Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

March Was Extremely Wet Month

Oh, how it rained in March.

According to John W. Teeter, local meteorologist, it rained 10 days out of the month in Prescott, with the largest single day amount being 5.03 inches on March 12.

Overall, he said, the area received 9.71 inches, considerably more than the normal of 4.80 inches. In fact, it was 4.91 inches above the normal rainfall the area gets during a typical March.

For the year, Nevada County is above average in rainfall as well. Teeter said the Prescott region has received 19.07 inches during the first three months, while the norm is 13.39 inches. This leaves a surplus of 5.68 inches.

Cale weatherman Davis Benton said the southern part of the county saw 7.57 inches of wet stuff in March, bringing the total to 18.59 inches. "This is about twice the norm," Benton

said.

The average temperature for the month was 51.6 agrees, and this, was cooler than usual. Teeter said the average daily temperature should have been 55.4 degrees.

The mercury dropped to 28 degrees on two occasions, March 15 and 16, with the highest temperature recorded during the month being 77 on March 2. This, Teeter said, is a record high for this particular day.

Interestingly, there was but a single weather watch or warning posted throughout March, where the norm is six.

"March 1999," Teeter said, "was a very calm weather month. Much calmer than the usual march."

Looking toward April, he said the normal rainfall is 5.25 inches, with the average daily temperature being 63.9 degrees.

April us typically an active weather month with seven weather-related watches or arnings posted.