Northern Indiana

Weather Forecast Office

Record March Temperatures

Temperatures across the region for the first 12 days of March 2013 have averaged 2 to 3 degrees below normal. This is in sharp contrast to the record breaking warmth that happened during the same period of March 2012, when temperatures averaged 6 to 8 degrees above normal. March 2012 continued to break numerous temperature records as the early spring warmth persisted. So far, the cooler temperatures have kept early blooming fruit trees and plant growth dormant. The latest forecast and outlooks continue to favor that March 2013 may indeed remain at least slightly cooler than normal.

The following is an in-depth summary of the very warm temperatures that enveloped the region back in 2012...

The long stretch of record-breaking temperatures across the area ended on Thursday, March 22nd as a low pressure system from the Plains moved across the region and brought showers and thunderstorms. With record temperatures for the past nine days, we take a look back at climate records for Fort Wayne and South Bend to see how unusual this month is shaping up to be.

The record warmest temperature ever recorded in March at Fort Wayne was set on Wednesday March 21st. The high temperature hit 87 degrees which broke the previous record of 86 degrees from 03/24/1910. South Bend tied the record warmest march day with a high temperature of 85 degrees.

Fort Wayne

The average temperature for the month of March at Fort Wayne was 52.6 degrees, which is 14.2 degrees above the normal value of 38.4 degrees and the warmest average temperature for March on record by 4.5 degrees. The previous record was 48.1 degrees in 1946. The chart below depicts the record high temperature and the normal high temperature for the period of March 14-22.

Date	Record High and Year	Normal High	Record Broken?	New Record
14th	78 in 1995	47	yes	79
15th	75 in 1977 and 1995	48	yes	81
16th	77 in 1945	48	yes	78
17th	71 in 1945, 1966, 2003, and 2009	49	yes	76
18th	75 in 1903	49	yes	77
19th	76 in 1921	49	yes	83
20th	76 in 1918	50	yes	84
21st	81 in 1907	50	yes	87
22nd	83 in 1907	51	yes	83
23rd	76 in 1910	51	no

Note: With the high temperature of 81 on the 15th, this marks the earliest 81 degree day in the calendar year on record at Fort Wayne. With the high temperature of 83 on the 19th, this marks the earliest 83 degree day in the calendar year on record at Fort Wayne. With the high temperature of 84 on the 20th, this marks the earliest 84 degree day in the calendar year on record at Fort Wayne.

Record high temperatures were set for 9 consecutive days at Fort Wayne. This beat the previous longest streak of consecutive record high temperatures at Fort Wayne of 7 which occured from July 8-14, 1936.

The chart below depicts the record high minimum temperatures and the normal low temperatures from March 15th through March 22nd.

Date	Record Warm Low and Year	Normal Low	Record Broken?	New Record
15th	51 in 1990	28	yes	57
16th	56 in 1919	29	no
17th	50 in 1903	29	no
18th	54 in 1903 and 1905	29	yes	55
19th	59 in 1903	30	no
20th	59 in 1921	30	no
21st	60 in 1907	30	no
22nd	58 in 1938	31	no

As of March 22nd, Fort Wayne had reached at least 70 degrees for 10 consecutive days, which tied for the longest streak in the month of March on record. The 13 seventy plus degree days in March at Fort Wayne was the most total 70+ degree days in the month of March on record.

Consecutive 70+ Degree Days in March

Number of Days	Year
10	1910 and 2012
9	1907
5	1983 and 1990

Total 70+ Degree Days in March

Number of Days	Year
13	2012
10	1910
9	1907
7	2007
6	1945
5	1976, 1983, 1990, 1995, and 1998

Total 80+ Degree Days in March

Number of Days	Year
5	2012
4	1910
3	1907
1	1905, 1938, 1939, 1981, and 1983

With temperatures far above normal, many plants and trees began to bloom. March 2012 saw 226 growing degree days which is the all time record for the month of March. The previous record number of growing degree days in March was 126 in 1910.

Temperatures 30 degrees above normal did not last forever and statistics were compiled to examine the threat for below freezing temperatures and plant killing (28 degrees) temperatures in April and May. These numbers were compared to past years when March saw at least five 70 degree or greater days.

