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Why is this winter so terrible? I'm so tired of cold and gray. Are there any stats showing that the last 6mo have been cloudier than usual?

March 1958

Not sure what the gfs robots are doing for Sunday, but I do not approve

another one, Duluth, Minnesota Duluth, MN (1991-2020 normals, approx. values from reliable sources like US Climate Data, WeatherSpark, Current Results): Jan: High 21°F, Low 5°F | Precip 1.0 in | Snow 11 in Feb: High 25°F, Low 8°F | Precip 0.9 in | Snow 9-10 in Mar: High 36°F, Low 20°F | Precip 1.3 in | Snow 11 in Apr: High 49°F, Low 31°F | Precip 2.3 in | Snow 10-13 in May: High 62°F, Low 41°F | Precip 3.0 in | Snow ~0-2 in Jun: High 71°F, Low 50°F | Precip 3.8 in | Snow 0 in Jul: High 76-77°F, Low 55°F | Precip 3.5-4.0 in | Snow 0 in Aug: High 74°F, Low 54°F | Precip 3.5 in | Snow 0 in Sep: High 65°F, Low 46°F | Precip 3.2 in | Snow 0 in Oct: High 51°F, Low 35°F | Precip 2.6 in | Snow 2-3 in Nov: High 37°F, Low 23°F | Precip 1.6 in | Snow 13 in Dec: High 24°F, Low 10°F | Precip 1.2 in | Snow 15-20 in Annual: ~31 in precip, ~85-91 in snow. Summers peak mid-70s highs. (If you prefer Marquette, MI instead—similar but snowier ~100+ Marquette, MI (1991-2020 normals, approx. values from US Climate Data, WeatherSpark, GLISA, and related sources; note: snowfall varies by exact station but often 100-150+ in annual total, higher in some UP spots): - Jan: High 23-25°F, Low 8-13°F | Precip ~2.0-2.3 in | Snow ~35-42 in - Feb: High 26-28°F, Low 10-14°F | Precip ~1.8-2.0 in | Snow ~30-35 in - Mar: High 35-37°F, Low 20-22°F | Precip ~2.5-2.8 in | Snow ~25-30 in - Apr: High 47-49°F, Low 31-33°F | Precip ~2.7-2.8 in | Snow ~10-15 in - May: High 59-62°F, Low 41-43°F | Precip ~3.0 in | Snow ~trace-2 in - Jun: High 68-71°F, Low 50-52°F | Precip ~3.2-3.5 in | Snow 0 in - Jul: High 73-75°F, Low 57-59°F | Precip ~3.0-3.5 in | Snow 0 in - Aug: High 73-74°F, Low 57-59°F | Precip ~3.2 in | Snow 0 in - Sep: High 66-68°F, Low 50-52°F | Precip ~3.5 in | Snow 0 in - Oct: High 53-55°F, Low 39-41°F | Precip ~3.5 in | Snow ~5-10 in - Nov: High 39-41°F, Low 28-30°F | Precip ~2.5-3.0 in | Snow ~25-35 in - Dec: High 28-30°F, Low 15-18°F | Precip ~2.3-2.5 in | Snow ~40-50 in Annual: ~30 in precip, ~120-150+ in snow (often cited 100-200 depending on lake-effect/micro-location; summers peak mid-70s highs).

When driving at night and trying to stay alert, I've found that the warm liquid effect hits more quickly than caffeine. Not a cold-coffee fan, so Pepsi or Mt Dew is usually my choice.

Also, as Scott - I think - mentioned.. this is the time of year when a chilly look can be flogged by daddy sun like a red headed step child, and it may not look like a mild day at first chart glance. I noticed that Sunday profile yesterday, myself. Had a kind of sneaky partly sunny with light WNW flow, and 850s only +2 ... That's the kind of day/profile that busts MOS by 3 clicks or more. It's fragile ... increase the clouds even a little and f's it all up and it's the same shit.. But at least it's non-zero some gain time of year. This bullshit enabling circumstance can fight all it wants ... June is still coming.

