March 2024 – Very Warm and Wet Across Delaware

March Temperatures

Preliminary data indicates that the statewide average temperature in March was 48.5 °F, which is 4.3°F above the 1991-2020 mean value of 44.2°F (Figure 1).  March’s temperature was tied with March 1977 as the 8^th warmest since records began in 1895.   

March Precipitation

Delaware’s statewide precipitation for March 2024 averaged 7.49 inches, 3.37 inches above the 1991-2020 mean of 4.12 inches (Figure 2).  March’s precipitation was the 3^rd  highest in the last 130 years.

Statewide Spatial Anomalies

Data from the Delaware Environmental Observing System (DEOS) show that temperature departures were positive across the entire state (Figure 3) with some locations seeing positive anomalies of more than 6^° F in northern New Castle County.  Precipitation anomalies were uniformly positive across the entire state, with the largest departures found in southern Sussex County (Figure 4).

National Anomalies

Temperatures were above normal across nearly the entire country with positive anomalies of 7° to 9°F found across areas surrounding the Great Lakes (Figure 5). Only the Southwest and extreme north-central portions of the country saw near or just below normal temperatures.  Precipitation departures were positive along the Atlantic Coast, parts of the Southeast, and portions of the western U.S. (Figure 6), while the Ohio Valley Region saw significantly below-normal precipitation.  The 500 hPa height pattern for March shows an anomalous jet stream trough located over the western U.S., while ridging was found over the northeastern U.S. and southeast Canada (Figure 7).  These jet stream anomalies were associated with the temperature anomalies found across the country.

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