)
Date
Most Daily Precipitation in March 2018
0.73 inch (set record; see below)
March 5
Daily Precipitation Records
Amount (inches)
Date
Old Record
Daily Record Precipitation
0.73 inch
March 5
0.56 in 1896
Precipitation Thresholds
Number of Days
Normal
March 2018 Days with Measurable (>= 0.01 inch) Precipitation
8
7.1
March 2018 Days with >= 0.10 inch Precipitation
6
3.3
March 2018 Days with >= 0.25 inch Precipitation
2
1.8
March 2018 Days with >= 0.50 inch Precipitation
1
0.7
March 2018 Days with >= 1.00 inch Precipitation
0
0.1

Link to 10 Wettest/Driest Marches Complete list of Saint Cloud March Records
Snowfall (in)
March 2018
Normal
March 2018 Saint Cloud Airport Snowfall (in)
15.4
8.1
2017-2018 Seasonal Snowfall (1 Oct 2017 - 31 Mar 2018)
47.9
45.8

10 Whitest Cold Seasons

Snowfall Thresholds
Number of Days
Average
March 2018 Days with Measurable (>= 0.1 inch) Snowfall
6
5.3
2017-2018 Cold Season Total Days with Measurable (>= 0.1 inch) Snowfall
32
31.8
March 2018 Days with >= 1.0 inch Snowfall
4
2.8
2017-2018 Cold Season Total Days with >= 1.0 inch Snowfall
16
14.0.
March 2018 Days with >= 2.0 inch Snowfall
3
1.5
2017-2018 Cold Season Total Days with >= 2.0 inch Snowfall
7
7.6
March 2018 Days with >= 5.0 inch Snowfall
1
0.1
2017-2018 Cold Season Total Days with >= 5.0 inch Snowfall
2
1.4
     
March Extremes
Snowfall (in)
Date
Most Daily Snowfall (in) in March 2018
6.0
March 5
Daily Snowfall Records
Amount (inches)
Date
Old Record
Daily Record Snowfall
6.0 inches (tie)
March 5
tied record in 1900 and 1908
2.8 inches
March 30
1.8 inches in 1938

 

Historic temperature data provided courtesy of the Saint Cloud National Weather Service Office, and NOAA/NWS
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Send comments to: raweisman@stcloudstate.edu