Expires:No;;218698 NOUS46 KPQR 190041 PNSPQR PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OREGON 540 PM PDT MON MAR 18 2024 ...UNUSUAL WARMTH FOR MARCH... After a cool start, Mother Nature decided to give the region some spring-time temperatures. In general, high temperatures for the interior lowlands are in the middle to upper 50s for mid-March, and 50 to 55 deg along the coast. So, temperatures over the past few days have been quite above average. On average, most sites only see one day above 70 deg in March. Coastal areas have already cooled back to average, and the interior will more typical mid-March temperatures on Wednesday. So, how unusual is this warmth? Rare. But, not out of the question of possibility. Many stations have seen temperatures above 70 deg earlier than mid-March. But, what makes this stretch of warm days stand out is number of days and the consecutive days of such warmth. For many of the interior locations, one has to go back to MAR 2019 or MAR 2005 to see as many days in March with 70 deg. But, even farther back to March 1994 for as many consecutive days of 70+ deg. FIRST, the warmest day of the this warm spell... Warmest Day First 70 deg Day of Spring Season City temp / day Average Earliest on Record ----------------------------------------------------------------- Coastal Area... Astoria 75 / 16 MAR 19 APR 30 JAN 1040 Tillamook 75 / 16 MAR 3 APR 26 JAN 2015 Newport 72 / 15,16 MAR 21 APR 8 JAN 1893 Florence 70 / 16 MAR 19 APR 17 FEB 1977 Across the interior... Kelso, WA 76 / 16,18 Mar 31 MAR 18 FEB 2015 Vancouver, WA 76 / 16 MAR 3 APR 26 FEB 1905 Portland (airpt) 76 / 16-18 MAR 2 APR 28 FEB 1988 Portland (downtn) 76 / 18 MAR 2 APR 27 FEB 1968 Troutdale 77 / 18 MAR 3 APR 7 MAR 2001 Hillsboro 77 / 18 MAR 1 APR 28 FEB 1968 McMinnville 75 / 16 MAR 3 APR 27 FEB 1968 Salem 76 / 16 MAR 4 APR 25 FEB 1991 Corvallis 73 / 16 MAR 5 APR 1 MAR 1905 Eugene 74 / 16 MAR 31 MAR 14 FEB 1916 NOTE: for many sites, one or more of these days are in the top 10 warmest days of March on record (but, not the warmest). ================================================================== NEXT, the TOTAL number of days above 70 with this warm spell... On average, most sites only see 1 day in March with 70+ deg. Last MAR with As MARCH 70s MAR 2024 Many 70s as 2024 [Record Most] ---------------------------------------------------------------- Coastal Area... Astoria 1 MAR 2019 [ 6 / in 1941 ] Tillamook 2 MAR 2019 [ 3 /last in 2019] Newport 2 MAR 1986 [ 3 /last in 1987] Florence 1 MAR 2019 [ 4 /last in 1994] Across the interior... Kelso, WA 4 MAR 2019 [ 8 / in 1934 ] Vancouver, WA 4 MAR 2005 [10 / in 1934 ] Portland (airpt) 4 MAR 2005 [ 6 / in 1947 ] Portland (downtn) 3 MAR 2005 [ 8 / in 1941 ] Troutdale 4 MAR 2005 [ 7 / in 1965 ] Hillsboro 4 MAR 2019 [ 7 / in 1947 ] McMinnville 4 MAR 2019 [15 / in 1926 ] Salem 4 MAR 2019 [ 9 / in 1934 ] Corvallis 4 MAR 2005 [ 9 / in 1941 ] Eugene 3 MAR 2015 [ 7 / in 1934 ] ================================================================== FINALLY, the CONSECUTIVE number of days 70+ with this warm spell. MARCH 2024 Record Longest in March ---------------------------------------------------------------- Portland (Airport) 4 days 6 days, in 1941 *** 2024 string of 4 days is currently tied as 3rd longest along with MAR 2005, 1994, 1969 and 1947. Salem 4 days 6 days, in 2005 *** 2024 string of 4 days is currently tied as 4th longest along with MAR 2019, 1994, 1969, 1947, 1923, 1915, 1905. ==================================================================== PERIOD OF RECORD FOR KEY STATIONS... ASTORIA 1887-2024 PORTLAND DOWNTOWN 1871-2024 TROUTDALE 1948-2024 PORTLAND AIRPORT 1941-2024 HILLSBORO 1929-2024 VANCOUVER 1894-2024 SALEM 1892-2024 MCMINNVILLE 1892-2024 CORVALLIS 1893-2024 EUGENE 1892-2024 $$ ROCKEY