Weather Extremes

For the week of March 23-29, 99 weather records were tied or broken. There were 27 high temperature records, 29 low temperature extremes and 19 snowfall records.

Many of the snowfall records were observed in the Northwest last week. On Wednesday, Spokane picked up 0.8 inches of snow while Davenport, Wash., picked up 3.4 inches. Another snowstorm dumped 9.5 inches of snow in Coeur d’Alene on Friday. On the same date, Davenport reported another record-breaking 4 inches of snow.

Parts of the Inland Northwest, especially across North Idaho, have seen more than double the normal snowfall. Rathdrum, Spirit Lake and Priest Lake have seen record totals between 170 and 200 inches this season. Extreme snows have also been seen near the Great Lakes and New England. In Bangor, Maine, a record 1.8 inches of snow fell, taking their seasonal totals to more than 185 inches, the most in recorded history.

In addition to the snow, record cold also gripped these regions. On March 23 and 24, Caribou, Maine plunged to a record minus 14 degrees. Seattle reported 33 degrees Friday. Teens were observed along the California and Oregon border last week. In the central U.S., Gaylord, Mich., plunged to a record minus 10 degrees on the 24th.

While the northern regions continue to shiver, Southern California observed record-breaking heat for the second week in a row. On March 23, Anaheim soared to 93 degrees, breaking the old record of 84 degrees set in 2006. Santa Ana also observed a sizzling 93 degrees, while San Diego climbed to a record 88 degrees. Downtown Los Angeles also reported 88 degrees on the 23rd. On the 24th, Yuma, Ariz., observed a record 96 degrees.

Rainfall records were mostly in the West. On March 23, Seattle reported 0.69 inches of rain and received 0.56 inches Friday.