March 2019 Climate Summary

Overview and Graphics

March 2019 Precipitation and Temperatures

March 2019 began with well-below normal temperatures. Record cold maximum temperatures of 10F and 12F were set at Rockford and Chicago, respectively, on March 4th. Beyond the first week of March, temperatures averaged near normal.

Precipitation ranged from below normal north to near or above normal south. Nearly half of the precipitation near the Wisconsin state line occurred on March 13th and helped contribute to major flooding on the Rock River basin.

March 2019 snowfall was well-below normal north to near or slightly above normal south. Nearly all of the snow that fell across the south half came from a quick-moving low pressure system during the early morning of 3/17.

Chicago and Rockford Monthly Summary

...A Look Back at the Climate for the Month of March 2019 for
Chicago and Rockford...

At Chicago, the average high temperature was 42.7 degrees, which
is 3.9 degrees below normal. The average low temperature was 25.9
degrees, which is 3.3 degrees below normal. The average
temperature for the month was 34.3 degrees, which is 3.6 degrees
below normal. During the month of March, 2.09" of precipitation
was recorded, which is 0.41" below normal. 0.3" of snow was
recorded, which is 5.3" below normal.

One daily record was set for Chicago for the month of March 2019:
* Record daily lowest maximum temperature of 12 degrees on the 4th.

One Top Ten Monthly Record:
**Tied 7th least snowy March on record since 1872 with 0.3".


At Rockford, the average high temperature was 42.8 degrees, which
is 4.1 degrees below normal. The average low temperature was 24.6
degrees, which is 2.9 degrees below normal. The average
temperature for the month was 33.7 degrees, which is 3.5 degrees
below normal. During the month of March, 2.09" of precipitation
was recorded, which is 0.23" below normal. 0.1 of an inch of snow
was recorded, which is 4.7" below normal.

One daily record was set for Rockford for the month of March 2019:
* Record daily lowest maximum temperature of 10 degrees on the 4th.

One Top Ten Monthly Record:
**Tied 7th least snowy March on record since 1905 with 0.1".

Latest Seasonal Climate Report: Chicago | Rockford

Events

March 4, 2019: Record Early March Cold
March River Flooding: Historic Record Cold across Northern Illinois
March 14, 2019: Isolated Severe Storms Including a Brief Weak Tornado near Lowell, IN
NWS Chicago Past Events Page