March 18 1968: No one was hurt when an early season tornado touches down in Watonwan County. For Wednesday, March 18, 2026 1925 - The great Tri-State Tornado occurred, the most deadly tornado in U.S. history. The tornado claimed 695 lives (including 234 at Murphysboro IL and 148 at West Frankfort IL), and caused seventeen million dollars property damage. It cut a swath of destruction 219 miles long and as much as a mile wide from east central Missouri to southern Indiana between 1 PM and 4 PM. The tornado leveled a school in West Frankfort IL, and picked up sixteen students setting them down unharmed 150 yards away. Seven other tornadoes claimed an additional 97 lives that day. (David Ludlum) 1971 - High winds accompanied a low pressure system from the Rocky Mountains to the Great Lakes. Winds gusted to 100 mph at Hastings NE, and reached 115 mph at Hays KS. High winds caused two million dollars damage in Kansas. Fire burned 50,000 forest acres in eastern Oklahoma. (17th-19th) (The Weather Channel) 1987 - A storm in the central U.S. produced up to 10 inches of snow in western Nebraska, and up to six inches of rain in eastern sections of the state. The heavy rains pushed the Elkhorn River out of its banks, submerging the streets of Inman under three feet of water. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 - Light rain and snow prevailed east of the Mississippi River. Fair weather prevailed west of the Mississippi. (The National Weather Summary) 1989 - A storm in the western U.S. produced heavy rain in California, with heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada Range. Venado CA was drenched with 5.40 inches of rain in 24 hours. A dozen cities in the eastern U.S. reported new record high temperatures for the date, including Baltimore MD with a reading of 82 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1990 - Heavy rain caused extensive flooding of rivers and streams in Georgia, with total damage running well into the millions. Flooding also claimed six lives. Nearly seven inches of rain caused 2.5 million dollars damage around Columbus, and up to nine inches of rain was reported over the northern Kinchafoonee Basin in Georgia. (Storm Data)

It is going to be quite interesting to see which direction ENSO heads moving through the spring and summer. There are already emerging background signals that we are at least heading into the direction of EL Nino but of course we're still pretty far off from that. I know there has been some rumblings about the potential for a stronger EL Nino (should one materialize) which IIRC does hold some merit based on PDO evolution (isn't there some delayed connection between peak -PDO and an ensuing developing/stronger Nino?). But there's been a nice little WWB going on at 850 and guidance is robust with this WWB through the end of the month as it approaches the dateline. But we'll want to probably continue seeing a constant supply of WWB traversing the EPAC. I don't put much into short-term changes of Nino 1.2 because of how volatile it is but that region has had some significant warming which at least in the short term reduces the easterlies and upwelling of colder water off the continent. Going to be a fascinating summer in this regard.

That and the person moving like they are a robot taking a shit lol.

Had a trace of snow on the deck again this morning. Temperature a too cold 20 degrees.

Flagstaff, AZ (Pulliam Airport station, 1991–2020 normals) Elevation: ~7,003–7,014 ft (official ~7,003 ft at the station). Monthly averages (High/Low Temp °F | Rainfall inches |Snowfall - Jan: 43.4 / 17.6 | 2.05 | 20.9 - Feb: 45.7 / 19.6 | 2.17 | 19.3 - Mar: 52.2 / 23.8 | 1.88 | 15.6 - Apr: 59.2 / 28.2 | 0.89 | 5.0 - May: 68.1 / 34.6 | 0.77 | 1.1 - Jun: 79.1 / 42.5 | 0.30 | 0.0 - Jul: 82.0 / 51.4 | 2.61 | 0.0 - Aug: 79.3 / 50.6 | 3.04 | 0.0 - Sep: 74.1 / 42.5 | 1.84 | 0.0 - Oct: 63.6 / 31.5 | 1.52 | 1.5 - Nov: 52.1 / 23.0 | 1.55 | 8.2 - Dec: 43.0 / 16.9 | 1.90 | 18.5 **Annual totals**: ~20.5 in rain | ~90.1 in snow.

0.6" of fluffy snow last night. Looks like Spring will continue with seasonably warm conditions coming up the next few days mainly due to warmer mins.

Got about a half inch overnight with the clipper. Ready for it to warm above freezing and start melting away

Arizona dreamin' on such a winter's day

Right. I realize we put up a 75er last week ... over a snow pack, no less! But that exceptional circumstance really underscores the former point. Because in philosophic principle, the heat has to eventually punch through the pattern and then we have the unusual dichotomy. To mention, the warmth was replaced very quickly by 20F mornings. The NH has been in some kind of constructive resonance that happened to favor our region for cold. At this point, I'm hoping for a violent +ENSO mode that couples to the mid latitudes like the greatest love story of all time ...just to fuckin topple said resonance and get away from this persistence - if it takes that. Unfortunately, ENSO mode changes don't typically register in the summer when change sets in, in summer. Plus, coupling has been shaky in recent cycles. 'Sides, who wants to wait until September for summer to begin. heh.

Wow look at those single digits on the map. US National Weather Service State College PA With any luck this morning will be the coldest temperatures we experience until late October or November.

Get the cleanup going, some tunes outside, late afternoon beverages…let’s go.

Man we euro this weekend. That would be fantastic.

Yep back to normal. March is going to be a solidly AN month for temps.

Winter cold and grey We wasted another shot of cold air....maybe one more shot next week before a warmup in early April.

flagstaff?

