March 2011

Gorse in flower on a warm and sunny March day along the south Devon coast path.
Gorse in flower on a warm and sunny March day along the south Devon coast path.
Summary for  March 2011
Mean Max: 13.1ºC (+2.5ºC)
Mean Min: 3.2ºC (-0.4ºC)
Mean: 8.2ºC (+1.1ºC)
     
High Max: 20.4ºC 25th
Low Max: 5.7ºC 5th
High Min: 10.2ºC 31st
Low Min: -3.3ºC 5th
Mean Grass Min: 0.7ºC  
Grass Min: -5.6ºC 8th
     
Rain Total (gauge): 24.3 mm (38%)
Rain Total (tipping bucket): 24.2 mm (38%)
Rain Days >0.2 mm: 5 Days  
Rain Days >1.0 mm: 5 Days  
Max 24 hrs: 10.1 mm 18th
Days without any rain: 26  
     
Air Frost: 7 Days  
Ground Frost: 15 Days  
Snow Falling: 0 Days  
Snow (50%) @ 9am: 0 Days  
Thunder Heard: 0 Days  
Hail <5 mm: 0 Days  
Hail >5 mm: 0 Days  
Fog @ 9am: 0 Days  
     
Total Monthly Sunshine: 189h:28m  
Total Monthly Sunshine: 189.5 Hours  
Most Sunshine in a Day: 11h:52m 23rd 
Average Daily Sunshine: 06h:06m  
Sunless Days: 1 Days  
Cloudless Days: 2 Days  
Total Possible Sunshine: 368h:28m  
Percentage of Total Sun: 51%  
Maximum UV Index: 3 12th onwards
Average UV Index: 2.3  
     
Mean Soil Temp @ 30 cm: 7.0ºC  
Min Soil Temp @ 30 cm: 4.7ºC 5th
Max Soil Temp @ 30 cm: 10.2ºC 30th
Mean Soil Temp @ 100 cm: 7.8ºC  
Min Soil Temp @ 100 cm: 6.3ºC 9th
Max Soil Temp @ 100 cm: 8.7ºC 14th
     
Mean 10 Min Wind >39 mph: 0.00 Days  
N: 5.78 Days  
NE: 6.73 Days  
E: 4.28 Days  
SE: 3.51 Days  
S: 2.86 Days  
SW: 1.70 Days  
W: 2.67 Days  
NW: 1.47 Days  
Calm: 2.01 Days  
Wind Chill Low: -5.4ºC 3rd 
Mean Wind: 3.8 mph  
Max Gust: 35 mph 10th
     
Mean Cloud Cover: 63%  
Mean RH @ 9am: 86%  
Rain Duration >0.1mm/hour: 16.3 Hours  
Frost Duration: 52.3 Hours  
Max Frost Duration in a Day: 11.3 Hours 5th
     
Mean Sea Temperature: 8.8ºC  
Normal for Month:    
Max Sea Temperature: 10.2ºC 25th
Min Sea Temperature: 7.8ºC 5th
     
Mean Pressure @ 9am: 1023.0 hPa (+8.5 hPa)
Mean Pressure: 1021.7 hPa (+7.2 hPa)
Max Pressure: 1039.6 hPa 23rd 
Min Pressure: 995.6 hPa 13th
     
Max Dewpoint: 11.1ºC 31st
Min Dewpoint: -5.5ºC 8th
Mean Dewpoint: 3.2ºC  
     
Max Humidity: 94% 6th
Min Humidity: 42% 13th
Mean Humidity: 74% (-7)

 

Spring 2011 starts with a sunny, warm and dry March.

