It's official ...

[ricki]

It has been cold.

"We all knew it was an unusually frigid winter.

Today the National Weather Service confirmed it, saying West Palm Beach saw its coldest January-to-March period ever and Miami Beach registered its coldest March on record with an average temperature of 65.1 degrees.

West Palm also saw its second coldest March on record with an average temperature of 64.1 degrees. Fort Lauderdale recorded its fourth coldest January-March. All told, March was 4 to 6 degrees below normal across South Florida.

The outlook for April and May: More cooler-than-normal weather, thanks to the “continuing, persistent El Niño pattern of the past three months,” meteorologist Robert Molleda wrote in a March summary.

Even so, he added that El Niño likely will start to wane by April and likely will be gone before the heart of the hurricane season.

The reason for so much cold this year: A persistent low-pressure system over eastern North America and a high-pressure system over the west end of the continent, the weather service said.

“This pattern favors frequent cold air intrusions deep into the southern U.S., including Florida,” Molleda said.

He added that South Florida in general saw 1 to 3 inches more rain than normal in March, also as a result of El Niño."
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news..._winter_w.html


I imagine the records go up the state. Strange to hear the winter in some more northerly parts has been mild?

[mobettah]

No snow in Toronto in March - unusual. Last two days over 70 deg F. Broke records both days! Normal high this time of year less than 50 deg F.

Wind off lakes cold and strong!