March wetter, warmer than normal in region

March was yet another wet month in Southern Illinois, Southeast Missouri and Western Kentucky.

Temperatures also were above normal in the region, the National Weather Service office in Paducah reported on its website in a March climate summary.

Precipitation

In Paducah, precipitation has finished above normal in 23 of the past 27 months. 

Many locations observed 2 to 4 inches above their normal March precipitation totals. 

Amounts ranged from 5 to 8 inches across much of the region. 

A few higher amounts were observed, including 10.93 inches at a station near Dexter, Mo.

Local weather observer Dana Cross recorded 5.84 inches of precipitation during March in Jonesboro.

Temperatures

Temperatures during March averaged around 4 to 5 degrees above normal. 

Paducah registered above normal temperatures on 22 of the 31 days, with the greatest departures occurring from March 26-28. 

Highs soared into the 80s in many locations on the 26th, achieving a record high in Paducah.

The month finished as the sixth warmest March on record in Cape Girardeau and tied for the eighth warmest in Paducah.

The high temperature reached 80 degrees on March 26 in Jonesboro.

Severe Weather

March also was an active severe weather month, with several systems impacting the region on March 2, 12, 19 and 28. 

There were a total of seven confirmed tornadoes with these events.