Number of Days with a Minimum Temperature of 32 Degrees or Below in Years following a March with 5 or Greater Days above 70 Degrees

Year	April	May	June	Total Days	Lowest Temp
1907	16	4	0	20	20
1910	8	9	1	18	14
1945	7	2	0	9	28
1968	9	1	0	10	25
1976	11	2	0	13	23
1983	7	0	0	7	21
1989	10	0	0	10	19
1990	12	0	0	12	23
1995	6	0	0	6	16
1998	5	0	0	5	29
2007	12	0	0	12	20
2012	7	0	0	7	28
Average (1897-Present)	8	0.6	0	8.6

Number of Days with a Minimum Temperature of 28 Degrees or Below in Years following a March with 5 or Greater Days above 70 Degrees

Year	April	May	Total Days
1907	10	0	10
1910	2	2	4
1945	0	1	1
1968	2	0	2
1976	5	0	5
1983	3	0	3
1989	4	0	4
1990	7	0	7
1995	2	0	2
1998	0	0	0
2007	7	0	7
2012	3	0	3
Average (1897-present)	3.6	0.1	3.7

We also took a look at summers following a warm March to see if any discernible pattern could be observed. The data shows temperatures remarkably near normal during the summer months of these years with a warm March. The table below shows the average temperature for the summer months following a March with 5 or more 70+ degree days.

Average Temperatures for summer months in years when March saw 5 or more 70+ degree days.

Total Days March 70+	Year	Mar	Jun	Jul	Aug	Annual
13	2012	52.6	72.1	79.4	70.3	?
10	1910*	50.3	65.5	75.8	70.8	50.8
9	1907*	44.6	66.9	72.3	69.8	49.1
7	2007	43	71.5	71.8	74.2	51.3
6	1945	47.9	65.6	70.6	70.5	48.4
5	1976	43.6	71.2	72.9	69	49
5	1983	41	72	78.8	78.3	52.3
5	1990	42	69.5	71.9	69.8	52
5	1995	41.3	71.8	75.1	78.3	50.4
5	1998	39.7	69.8	71.5	71.8	53.3
Averages (excluding 2012)		43.7	69.3	73.4	70.2	50.7
Current Normals		38.4	70.1	73.6	71.3	50.4
Departure from Normal		5.3	-0.8	-0.2	1.0	0.3

*Missing data in 1907 and 1910.

South Bend

The average temperature for the month of March at South Bend was 52.8 degrees, which is 15.3 degrees above the normal of 37.5 degrees. This is 5.4 degrees above the previous record warmest March on record which was 47.4 degrees in 1946. The chart below depicts the record high temperature and the normal high temperature for the period of March 14 to March 22nd.

Date	Record High and Year	Normal High	Record Broken?	New Record
14th	76 in 1990 and 1995	46	yes	81
15th	76 in 1935	46	yes	81
16th	77 in 1945	47	yes	79
17th	75 in 1894	47	yes	78
18th	76 in 1903	47	yes	77
19th	77 in 1921	48	yes	79
20th	76 in 1921	48	yes	83
21st	79 in 1938	49	yes	85
22nd	81 in 1938	49	yes	83
23rd	78 in 1907	49	no

Note: The daily average temperature on the 15th at South Bend was 72 degrees. This is tied for the warmest average daily temperature on record during the first three months of the calendar year. The average temperature was also 72 degrees on March 26th, 2007.

Record high temperatures were set for 9 consecutive days at South Bend. This is the second longest streak of consecutive record high temperatures at South Bend. The longest streak is 10 consecutive days of record temperatures which occured from July 7-16, 1936.

The chart below depicts the record high minimum temperatures and the normal low temperatures from March 15th through March 22nd.

Date	Record Warm Low and Year	Normal Low	Record Broken?	New Record
15th	48 in 1946, 1977, and 1990	28	yes	63
16th	57 in 1935	28	no
17th	47 in 1894 and 1946	29	yes	55
18th	58 in 1894	29	yes	61
19th	61 in 1903	29	no
20th	62 in 1921	30	yes	65
21st	51 in 1894	30	yes	62
22nd	61 in 1938	30	no

Through March 22nd, South Bend reached at least 70 degrees for 9 consecutive days, which is the 2nd such longest streak in the month of March on record. Also, South Bend reached at least 70 degrees 10 days in March, which the second most days in the month of March on record.