Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

March Rainfall Below Normal

While it seemed to have rained almost every day during March, the month actually ended below normal on rainfall received.

According to John W. Teeter, local meteorologist, the normal amount of rain for the month should have been 5.25 inches. The area, however, only received 4.29 inches, for a deficit of 0.96 inches of rain.

In the Cale area, meteorologist Davis Benton said 4.88 inches of wet stuff fell, which is about normal for the region.

For the year, Teeter said, 13.28 inches is the normal amount for the first quarter of the year. However, a total of 19.07 inches has hit the ground, for a surplus of 5.79 inches of rain so far for 1998.

In spite of how it seemed during the final days of the month, it only rained nine days during March. The largest single-day amount was 1.59 inches on March 16.

There were four watches or warnings posted for the month, with this being two less than normal.

Teeter said there were seven days when the area was blanketed in dense fog, and March lived up to its reputation as being a "windy" month. In fact, the March roared in like a lion with cold blustery winds, and ended with a roar as well, with the temperatures warming up, but with high winds continuing.

The average temperature, Teeter said, was 49.3 degrees, or 6.5 degrees below the normal of 55.8 degrees.

The lowest temperature recorded in the Prescott area was 20 degrees on March 12, while Benton said Cale saw the mercury fall to 22 on the same day.

Teeter said freezing temperatures were recorded on eight days in March, which felt colder than February.

Benton said the highest the mercury climbed in Cale was to 86 on March 30.

"March often produces erratic weather," Teeter said. "On March 31, 1974, it was 93 degrees. On March 3-4, 1975, it snowed. These are the extremes that can occur in March."

A local record may have occurred on March 31, Teeter said. At about 2:30 a.m., during a loud thunderstorm, 1.15 inches of rain fell in a span of 15 minutes.

Turning to April, Teeter said the normal amount of rain for the month is 5.25 inches, with the normal average temperature being 6.3 degrees.

April normally sees seven watches or warnings.