MARCH,1928 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW 113 WEATHER IN THE UNITED STATES THE WEATHER ELEMENTS Closely following the cyclone last mentioned, another formed over the mddle Rocky Mountain area and by the By P. C. DAY morning of the 28th it was central over Kansas. During the following 24 hours it moved to Arkansas, but without GENERAL CONDITIONS precipitation of consequence save light snows over a March, like the preceding months of 1928, was mainly narrow area from Colorado and Nebraska to southern without the tempestuous character ordinarily associated Lake Michigan. By 8 a. ni. of the 30th this storm had with the weather of the first part of the year over the developed materially and was central over western more northern districts, and for the country as a whole it Pennsylvania, attended by local heavy rain in the Ohio was unusually favorable for the outdoor operations com- Valley and to the southward, and by snow, sleet, or glaze mon to the season. in the low-er Missouri Valley and thence eastward to southern h'lichigan and northern Ohio, the glaze becom- PRESSURE AND WINDS ing heavy and destructive over the northern parts of Indiana and Ohio and near-by portions of adjacent While changes from warin to cool and from cyclonic to States, causing much damage to overhead wires, trees, anticyclonic conditions were fairly frequent they were shrubs, etc. This storm continued its course toward usuall not of extensive proportions and the month New England and the Canadian Maritinie Provinces lackez much of the rough weather usually associated during the 31st, hut with diminishing intensity. with the period attending the end of winter and the Over the far Western States there was rather frequent beginning of spring. precipitation during the first half of the month. There. The first cyclone giving important precipitation over was generally little from the 15th to 30th, but during the an extensive area formed over the Southwest about the ltst decade showers were frequent, particularly near the 7th. B the following morning it had moved to the iniddle of the decade when wide areas had important middle Kissouri Valley with light precipitation over a rains in the lower elevations and considerable snow OR small area near the center, but by the morning of the the high in~iiiit ains. 9th the center had moved to northern Ohio, and the Aniicyclories were iriainly unimportan t and brought no precipitation area had overspread a large part of the decided weather changes save on the 5th and 6th when a country from the. Great Plains eastward, some heavy high-pressure area inoving from the Canadian Northwest snows occurring in the upper Lake region and local to the Great Lakes and Atlantic coast caused sharp falls heavy rains in the southern Appalachian region. During in temperature up to 40' or more over these areas. Also the following day the precipitation area extended to the about the 14th a ((high" moved into the Dakotas and Atlantic coast with some heavy local rains over the Mid- then advanced to the eastward and southward bringing dle Atlantic States. At the same time an extensive the lowest temperatures of the month over extensive precipitation area had overspread the far Northwest areas in the Southwest and eastward over the Gulf States continuing for several days, the rainfall being heavy at during the following few days. An anticyclone that first times near the coast, with occasional snows in the appeared of small importance when over the upper adjacent mountains. Missouri Valley on the 26th caused an unusually wide and On the 15th a second cyclone having its origin in the extensive fall in temperature within the following 24 far Southwest had moved to the lower Rio Grande hours from central Texas northeast to the Great Lakes, Valley and precipitation, mostly snow, had fallen in the though, on account of the generally higher temperatures Rocky Mountain region from western Montana south- prevailing prior thereto it did not bring the lowest tem- ward and had extended into the southern Plains. During peratures of the month. the followin 24 hours the center moved to northern The paths pursued by cyclones and anticyclones are Alabama an 5 the precipitation area advanced eastward presented in Charts I1 and 111, respectively. to the Atlantic coast with a secondary depression of the The average atmospheric pressure for the month is barometer extending southward into the Gulf of Mexico. shown on Chart VI, while the departures from normal and Heavy rains had fallen in the west Gulf States and near- changes from the values of the month preceding appear as by areas with local snows in the lower Ohio Valley. By insets to Charts I1 and 111. the morning of the 17th the secondary cyclone had The prevailing wind directions also are shown on advanced into northern Florida displacing the primary Chart VI and the notes concerning wind, hail, and other storm and during the following two or three days it severe weat,her disturbances appear n t the end of this moved slowly northward along the coast, increasing in section. severity and attended by local sleet and some heavy TEMPERATURE snows over districts removed from the coast, finally reaching northern New England and the Canadian Like the preceding months of the year, March was Maritime Provinces by the morning of the 19th. mainly warni with no important periods of outstanding The hthalf of the third decade was mainly without variations from the means and extremes of other years. important precipitation from the Rocky Mountains east- As in January and to a considerable extent in February ward, but by the 26th cyclomc conditions became the temperatures were decidedly high over the mestein established in the central valleys and precipitation had two-thirds of the country and comparatively near normal occurred in numerous sections from the Mississippi Valley in the eastern third. eastward with local snows in the upper Lake region. The first week was mainly cooler than normal over the During the following day the precipitation area extended districts east of the Mississippi River, and moderately rather generally into the more eastern +strich, though warmer in the districts to the westward. No important little ram or snow occurred over the distncta from Mary- cold entered the more southern districts though the land and eastern Virginia to central and southern New lowest temperatures of the nipntli occurred over nittny England. of the northern and interior districts, readings of 20' to

