March 2020 Summary – Low and High Airport record on same day – Improved Snowpack

The Alberniweather and Alberni Valley Climate Summary for March 2020

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If we compare to last year’s long warm month, this year seemed quite cold. The Airport set 4 new low temperature records but none were all time records. More impressively, March 16 saw both a cold, and warm temperature record set at the Airport. Again though, neither were all time, though the low temperature came within .2ºC of a tie.

Rainfall lower than normal again

Once again we had much lower rainfall than normal at between 30-40%. There were no days with more than 25mm while a normal March would have at least two.

We had a few less days of rain across all amounts.

Snowpack improved

The snowpack at March 1 had the measurement at Jump Creek (east of Nanaimo) at 77%. On April 1, it was 78%, good news. Overall the stations on Vancouver Island went from 78% to 95%. Again we’re in pretty reasonable shape for the summer months. Some much needed good news!

End of Summary. Data and detail below.

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Daily and All Time Records Set

Set at the Airport* since 1994 and compared to other stations** for “All Time” since 1900.

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Four low temp records including one with a high temp on the same day. None eclipsed all time highs or lows for the day.

• Mar 14 low temp -3.2ºC: #1 is -9.4ºC at Beaver Creek in 1906.
• Mar 15 low temp -7.2ºC: #1 is -10.6ºC at Beaver Creek in 1906.
• Mar 16 low temp -7.0ºC: #1 is -7.2ºC at Beaver Creek in 1906 and 1951.
• Mar 16 high temp 15.8ºC: #1 is 23.3ºC at Beaver Creek in 1947.
• Mar 18 low temp -4.5ºC: #1 is -7.2ºC at Beaver Creek and Port Alberni in 1943.

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City Station Comparisons

Mean Min, Mean, and Mean Max Temperature, 
Total Precipitation and Highest Wind

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• Alberniweather: 1.2º C, 5.1º C, 10.5º C, 78.0 mm , S 45.1 kph on 3rd
• Alberni Elem. : 0.9º C, 5.0º C, 10.3º C, 99.6 mm, SSW 35 kph on 3rd
• Maquinna Elem.: NA****
• Neptune: 1.5º C, 5.2º C, 10.8º C, NA*** , 8 kph on Various
• Nick’s (Maq area): 1.0º C, 4.5º C, 9.2º C, 82.4 mm, NNE 37.0 kph on 28th

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City and Airport
Compared to Normal

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Differences from Normal at the Airport (Valley)

-1.9° C, -1.4º C, -0.7º C,  -147.0 mm (34%)

This Month’s Values

• Airport* : -1.2º C, 4.3º C, 9.8° C, 76.8 mm*, NNW 34 kph on 13th.
• Normal 1981-2010 (Rbrstn Creek): 0.7º C, 5.7º C 10.5° C, 223.8 mm

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Differences from Normal in the City (Sea Level)

+0.3° C, -0.9º C, -0.6º C, -117.2 mm (43%)

This Month’s Values

• City Stations Average: 1.2º C, 5.0º C, 10.2º C,  86.7 mm
• Normal 1971-2000 (Prt Alb A (Somass)): 0.9º C, 5.9º C 10.8° C, 203.9 mm

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Official Days of Precipitation at Airport*

Normal Days : Days This Month
>= 0.2 mm: 18.2 :  14
>= 5 mm:  9.9 : 4
>= 10 mm: 6.4 : 3
>= 25 mm: 2.4 : 0

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* May have used backup Environment Canada Data source at WeatherStats.ca or Missing Data (January 2020)

**^^ Missing Data from Airport, Alberniweather broke existing Airport record temperature. Temperature at Alberniweather will be different. Usually Alberniweather underestimates temperatures in summer compared to Airport.

** Short Term means since 1995 at the new AVRA Airport.  Airport Records are compared to the 30+ year weather stations of record since 1900 (1895 for rain) at Beaver Creek, Port Alberni "City" and Robertson Creek.  Note that records pre 1950 may be more likely to over-estimate high temperatures.

***Rain gauge faulty. ****Alberni Elementary station offline.

****Nick's data currently unavailable (not Nicks fault :)) 

^Estimated amount, as new rain gauge installed on the 7th, used Alberni Elementary totals before that date.

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