Preliminary Climate Summary for March 2026:
The weather during March was dramatically variable. Most climate stations will report a mean monthly temperature that ranges from 1.0°F above normal to 6.0°F above normal, with the greatest warmth in the southern part of the state which had erratic and mostly sparse snow cover during the month. This March is the 12th year out of the most recent 14 years that has brought warmer than normal mean temperatures to the state. Extremes for the month were -31°F at Seagull Lake (Cook County) on March 1st to 85°F at Pipestone and Worthington on March 21st. The 85°F reading on March 21st was a new statewide record high maximum for the date and the earliest ever in the year for a reading that high in Minnesota.Minnesota reported the lowest temperature in the 48 contiguous states only 4 times this month. Within the statewide climate network, there were over 80 reports of new daily high maximum temperature records set, as well as 40 reports of new daily high minimum temperature records that were set. The Minnesota State Climatology web site features a write-up of all the records set on March 21st.
Precipitation during March was highly variable. Some areas of the state reported over twice the normal monthly values. Observers in Winona, Mower, Wabasha, Steele,, and Dodge Counties reported over 3 inches of precipitation for the month. Observers in Murray, Cass, Pennington, Hubbard, Clay, Red Lake, Norman, and Lake of the Woods Counties reported less than half an inch of total precipitation. Many others reported a total precipitation from 0.75 inches to 1.50 inches. Within the statewide climate network, there were 30 reports of record daily amounts of precipitation, including 1.16 inches at Rochester and 1.42 inches at Red Wing on March 6th. The drought situation remained pretty much unchanged during the month from beginning to end. The end of the month picture shows about 31 percent of the state landscape in Moderate Drought and about 3 percent in Severe Drought.
Snowfall too was highly variable, with most climate stations reporting from 4 inches to 10 inches. Observers in Cook, St Louis, Brown, and Wabasha Counties reported over 2 feet of monthly snowfall. Within the statewide climate network, there were 40 reports of record daily snowfall amounts, including 13.2 inches at Theilman and 12.4 inches at Rochester on March 15th. The month will end with about three-quarters of the state showing no snow cover.
Blizzards and high winds garnered weather headlines during the month, especially over March 12-16. There were many reports of wind gusts over 60 mph, and even some record-setting wind gust reports of 70 mph or greater. For Rochester and Redwood Falls, nearly half of the days in the month brought wind gusts of 30 mph or greater.
Weekly Weather Potpourri:
This week’s AGU-EOS Bulletin features an article about the loss of glacial ice in the eastern Alps of Austria (near the Austria-Italy border). The ice cores from these glaciers were taken in 2019 down to a depth of 31 feet and revealed an interesting climate record close to a thousand years in length. Evidence for deposition by dust storms and volcanic activity dominate the early climate records. But since 2019, climate change has provoked a rapid loss in glacier ice, now estimated to be only about 18 feet deep. So reconstruction of past climates from the eastern Alps may become nigh impossible in the future.The Weather Channel web site features an interesting article this week about how climate change played a role in the March Heat Wave that plagued areas of the western USA. Over 180 all-time high temperature records were set. Many locations reported daily maximum temperatures of 100°F or greater, as high as 112°F in Arizona. Very warm conditions are expected to prevail in April as well.
The Nation reported earlier this week that a massive Kona Low pressure system brought record or near-record rainfall to parts of Hawaii. Many areas received a month’s worth of rainfall. Some damage estimates exceed $1 billion. Over 130,000 customers lost power during the storm and clean up efforts will take a long time.
MPR listener question:
We saw you and Paul Douglas on TPT Almanac last Friday, and you both spoke confidently that you think the 2026 growing season will be hotter than normal and perhaps drier than normal. What is your basis for this opinion?Answer:
We were both speaking from the indications in the North American Multi-Model Ensemble outlook models for the coming May through September period. The multi-models (at least 7 different versions) unanimously favor a warmer than normal growing season for our areas of the USA, and most of the agricultural areas of the country. In addition, though not unanimous, most of the models favor a drier than normal growing season, especially the mid-summer period. So it is likely to be a growing season when our crops will use most of the soil moisture recharge that is stored in the rootzone.Twin Cities Almanac for March 27th:
The average MSP high temperature for this date is 47 degrees F (plus or minus 12 degrees F standard deviation), while the average low is 30 degrees F (plus or minus 10 degrees F standard deviation).MSP Local Records for March 27th:
MSP records for this date: highest daily maximum temperature of 75 degrees F in 1946; lowest daily maximum temperature of 24 degrees F in 1965; lowest daily minimum temperature of 5 degrees F in 1921; highest daily minimum temperature of 57 degrees F in 1910, and record precipitation of 1.52 inches in 1998. Record snowfall for this date is 5.6 inches also in 1965.
Average dew point for March 27th is 25°F; the maximum dew point on this date is 58°F in 1989 and the minimum dew point on this date is -1 degrees F in 2015.
All-time statewide records for March 27th:
The state record high temperature for this date is 88 degrees F at Winona Dam (Winona County) in 2007. The state record low temperature for this date is -29 degrees F at Red Lake Falls (Red Lake County) in 1955. The statewide record for precipitation on this date is 2.70 inches at Two Harbors (Lake County) in 1975. A record 15.0 inches of snow fell at Virginia (St Louis County) also on this date in 1975.Past Weather:
With one to two feet of snow cover on the ground, mid-winter type temperatures prevailed across Minnesota on March 27 of 1955. Nearly two-thirds of the state reported subzero morning low temperatures, with six northern counties reported readings of -20°F or colder. The afternoon high temperature at Argyle (Marshall County) was only 9°F.A late season winter storm brought a mixture of rain, sleet, and heavy snow to much of northern Minnesota over March 27-29 of 1975. Many northern areas reported 10 to 15 inches of snow. Virginia on the Iron Range reported over 17 inches. Some schools closed on the Friday (March 28) giving the students and staff a long weekend to clean up.
With little or no snow cover and sunny skies, there were scores of record high daily temperatures reported around Minnesota on March 27 of 2007. Most areas reported afternoon temperatures in the 70s F, while observers in 20 central and southern counties reported temperatures of 80°F or higher. Caledonia and Winona reported a record warm minimum temperature too of 51°F.
Outlook:
Mostly sunny, breezy, and warmer over the weekend and into early next week with well above normal temperatures mostly in the southern two thirds of the state. In the far north, there will be small chances of rain or snow each day Monday through Thursday. In the south, temperatures will cool down on Wednesday and Thursday with chances for rain or snow.
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