Record Warmth and Dismally Dry Across California in March

March 2015 was dismally dry and way too warm across California. Most stations' rainfall was in the bottom 10 years for their period of record and temperatures smashed average monthly maximum records.

City stations in the middle part of the state had March percent of normal (PON) readings in single digits; from 3% in Fresno to 7% in San Jose and Sacramento. It was marginally better to the north and south with PON's that ranged from 24% at Redding to 61% at Eureka, while LA and San Diego had 36% and 51% respectively. (http://ggweather.com/calif/mar2015.htm)

This also meant that the seasonal rainfall picture continued to slip with season-to-date PON's (http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mtr/rr4.php) generally in the 70% to 90% range, though Fresno trails far behind at only 49% of normal. Many of these number are however better than even the end of last season values (http://ggweather.com/ca2013rain.htm) due in large part to an exceptionally wet December.

It is also important to note that despite the dire single digit snowpack numbers, the amount water that got into the reservoirs from the warm December rains probably resulted in more acre-feet of storage into the reservoirs than if those same storms had been colder with more snow.

The March temperatures were beyond toasty, with six of the eight key cities having all-time March monthly maximum temperatures (and also some monthly average temperature records). The monthly anomalies ranged from only 1.7 degrees above normal at Eureka to "just" 5.6 above normal for San Francisco to blazing 10.1 degrees above normal at both Redding and Sacramento. (http://ggweather.com/calif/mar2015.htm)

March 2015 Average Maximum Temperature Records
- Redding 74.6 (previous record 74.3 in 2004)
- Sacramento 74.9 (previous record 72.6 in 2004)
- Fresno 77.7 (previous record 72.2 in 1972)
- Los Angeles 79.1 (previous record 75.4 in 1988)
- San Diego 74.2 (previous record 72.1 in 1959)

Jan Null, CCM
Golden Gate Weather Services

http://ggweather.com