Public Information Statement - March Record Lows

Severe Thunderstorms and Heavy Rain in the Southern Plains; Fire Weather Threat in the Southwest U.S.

Thunderstorms, some severe, may produce heavy to excessive rainfall and isolated flooding over portions of the Southern Plains today and Saturday. Dry conditions, combined with gusty winds and low relative humidities will continue to support an elevated to critical fire weather threat in the Desert Southwest into to early next week. Read More >

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1004 AM EST TUE MAR 4 2014 ...MARCH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS SET AT BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON DULLES THIS MORNING.... BALTIMORE... A MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 4 DEGREES WAS RECORDED AT THURGOOD MARSHALL BWI AIRPORT THIS MORNING. THIS IS THE LOWEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED IN MARCH FOR BALTIMORE...BREAKING THE 141-YEAR OLD MONTHLY MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD OF 5 DEGREES ON MARCH 4TH 1873. THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE THIS MORNING ALSO MARKED THE LATEST OCCURRENCE IN THE SEASON WITH A MINIMUM TEMPERATURE BELOW 5 DEGREES. PREVIOUSLY...THE LATEST OCCURRENCE WAS FEBRUARY 24TH SET BACK IN 1873 AND 1889. OFFICIAL TEMPERATURE RECORDS FOR BALTIMORE GO BACK TO 1873. WASHINGTON DULLES... A MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 1 DEGREE BELOW ZERO WAS RECORDED AT DULLES AIRPORT THIS MORNING. THIS READING TIED MARCH 15TH 1993 FOR THE LOWEST MONTHLY MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDED IN MARCH. OFFICIAL TEMPERATURE RECORDS FOR DULLES GO BACK TO 1962. WASHINGTON DC... THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE THIS MORNING AT REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT WAS 14 DEGREES. THIS DID NOT BREAK THE DAILY NOR THE MARCH MONTHLY MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD FOR WASHINGTON DC...BOTH OF WHICH ARE 4 DEGREES SET ON MARCH 4TH 1873. HOWEVER...IT TIED THE LOWEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDED IN MARCH SINCE 1945 WHEN OFFICIAL OBSERVATIONS WERE RELOCATED TO REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT FROM DOWNTOWN WASHINGTON. A LOW OF 14 DEGREES IN MARCH OCCURRED PREVIOUSLY AT REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT ON MARCH 1ST 1980...MARCH 8TH 1986 AND MARCH 3RD 2009. NOTE...ALL CLIMATE DATA AND RECORDS ABOVE ARE PRELIMINARY UNTIL THE DATA ARE REVIEWED AND PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER. $$ JRK/CAS/SMZ