Warmer Sunny Days Ahead

Good Evening! Things calming down after the historic snow storm blanketed nearly 50% of the nation. Here in Indiana, the storm left behind a healthy range of totals on Monday. 4" or less in Northern Indiana and also in Southern Indiana. The Central section of the state was the bulleyes for the heavy snowfall. Anywhere from 5"-10" was recorded with isolated areas 10"-14". It appears Kokomo held the highest total from this storm in our state with 14". Here's what the historic snow storm did for Indianapolis:
(1) 6.2" was recorded on Sunday, March 24th. This beat the 1912 record of 5.8" set 101 years ago.
(2) 2.9" was recorded on Monday, March 25th. This did not beat the 1955 record of 3.1" set 58 years ago. Record Stands.
(3) 7" Snow Depth recorded on Monday, March 25th beats the old 2" Snow Depth set in 1974.
(4) March 2013 Total Snowfall now up to 14.4". This makes this the 4th most snowiest March on Record.
(5) Winter Season's Snowfall now up to 34.4. This is over 8" above normal and looks to go down as the 8th most snowiest winter. (Well technically its Spring).
(6) This is the highest snowfall to occur on or after March 24th, this late in the season.


NWS Indianapolis, Indiana has a a write-up of the snow storm you can read for more info and look at other reports. I provided a link below.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ind/?n=mar242013snow



Even though we have the snow, there is no way its hanging around for long. Snow Cover usually keeps the temps down but it wasn't enough to keep us from dipping to "hard freeze" temperature readings. We are in the season where the sun angle is higher so the sunshine is stronger and even a few rays like today, can really work on melting this snow and make an unseasonable cool air mass feel bearable. The low this morning was 29° and the high temperature made a run to 40s coming up a degree shy at 39. The stretch of "below normal" days continues where 34 out of the past 40 days have been below normal. This unseasonably cool pattern is a product of a "Greenland Block". Basically a bubble of warm air is parked up North over Greenland which stretches out to the North Atlantic driving Cold Air Southbound into much of the Midwest and Eastern Half of the nation. This is what we call a Negative North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). You'll be hard pressed to find where the warm air is this late into March here in the U.S. In fact, you'll have to go far east to California, Nevada, and Arizona. Its reached 89 both in Imperial, California and Phoenix, Arizona (nations hot spot). Las Vegas checks in with a high of 78. You can also see some parts of Florida didn't see 80s especially along the coast. Miami checked in only at 70!



A few flurries tonight but as moisture supply drops those should diminish. Lows expected to dip back into the mid 20s. High Pressure is going to come in and we'll dry things out for a few days. Late March sunshine will boost the temps into the 40s mid and late week and 50s by the coming weekend. A system will come in on Sunday bringing a chance for rain and then all attention will be set on yet another cool down that could even bring a chance for another snowmaker that will coat the ground with possibly up to an inch of accumulation early to mid next week. The cold snapback will again be brief as it is followed by much warmer air. 60s could be lurking sometime by the 2nd week of April. More details on both in the coming days.
The next full mooon is out on Wednesday, March 27th. This month moon is called "Storm Moon" or "Worm Moon". Usually marks the time where the ground begins to soften and earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of robins. This is also known as the "Sap Moon", when maple sap begins to flow and the annual tapping of maple trees begins. Other names for this moon is Sugar Moon, Crust Moon, and Crow Moon.


***7 DAY OUTLOOK***
CALENDAR=SPRING | WEATHER=WINTER
AVG HIGH: UPPER 50s | AVG LOWS: UPPER 30s

MAR. 27	MAR. 28	MAR. 29	MAR. 30	MAR. 31	APR. 1	APR. 2
WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	EASTER	MONDAY	TUESDAY
PARTLY SUNNY	PARTLY SUNNY	PARTLY SUNNY	PARTLY SUNNY	CHANCE OF RAIN?	FLURRIES?	FLURRIES?
DRY	DRY	WARMER	MILD	MILD	FALLING TEMPS	CHILLY
41	44	47	52	56	48↓	38
25	29	30	39	48	26	25