March was much like a lion for the first half of the month, during which time we experienced mixed snow, rain and winds the first five days and then on the 13-15th, a Northeaster delivered 5.37 inches of rain, damaging winds and fog. On the whole, however, March had a record high average temperature, near record precipitation and below average sunshine. The temperatures averaged 42.2 degrees, 5.1 degrees per day above the average. This was a record high average surpassing the old record of 41.9 degrees in 2000. Maximum temperature was 67.0 degrees on the 18th and a minimum temperature of 24.0 degrees was recorded on the 28th. Daytime high temperatures averaged 50.8 degrees, 5.6 degrees above the norm. Evening temperatures averaged 33.7 degrees, 4.5 degrees above the norm.
Sunshine totaled 46% of the possible sunshine hours, 2 points below the norm, and 11 points below last year. Sunshine data is from the Blue Hills Observatory. Year-to-date sunshine for 2010 is 49% of the possible.
Precipitation totaled 13.52 inches. This is 8.96 inches above normal and is the second largest rainfall recorded for the month of March in East Wareham, surpassed only by 13.82 inches in 2001. We had measurable precipitation of 0.10 inches or greater on thirteen days. The largest 24-hour rainfall was 3.55 inches on the 13th - 14th. We had two major rainstorms this month; on the 13th-15th, we received a total of 5.37 inches, creating much flooding, and again on the 29th-31st, we received another 4.18 inches with added flooding. We have received a total of 21.30 inches of rainfall year-to-date, totaling 8.50 inches above average for East Wareham. We had three days with measurable snowfall during the month, totaling 4.0 inches, just 0.7 below average, all in the first 5 days of the month. The 2009–2010 winter season snowfall recorded in East Wareham is now at 44.55 inches. This will come in as 13.15 inches above the average snowfall in East Wareham.