March 2013 was much colder than last year

[April 06, 2013]  CHAMPAIGN -- This March was 21.2 degrees colder than the average statewide temperature in March of last year, according to Jim Angel, state climatologist at the Illinois State Water Survey, part of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The statewide temperature for March was 34.1 degrees, which is 7 degrees below the long-term average of 41.1 degrees and the 11th-coldest March on record. In contrast, March 2012 was the warmest March on record, with an average temperature of 55.3 degrees.

The statewide precipitation was 2.85 inches, which is 0.15 inches below the long-term average of 3 inches. Precipitation amounts were the highest just east of St. Louis and lowest in east-central Illinois. The largest monthly total came from Kaskaskia with 6.42 inches of precipitation. Several surrounding sites had more than 5 inches of precipitation.

Snowfall was above average for the month, thanks mostly to a large storm that passed through central Illinois on April 24-25 and some earlier events that passed through northern and western Illinois. Springfield received 17 inches of snow in 24 hours, a new record for that site.

[Text from file received from the Illinois State Water Survey]