Continued Cold Grips Delaware During March 2015

Figure 1. Delaware statewide mean March temperature (°F) 1895-2015.

Figure 2. Delaware statewide mean March precipitation (inches) 1895-2015.

March Temperatures

Preliminary data indicates that the statewide average temperature in March was 39.9°F, 4.1°F below the 1981-2010 normal of 44.0°F (Figure 1). March 2015 was the third year in a row with significantly below normal temperatures during the month, and the 28th coldest March since records began in 1895.

March Precipitation

Delaware’s preliminary statewide precipitation total for March 2015 averaged 4.55 inches, 0.35 inches above the 1981-2010 mean (Figure 2). Several snowfall events during the month left variable snow amounts across the Region ranging from approximately 3 inches in southern Delaware to more than 14 inches across portions of Chester County, PA (Figure 3). Notable snowfall events occurred on March 5th and 20th across the State.

Statewide Spatial Averages

All stations across the Delaware Environmental Observing System (DEOS) network experienced much lower than normal temperatures during March 2015 (Figure 4). Mean monthly temperatures were generally 3°F to 6°F below normal across the entire State.

Slightly below normal precipitation values prevailed across southern Delaware, while northern Delaware and Chester County, PA saw somewhat higher than normal precipitation totals (Figure 5).

Figure 3. March 2015 snowfall totals based upon DEOS station data.

Figure 4. March 2015 average temperature anomalies from the 1981-2010 mean based upon DEOS station data.

Figure 5. March 2015 precipitation departures from the 1981-2010 mean based upon DEOS station data.