Some Washingtonians might feel a little chilly
today as high temperatures reach “only” the upper 60s and low 70s. Although temperatures like that are more
characteristic of mid-April than mid-March, they are 10 to 15 degrees cooler
than Mid-Atlantic residents have enjoyed during the last three days.
No one will complain, though, as today’s highs temperatures will be well above the average high of 54 degrees. In fact, yesterday’s low temperature at National Airport was a balmy 57 degrees. High temperatures the last three days have been around 80 degrees in the Washington, D.C. – Baltimore corridor – setting multiple records. According to the National Weather Service, the warmest temperature measured downtown was 79 degrees, which isn’t the “average” high temperature in the Nation’s Capital until May 28.
No one will complain, though, as today’s highs temperatures will be well above the average high of 54 degrees. In fact, yesterday’s low temperature at National Airport was a balmy 57 degrees. High temperatures the last three days have been around 80 degrees in the Washington, D.C. – Baltimore corridor – setting multiple records. According to the National Weather Service, the warmest temperature measured downtown was 79 degrees, which isn’t the “average” high temperature in the Nation’s Capital until May 28.
Today will be the fifth consecutive day that
high temperatures exceed 65 degrees in Washington, D.C. The speed at which temperatures have warmed
up in the last week has been rather remarkable.
For example, a record tying 0.6” of snow fell at Dulles Airport last
Friday, March 4. Just yesterday Dulles
Airport broke a 16-year old record high when it was 82 degrees (82 degrees is their average
high temperature on June 8).
Another thing that’s made this month especially unusual
is that a weather pattern more characteristic of late spring or early summer
has set up across much of the eastern United States. A sprawling area of high pressure situated
off the east coast has acted like a heat pump ushering in warmer and more humid
air than is typical for March. This
dominant area of high pressure has also acted as a blocking mechanism that’s
caused heavy rain to linger over the same places in the central U.S. – causing
deadly flooding from Texas to Kentucky.
So far this month, there have been three days of temperature greater than 70 degrees downtown – as many such days as there were during all of March last year. When the temperature reached 79 degrees at National Airport yesterday, that was the warmest March temperature in Washington, D.C. since 2012. As was the case in 2012 when the Cherry Blossoms along the Tidal Basin reached their peak bloom on March 20, the National Park Service expects similar results this year given the above average temperatures. They updated their earlier forecast and now expect peak bloom to occur between March 18 and March 23.
So far this month, there have been three days of temperature greater than 70 degrees downtown – as many such days as there were during all of March last year. When the temperature reached 79 degrees at National Airport yesterday, that was the warmest March temperature in Washington, D.C. since 2012. As was the case in 2012 when the Cherry Blossoms along the Tidal Basin reached their peak bloom on March 20, the National Park Service expects similar results this year given the above average temperatures. They updated their earlier forecast and now expect peak bloom to occur between March 18 and March 23.
New
Record Highs Set this Week:
March 9
Dulles Airport (IAD), Sterling, VA: 82 degrees
Baltimore, MD (BWI Airport): 82 degrees
March 10
Washington, D.C. (National Airport, DCA): 79 degrees
Dulles Airport (IAD), Sterling, VA: 80 degrees
Baltimore, MD (BWI Airport): 80 degrees
March 9
Dulles Airport (IAD), Sterling, VA: 82 degrees
Baltimore, MD (BWI Airport): 82 degrees
March 10
Washington, D.C. (National Airport, DCA): 79 degrees
Dulles Airport (IAD), Sterling, VA: 80 degrees
Baltimore, MD (BWI Airport): 80 degrees
Thanks, Chris. I can't believe March temps have reached 82 degrees in the D.C. area! When is the official start of spring, anyway? The SW also has experienced highs in the 70's and 80's. So, suppose the groundhog was right in his prediction of an early spring. It will be interesting to see what the temps will be like for April.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow is the vernal equinox and "official" start of spring. I put in quotes because there are meteorological and astronomical seasons. The difference between them and the April weather outlook will be the subject of a future column. Thanks for reading! :)
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