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30° or more below zero occurring at exposed points?in the SNOWFALL Rocky Mountain region, the upper Lakes, and Wyoming. northern New England, the lowest, -37O, occurring in There was a rather wide distribution of snowfall, The second week was warmer than normal over all though the amounts were m&ly small save in a few parts save the more northeastern States, and along the locahties, nios tly over the Northeas tern States, where northern border from North Dakota eastward to the rather heavy falls occurred on the 9th and 10th and upper Lakes. This period was decidedly warm, plus again on the 17th and 18th, some sections, particularly So to 12O, from the middle Mississippi Valley northwest- from western Maryland northward, having amounts in ward to the Canadian boundary. The week endine excess of any that occurred during the preceding winter. March 20 averaged moderately cool over most centra? Rather heavy falls occurred also in portions of the upper and eastern districts and continued mild in the far West, Lake region, particularly in the upper peninsula and ortions of Montana and North Dakota having averages northern portions of the lower peninsula of Michigan %om 5’ to nearly 10’ warmer than normal. where highways were badly blocked, a few localities The week ending the 27th was distinctly warm on the being entirely isolated for more than a week near the whole, all parts save Florida having averages above end of the month. normal, the excesses ranging up to 10’ or 15’ over much Over many of the interior portions the snowfall was of the interior and Northwest. The highest tempera- the least of record for March, but over much of Kansas tures of the month were recorded during this period over and portions of adjacent States there were heavy falls, nearly all parts save along the South Atlantic and Gulf ranging up to 10 inches or more, on the 15th and 16th, coasts where the warmest days were mainly the 28th to which, melting slowly, soaked the round thoroughly and 30th. At some points in Montana the highest tenipera- were of great benefit to grains anIf grasses. tures ever reported in March occurred on the 21st. Over the western mountains there were mainly about normal falls, the aniounts being generally above normal PRECIPITATION in most northern and far western mountains. The additional snowfall during March together with the March, like the two preceding months, was distinctly plentiful rainfall over the States from California north- dry, in fact the greater part of the area from the Rocky ward added materially to the outlook for a normal water Mountains eastward .had deficient moisture compared supply during the coming summer. with the normal for the month, the chief exceptions being portions of central Alabama, southern Georgia, RELATIVE HUMIDITY and northern Florida, where there were locally some important excesses. The percentages of relative humidity, like the total Over the far Western States the precipitation was amounts of precipitation, were mainly below normal mainly above normal and was usually favorably over the eastern two-thirds of the country, and above distributed. normal, as was the case with precipitation, over the more The general absence of rainy days associated with western districts; though in no cases were the departures moderate temperatures and lack of important snow cover from normal of importance save the negative values were over most eastern and central districts afforded unusually unusually large in the upper Missouri and Mississippi favorable conditions for the rapid progress of most Valleys, portions of the Plains States, and lower Lake outdoor occupations. region.

SEVERE LOCAL STORMS, MARCH, 1928

[Thr table herewith contalns such data BB have been recSived conoernina mvere local stoma that occurred during the month. A more complete statement will apwr in the annual

Widthof Loss Valueof Plaes Date Time path, property Character of storm Remarks Authorlty I yards I Of life destroyed ~___-~ urn ah, ex. (near) _____ 3 10 p. m ______1 _____.._____Tornado. ______Several farm buildings demolished.- ______Ofllcial. U. 8. Weathsr Bu reau. New York &ate ______4 ______High winds ______Roads, buildings, and wire system damaged Do. throughout the State. Tom Green County to 9 ______I______._ Heavy hail ____.___Fruit trees, gardens and auto tops damaged. Do. CaldweU County, Tex. several persons Injured. Heaviest ha& near Hunter. Plant City, Fls______.__ 12 8 a. m .______.______Hail _____..___..___Much injury to small plants and berry crops __._Do Qenrgla ______- ______- 12 ______._____.______..______Wind, hail, and Wires and trees considerably damaged; 1 build- Do. thunderstorms. ing unroofed. Evaqsville, Ind., and vi- 13 _____.--___.______.__1 ___.~ ______T h u n d e rstorm Houses and barns unroofed; signs blown over; Do. Chlty. and hail. windows shattered. Meridian, Miss-___--______16 p.m------...---.---, - - __ ._- - - ___ Wind and hail ____ Numerous windows and auto tops pierced. sheds Do. and small houaas demokhed; gardeu’tmck ruined. 15 11:55 p. m- ______- ______Small tornado_____ Conmderableproperty damage- 1 personinJured-- Do. 15 ______.____$10, ay) _____do ______Two houses com letely dedyed; other prop Do erty damaged; !persona injured. 16 ______Thunderstorms Damage chiefly to oil-wall equipment and tele- Do. and winds. phone and telegraph lines. timber Injured. a . number of buil- blo& down: Uvw& killed. 16 ______do______Power and commnniurtlon he6 conalderably Do. damages 1 ninjured. 17 12108. m-- ______1 10,OOO Tornadic wind ____ One buildihg&%ished; IIpmmns injured_____ Do. 23 P. m ______2,840 ______275, OOO Hail and wind _____ Hav crop damn much destruction in oil Do. flel&- path w mi% long. a4 - _____-______-______--______-___Tornadic wind____ Windo68 broken; sdbnildlnp damaged______I Do. 1 “MI.” algnihs mller hubad of yruds.

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