Maximum temperatures during March were consistently above average due to a prevalence of sunny and warm days, but this led to many clear and cold nights with some frost. After mid-month things warmed up at night and the frosts disappeared.
Rainfall was well below the average and this March ended up the 3rd driest month on record (2005).
Many air frosts, especially at the beginning of the month were due to plenty of calm, clear and starry nights. So far this year there has been no snow.
Sunshine levels were above average, and slightly beating the sunny March of 2009. This was the sunniest March on record (2006).
Soil temperatures were normal at the beginning of the month but ended up rather above normal.
Winds were dominant from the north and north-easterly directions.
Rainfall duration was only 16.3 hours and cloud amounts were very low due to a high number of sunny days.
Sea surface temperatures gradually recovered from the low levels at the beginning of the year and now are slightly above normal.
Mean pressure was well above the average for March due to persistent anticyclonic conditions.
Dewpoints were slightly below average.
The RH ended up being below normal.
Weather Data for Otter Valley, Devon.  March 2011  
  Temp (oC) Hum (RH%) Dewpoint (oC) Wind (mph) Rain Pressure (hPa) Grass Sun  
  Min Max Ave Min Max Ave Min Max Ave Max Ave Run mm Min Max Ave Min Hours Observations
1 3.1 6.3 4.7 63 81 72 -1.2 0.6 -0.3 21 5.4 129 0.0 1034 1038 1036 2.7 0.4 Brief sunny intervals all day
2 2.4 9.1 5.8 55 80 68 -2.0 1.3 -0.4 18 6.3 151 0.0 1033 1038 1036 -0.9 6.6 Cloudy am, then sunny
3 -1.3 6.7 2.7 62 86 74 -4.4 0.8 -1.8 17 4.9 117 0.0 1033 1036 1034 -3.7 10.1 Sunny all day
4 -0.8 9.1 4.2 52 86 69 -3.2 0.6 -1.3 19 5.2 125 0.0 1030 1033 1032 -3.1 10.3 Sunny all day
5 -3.3 5.7 1.2 73 89 81 -3.8 1.8 -1.0 16 2.7 65 0.0 1029 1032 1030 -3.7 0.2 Sunny ints am, cloudy pm
6 0.9 9.1 5.0 54 94 74 -4.2 3.0 -0.6 15 2.9 69 0.0 1028 1031 1030 -5.1 5.2 Sunny intervals all day
7 -0.7 11.1 5.2 47 87 67 -4.3 2.5 -0.9 13 2.9 69 0.0 1025 1030 1027 -5.1 10.5 Sunny all day
8 -2.5 12.0 4.8 56 88 72 -5.5 4.4 -0.6 15 2.0 47 0.0 1018 1025 1022 -5.6 10.0 Sunny all day
9 2.9 11.5 7.2 50 83 67 0.1 4.0 2.1 21 5.2 125 0.0 1016 1020 1018 -0.2 6.7 Sunny intervals all day
10 7.1 12.2 9.7 58 76 67 2.7 6.6 4.7 35 8.8 212 0.0 1013 1019 1016 5.4 2.6 Sunny intervals all day
11 3.2 11.7 7.5 62 92 77 0.4 7.0 3.7 20 4.9 118 0.0 1011 1017 1014 -1.2 0.9 Brief sunny intervals all day
12 7.2 11.8 9.5 68 90 79 3.9 6.5 5.2 19 5.7 136 0.0 997 1010 1003 5.4 3.3 Sunny ints am, cloudy pm
13 2.1 11.4 6.8 42 91 67 -2.9 6.4 1.8 16 4.8 114 4.2 996 1008 1002 -3.2 10.1 Sunny all day
14 -2.2 13.1 5.5 58 90 74 -4.9 5.2 0.2 18 2.5 59 0.0 1008 1015 1011 -4.1 6.0 Sunny intervals all day
15 7.8 18.1 13.0 61 89 75 3.9 10.6 7.3 17 3.6 87 0.0 1010 1014 1012 3.8 6.7 Sunny intervals all day
16 8.4 14.6 11.5 68 87 78 5.6 8.7 7.2 17 5.0 119 0.0 1010 1013 1012 6.3 8.0 Misty early am, then sunny
17 5.7 14.1 9.9 58 86 72 2.1 6.1 4.1 18 5.6 135 0.0 1012 1019 1015 3.8 8.9 Sunny intervals all day
18 5.7 9.7 7.7 70 89 80 -1.7 5.7 2.0 20 3.5 84 10.1 1019 1029 1024 -1.0 2.5 Rain am, sunny ints pm
19 -2.9 12.7 4.9 48 92 70 -5.3 5.5 0.1 13 1.7 42 0.0 1029 1035 1032 -5.1 10.5 Sunny all day
20 4.1 15.5 9.8 60 87 74 -2.0 8.0 3.0 14 2.8 72 0.0 1031 1033 1032 3.6 7.5 Cloudyam, then sunny
21 3.3 15.0 9.2 71 91 81 0.4 9.8 5.1 13 2.0 48 0.0 1032 1035 1033 3.6 4.7 Misty am, sunny ints pm
22 2.4 15.4 8.9 59 92 76 0.2 9.7 5.0 12 1.4 34 0.0 1035 1038 1036 0.9 0.4 Brief sunny intervals all day
23 4.1 17.2 10.7 51 90 71 1.3 8.6 5.0 16 3.0 72 0.0 1036 1040 1038 -0.1 11.9 Sunny all day
24 1.9 18.8 10.4 54 91 73 -1.0 9.7 4.4 16 3.3 73 0.0 1027 1037 1032 2.0 11.4 Sunny all day
25 3.2 20.4 11.8 51 91 71 0.1 10.4 5.3 11 2.0 49 0.0 1016 1027 1021 -0.2 9.5 Sunny am, sunny ints pm
26 3.6 16.5 10.1 56 91 74 0.8 9.8 5.3 8 0.9 22 0.0 1011 1016 1013 0.7 1.8 Sunny intervals all day
27 5.1 17.3 11.2 61 90 76 2.5 9.8 6.2 13 2.1 52 0.0 1011 1013 1012 2.1 10.2 Sunny all day
28 4.2 16.7 10.5 52 90 71 1.5 8.3 4.9 17 2.4 59 0.0 1013 1016 1015 1.3 9.0 Sunny ints am, sunny pm
29 7.7 13.2 10.5 72 90 81 2.0 9.6 5.8 14 3.5 83 5.2 1010 1015 1012 7.1 0.0 Cloudy all day
30 6.6 14.6 10.6 71 92 82 4.2 10.7 7.5 23 4.3 104 4.7 1008 1012 1010 6.2 2.8 Light rain am, sunny ints pm
31 10.2 16.2 13.2 71 92 82 7.2 11.1 9.2 26 7.7 167 5.5 1008 1016 1012 9.7 0.6 Cloudy am, sunny ints pm
3.2 13.1 8.2 59 88 74 -0.2 6.5 3.2 17 3.8 2836 24.2 1019 1024 1022 0.7 189.5  

Graphs for March 2011
Figure 1. Temperature and Rainfall for March 2011.
Figure 2. Sunshine, air pressure and mean wind speed for March 2011.
Figure 3. Wind direction for March 2011.
Figure 4. Soil & sea surface temperature (SST) for Lyme Bay for March 2011.
Figure 5. Wind run, maximum gusts and mean pressure for March 2011.