Chicago
A warmer trend through the month helped limit the opportunities for snowfall across the area. The average temperature for the month was 44.0°F (5°F warmer than normal). While wintry activity underperformed (with just 1.0" of the typical 5.5" of snowfall usually reported during this period), overall precipitation ended up exceeding the normal, with 3.59" of total liquid precipitation (which is above the normal 2.45" for March).
After a brief, cool start to the month, temperatures warmed from the 40s up into the 60s and 70s in the days that followed. A high of 73°F on the 3rd ended up being the warmest day of the month. We then had scattered showers and storms develop on the 4th and 5th, which brought a good chunk of rain; over half an inch of rain to the region. Temperatures also fell back into the 40s. A more organized rainmaker came in on the 8th, which ended up being the rainiest day of the month, measuring 0.91".
Rainfall totals from the March 4th-5th event. Courtesy of NWS Chicago.
A quieter spell settled in for the following days as temperatures moderated; rising to the 60s and low 70s. Showers and storms impacted the region on the 14th, bringing a low-end severe weather event with periods of heavy rain in the morning. Relatively cooler temperatures returned in wake of these storms, settling into the 50s.
A brief cooldown occurred from the 17th to the 18th of the month, during which time a few scattered snow showers passed through the area. This ultimately produced just minor accumulations. A quick return of milder air came in on the 19th, which saw high temperatures reach the upper 50s before real seasonable temperatures returned.
A more pronounced snow event occurred on the 22nd, which had a decently sharp gradient of snow accumulation across the region. Northern spots of Illinois and into southern Wisconsin measuring upwards of 6" or so (spots north of Rockford reported 7.5") whereas areas farther south and east saw closer to an inch (O'Hare Airport measured 1.0").
The remainder of March saw unseasonably warm weather return with conditions feeling more like Spring than Winter. Some rain showers and storms on the 25th and 26th were then followed up by quieter conditions before additional rain showers overspread the region to close out the month.
Indianapolis
As has been the case for a good portion of the winter months, March trended notably warmer than normal with an average temperature of 58.2°F (6.3°F above normal). Hindered in part by periods of unseasonable warmth, snowfall across the Indianapolis region was well short of what is typically seen late-winter. Only a trace (which is typically an unmeasurable amount) of snow was reported for the entire month (normally would see 3.2" on average). Overall, precipitation fell short, with 2.47" of total liquid precipitation reported (down from the normal 3.69").
Beyond an initial seasonable day to start, March saw warmer temperatures settle in right off the bat, with highs reaching well into the 70s by the 3rd and 4th. The latter of the two days reported a high of 77°F, which was the warmest day of the month. The start of March also featured pleasant, dry weather to accompany this warmth before rain showers and storms returned on the 5th, cooling temperatures down and producing the month's rainiest day with 0.86" of rain.
Another warming trend took hold heading into the second full week of March, with daytime highs climbing into the 60s and later 70s approaching the middle of the month. Beyond a rain shower on the 8th, this period featured quieter conditions before showers and storms developed the 13th and 14th, bringing the warm spell to an end. Storms on the 14th were quite severe, with an initial midday line of storms producing gusty winds followed by supercells in the evening. These ended up producing a couple tornadoes across the wider region--one of which near Winchester, IN was later rated as an EF-3 .
The better version of the previous back-of-camera shot. Here, I'm look east from a mile or so south of the previous shot, but several minutes later. #inwx @NWSIndianapolis pic.twitter.com/DmSZancRMH
— Jay Murdock (@jaywmurdock) March 15, 2024
Images taken of the Farmland, IN Tornado - March 14th, 2024
Temperatures continued the cooling trend in the days following the severe outbreak, bottoming out with highs in the 40s on the 17th and 18th. A few passing snow showers developed on the 18th, which produced the only snowfall for March, and even then accumulations were minor and almost nonexistent.
More seasonable temperatures continued for the next few days, remaining largely dry as well. Rain showers worked back into the picture on the 25th with some storms developing on the 26th. Beyond a brief cooldown to the 40s and 50s on the 27th and 28th, milder air settled back in to close out March with highs in the 60s and 70s along with rain showers and storms back in the picture.
Ohio
Like much of the Midwest, Ohio saw unseasonably warm temperatures be the norm for the month of March, with the break down in average temperatures resulting as the following: Columbus: 56.6°F (5.5° above normal); Dayton: 57.3°F (5.8° above normal); Cincinnati: 58.0°F (6.5° above normal). Correlated with these unseasonably warm temperatures was the drastic disparity in snowfall totals. Columbus measured 0.2" of snow for the entire month (typically 4.1"), Dayton and Cincinnati only reported a trace of snow, far less than the typical 3.9" and 3.4", respectively. Whereas the shortcomings in snowfall were drastic, overall precipitation for the month, while less than normal, wasn't as significant. The break down in overall precipitation were as follows: Columbus: 2.66" (normal 3.62"); Dayton: 3.06" (normal 3.50"); Cincinnati: 2.98" (normal 4.16").
Similar to other portions of the Midwest, March started on the cooler side before quickly trending warmer in subsequent days. Other than some rain showers around on the 2nd in Columbus, the start of the month was also dry. Temperatures continued to climb through the first week, reaching the 70s by the 4th (when Columbus saw their warmest daytime high of the month: 75°F.
Steadier rain returned to the region on the 5th and 6th, cooling temperatures back to the 50s during this time. Better rainfall favored southern Ohio, with Cincinnati and Dayton both reporting their highest daily rainfall of the month on the 6th and 5th, respectively (Cincinnati: 0.83"; Dayton: 0.80"). Unsettled weather continued into the second week of March as rain showers persisted. Highs briefly dipped down to 30s and 40s on the 10th, during which time some snow showers passed through the region and was the "snowiest" day of the month for Columbus and Dayton with 0.2" and a trace reported, respectively.
Temperatures rebounded shortly thereafter, ushering in a more spring-like period as highs flirted with the 70s. Strong to severe storms passed through Ohio on the 14th, first as a line of storms midday followed by supercells later in the evening. This second act proved more impactful, producing 7 tornadoes across the wider region, with one EF-2 tornado reaching Union County before diminishing over Delaware County. Another EF-2 tornado reached its end just north of Dayton in Miami County.
VIDEO - https://t.co/hD7XQmfMqc - Full chase of the Wapakoneta, OH tornado and supercell from Warren, IN to Russell’s Point, OH - The video just keeps getting more and more intense as it goes along. #ohwx
— Jonny G. (@JonnyGlessner) March 15, 2024
Video of the tornado outbreak across Ohio - March 14th, 2024
The rollercoaster of temperature trends cooled a bit once more in light of the severe outbreak, returning to the 50s and 60s. A brief shot at colder air on the 18th cooled much of the state into the 30s with snow showers (Cincinnati saw their only snowfall of the month, and even then it was not measurable).
After a period of seasonable temperatures, conditions warmed once more heading into the final third of March. Nuisance rain showers on the 22nd were superseded by storms on the 26th which produced the rainiest daily rainfall of the month for Columbus (0.44"). A brief chill on the 27th saw highs only in the 40s before returning to pleasant levels. A high of 76°F on the 30th was the warmest day for both Cincinnati and Dayton.
Unsettled weather closed out the month with showers and storms returning to the region. A couple storms the afternoon of the 30th produced gusty winds and hail in the Columbus area, with showers and storms returning later in the day on the 31st.
