March was much like a tamed lion this year, during which time we experienced above average temperature and sunshine with below average precipitation and snowfall. After a string of 3 cold months, March came in very sunny and mild. The temperatures averaged 38.4 degrees, 1.2 degrees per day above the average. This was still 3.9 degrees below last year’s record high of 42.2 degrees. Maximum temperature was 68.0 degrees on the 18th and a minimum temperature of 15.0 degrees was recorded on the 3rd and 4th. Daytime high temperatures averaged 46.9 degrees, 1.7 degrees above the norm. Evening temperatures averaged 29.8 degrees, 0.6 degrees above the norm. Winds were a big factor in March. We had 3 days with damaging winds and gusts of 25 mph or greater on 10 days.
Sunshine totaled 51% of the possible sunshine hours, 3 points above the norm, and 5 points above last year. Sunshine data are from the Blue Hill Observatory. Year-to-date sunshine for 2011 is 42% of the possible, very near the normal at this time of year.
Precipitation totaled 2.25 inches. This is 2.31 inches below normal and is the 10th lowest rainfall recorded for the month of March in East Wareham. In the 85 years of record keeping in East Wareham, there have been only 5 years in which March has had less than 2 inches of rain. We had measurable precipitation of 0.10 inches or greater on 5 days. The largest 24-hour rainfall was 0.57 inches on the 1st & 17th. We have received a total of 10.01 inches of rainfall year-to-date, totaling 2.81 inches below average for East Wareham. We had just 1 day with measurable snowfall during the month, totaling 0.5 inches, 4.2 inches below average. Snowfall for the month of March will also come in as the 10th lowest in the records in East Wareham. The 2010–2011 winter season snowfall recorded in East Wareham is now at 40.95 inches, 9.55 inches above the seasonal average.