Ocean and Monmouth counties received the most precipitation, led by Lacey Township (Ocean) with 8.56” or rain and melted snow. There were four storms of note in March, three of them depositing more than 10.0” of snow and 2.50” of rain or melted snow somewhere in the state, with the fourth coming in with over 5.0” of snow and 0.50” of liquid. The prior two occurrences in 19 were mainly due to, respectively, the 2nd and 11th coldest Marches on record. This rare occurrence this year and last was primarily the product of the two mildest Februarys on record more so than cool March conditions. For the second consecutive year and only the 4th time on record, the March statewide average temperature was colder than the previous February’s average. This tied for the 46th coolest and was the coldest since 2015. While March temperatures were not exceptionally cold, with the exceptions of the aforementioned early- and late-month days, they were persistently on the cool side of normal. The eleven snowiest Marches across NJ since 1895. The south (Burlington, Atlantic, Cumberland, Salem, Camden, Gloucester, Ocean, Cape May) received 10.9” (+7.9”), ranking 9th, well behind the 25.8” in 1914. The central region (Union, Middlesex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, Somerset) saw 17.4” (+12.4”) for the 4th snowiest March, missing the 21.4” record in 1956. This surpasses the previous record of 43.0” at Canistear Reservoir (Sussex) in 1958. This included a March statewide record 44.3” at Jefferson Township (Morris County). This region saw four CoCoRaHS locations smothered with more than 40.0” for the month. This is a March record, surpassing the previous top mark of 25.6” in 1916. The northern division (Sussex, Passaic, Bergen, Warren, Morris, Essex, Hudson) totaled 26.4” (+20.2”). This was 12.3” above average and ranked as the 4th snowiest March on record (Table 1). Along with the wet February, this washed away any early- to mid-winter drought concerns. It was the 37th wettest March since 1895 and wettest since 2011. Rain and melted snow amounted to 4.66” statewide. This led to two of the larger power outages since Sandy in 2012, numerous traffic accidents, significant tree damage, frequent school closings, and even someone being injured by lightning during a snowstorm. In true nor’easter fashion, the storms brought minor to moderate coastal flooding, significant beach erosion, powerful winds, heavy rain, and record- to near-record-breaking snowfall. Three nor’easters pounded New Jersey, with a fourth grazing the state, turning more of its wrath on southeastern New England. While the first and last few days of the month came in disguised as a lamb, March 2018 was a roaring lion on many occasions.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |