Record Warmth Over Minnesota - March 15-16, 2003

After a prolonged period of cold for the first half of March, the weather warmed up with southerly breezes that rapidly ate away at the snow pack over Minnesota. At Chanhassen, the snow pack melted 4 inches in one day with 4 inches on the 14th and only a trace by the 15th. Temperatures were balmy as the snow left and many 60's were common on the 15th and 16th. The mercury cracked 70 in a few places in southern Minnesota. Waseca reached 73 on the 15th and Preston reached 73 on the 16th. To top off a spring weekend, thunderstorms developed over southeast Minnesota and western Wisconsin Sunday evening the 16th dropping nearly a half inch of rain at La Crosse.

Listed below is information from a National Weather Service Public information statements about various warm records broken.

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS
525 PM CST SAT MAR 15 2003
...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET FOR GRAND FORKS...

AT 406 PM CST THE TEMPERATURE AT GRAND FORKS INTERNATIONAL 
AIRPORT REACHED 52 DEGREES. THIS ESTABLISHES A NEW RECORD HIGH 
TEMPERATURE FOR MARCH 15. THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 47 DEGREES WAS
SET IN 1986. 

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
553 PM CDT SAT MAR 15 2003
...A NEW RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT THE ICEBOX OF THE NORTH...

THE RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS BROKEN THIS AFTERNOON AT THE 
INTERNATIONAL FALLS AIRPORT. THE TEMPERATURE REACHED 57 DEGREES AT 
330 PM. THE PREVIOUS RECORD HIGH FOR TODAY WAS 56 DEGREES SET IN 
1946.

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
605 PM CST SAT MAR 15 2003
...RECORD HIGH IN MANKATO THIS AFTERNOON...

THE RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 63 FOR MARCH 15TH AT THE MANKATO 
AIRPORT THIS AFTERNOON HAS BEEN SURPASSED. THE NEW RECORD HIGH IS 72
DEGREES.

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
747 PM CST SAT MAR 15 2003
...NEW RECORD HIGH ESTABLISHED IN ROCHESTER MINNESOTA...

THE TEMPERATURE AT ROCHESTER MINNESOTA CLIMBED TO 67 DEGREES 
THIS AFTERNOON. THIS BROKE THE PREVIOUS RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE 
FOR TODAY (MARCH 15). THE OLD RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THIS 
DATE WAS 64 DEGREES BACK IN 1995.

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
427 PM CDT SUN MAR 16 2003

...A NEW RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT THE ICEBOX OF THE NATION...
THE DAILY RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS BROKEN THIS AFTERNOON AT THE 
INTERNATIONAL FALLS AIRPORT. THE TEMPERATURE REACHED 57 DEGREES AT 
411 PM. THE PREVIOUS RECORD HIGH FOR MARCH 16TH WAS 51 DEGREES SET 
IN 1981.

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
418 PM CDT SUN MAR 16 2003
...NEW ALL TIME DAILY RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT DULUTH...

A NEW ALL TIME RECORD HIGH FOR DULUTH WAS SET AT 335 PM WITH A HIGH 
OF 60 DEGREES. THE PREVIOUS RECORD FOR THIS DATE...BASED ON ALL TIME 
RECORDS WAS 55 DEGREES SET IN 1918. 


RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1201 AM CST MON MAR 17 2003
...RECORD HIGH MINIMUM RECORD ESTABLISHED...

THE RECORD HIGH MINIMUM FOR MINNEAPOLIS WAS 41 OBSERVED AT THE 
AIRPORT IN 1946. THE LOW SUNDAY OF 43 BREAKS THIS OLD RECORD.

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URL: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/warm030316.htm
Last modified: March 18, 2003