A drier next week can see the ring around the west coast strong ridge

Down to 28.8 for the low but clouds kept us in check, we hit that at 4 am and slowly rose to 30.6 by sunrise. Clear sky last night and we were headed to lower 20s

It was brief, before 7am. Orange/pink/red on the horizon to the east, breaking through cloud cover a bit. But then back to gray gray gray :-(

Records: Highs: EWR: 80 (2011) NYC: 77 (2011) LGA: 75 (2011) JFK: 79 (2011) Lows: EWR: 10 (1981) NYC: 7 (1916) LGA: 13 (1967) JFK: 9 (1967) Historical: 1899: An F4 tornado killed 12 people and injured 30 on a 17 mile track through Calhoun and Cleburne counties in Alabama. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1900: The minimum temperature for the date is 13 °F in Washingon, DC. (Ref. Washington Weather Records) 1913: High barometer reading of 30.92 inches equals the DC March record. (Washington Weather Records - KDCA) 1914: San Francisco, CA recorded their highest temperature ever in March when the mercury soared to 86°. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1925 — The great Tri-State Tornado occurred, the most deadly tornado in U.S. history. The tornado claimed 695 lives (including 234 at Murphysboro IL and 148 at West Frankfort IL), and caused seventeen million dollars property damage. It cut a swath of destruction 219 miles long and as much as a mile wide from east central Missouri to southern Indiana between 1 PM and 4 PM. The tornado leveled a school in West Frankfort IL, and picked up sixteen students setting them down unharmed 150 yards away. Seven other tornadoes claimed an additional 97 lives that day. (David Ludlum) 1927: An F3 tornado destroyed a home near Tonkawa, OK. The 3 children survived, even though 1 of them was airborne for almost ½ mile. The father, who was outside when the tornado hit, held onto a tree as the house sailed away. (Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2012 Accord Pub. 2011, USA) 1935: Suffocating dust storms occurred frequently in southeast Colorado between the 12th and the 25th of the month. Six people died, and many livestock starved or suffocated. Up to six feet of dust covered the ground. Schools were closed, and many rural homes were deserted by tenants. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1958: A late-season winter storm brought heavy, wet snow to parts of the northeast from Virginia to New England. In parts of Maryland and eastern Pennsylvania, it was the heaviest snowfall ever recorded at that time. The most snow reported at a major reporting station was 11.7 inches at Central Park in New York City, but parts of Philadelphia, PA, New York, NY, Baltimore, MD and Washington, D.C. saw as much as 20 inches. 800 people were trapped along the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Morganton, WV where the 3-day snowfall total was 50 inches. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 1971 — High winds accompanied a low pressure system from the Rocky Mountains to the Great Lakes. Winds gusted to 100 mph at Hastings NE, and reached 115 mph at Hays KS. High winds caused two million dollars damage in Kansas. Fire burned 50,000 forest acres in eastern Oklahoma. (17th-19th) (The Weather Channel) 1987 — A storm in the central U.S. produced up to 10 inches of snow in western Nebraska, and up to six inches of rain in eastern sections of the state. The heavy rains pushed the Elkhorn River out of its banks, submerging the streets of Inman under three feet of water. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1988 — Light rain and snow prevailed east of the Mississippi River. Fair weather prevailed west of the Mississippi. (The National Weather Summary) 1989 — A storm in the western U.S. produced heavy rain in California, with heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada Range. Venado CA was drenched with 5.40 inches of rain in 24 hours. A dozen cities in the eastern U.S. reported new record high temperatures for the date, including Baltimore MD with a reading of 82 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1990 — Heavy rain caused extensive flooding of rivers and streams in Georgia, with total damage running well into the millions. Flooding also claimed six lives. Nearly seven inches of rain caused 2.5 million dollars damage around Columbus, and up to nine inches of rain was reported over the northern Kinchafoonee Basin in Georgia. (Storm Data) 1998: Total snow accumulations in southwest Kansas ranged up to 8 to 12 inches in Stafford, Comanche, Ford, Gray, Finney, Grant, Morton, Seward, Meade and Clark counties. 20 to 30 mph winds accompanied the snowfall resulting in visibilities under a half mile and significant drifting of the snow. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2003: Denver, Colorado on the 18th and 19th : Colorado's capital city has to dig out from the second-biggest snowstorm in its history. Almost 2.5 feet of wet snow over 36 hours shuts down the city. The month ends as the snowiest March on record for the city. (Ref. WxDoctor) Utility poles in Madison, WI reportedly ignited as fog combined with leftover salt from the winter season to create a conductive solution that allowed the poles to catch fire. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) 2005: Heavy snow occurred across the Upper Midwest. 24 inches was recorded at Lyle, MN, 23 inches at Alma Center, WI, and 19 inches at Otranto, IA. Rochester, MN was buried under 20.2 inches of snow for its greatest snowstorm on record. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History)