Dangerous, long-lasting heat is expected across portions of the Central and Southeast U.S. Showers and thunderstorms, some severe, may produce heavy rain and localized areas of flash flooding across parts of the Ohio/Tennessee Valleys into the Appalachians. Severe thunderstorms are possible across parts of the northern Great Plains. Fire weather conditions possible in the Great Basin. Read More >
March 2016 featured well above normal temperatures on average and above normal precipitation for most of the area, with below normal snowfall.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL 856 AM CDT FRI APR 1 2016 ...A LOOK BACK AT THE CLIMATE FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH 2016 FOR CHICAGO AND ROCKFORD... AT CHICAGO...THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS 51.5 DEGREES WHICH IS 4.9 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE AVERAGE LOW TEMPERATURE WAS 35.1 DEGREES WHICH IS 5.9 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WAS 43.3 DEGREES WHICH IS 5.4 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS TIED 1929 FOR THE 12TH WARMEST MARCH ON RECORD. DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH...3.34 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION WAS RECORDED WHICH IS 0.84 OF AN INCH ABOVE NORMAL. 2.6 INCHES OF SNOW WERE RECORDED WHICH IS 3 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. THERE WAS ONE DAILY RECORD FOR CHICAGO IN MARCH 2016... * RECORD DAILY WARMEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 58 DEGREES ON THE 8TH. AT ROCKFORD...THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS 51.7 DEGREES WHICH IS 4.8 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE AVERAGE LOW TEMPERATURE WAS 34.0 DEGREES WHICH IS 6.5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WAS 42.9 DEGREES WHICH IS 5.7 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS WAS THE 8TH WARMEST MARCH ON RECORD. DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH...4.01 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION WERE RECORDED WHICH IS 1.69 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. 2.4 INCHES OF SNOW WERE RECORDED WHICH IS 2.4 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. THERE WAS ONE DAILY RECORD FOR ROCKFORD IN MARCH 2016... * RECORD DAILY HIGHEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 54 DEGREES ON THE 8TH. $$ RC