What says March Weather Madness better than the “Big Ten”?
Today’s the 10th consecutive day of 70-plus-degree weather in Indianapolis, and high temperature records continue to crumble.
Tuesday highs in Indiana:
85: Lafayette (breaking record from 1972).
84: Evansville (breaking record from 1982), Terre Haute (breaking record from 1969), Bloomington (breaking record from 2003) and Fort Wayne (breaking record from 1918).
83: Indianapolis (breaking record from 1894), Muncie (breaking record from 1969) and South Bend (breaking record from 1921).
The end is in sight. But it ain’t here yet! Today will be the eighth consecutive record setting day in South Bend and Lafayette. That’s the second-longest streak ever in South Bend, surpassed only by the equally record-shattering summer of 1936, when the highs were 100 or hotter for 10 days.
This heat goes even farther north than South Bend. Pellston, Mich., has had the first 80 degree days in their history.
International Falls, Minn., set an all-time record for March this week, reaching 79. The low temperature for International Falls bottomed out at 60. So the actual low tied the previous high temperature record! What are the chances of something like that when you are dealing with over 100 years of records?
The one record Indianapolis may not crack? The warmest temp ever in the month. We’ll try again today. It’s 85 to tie, 86 to win.
I suspect we will remain above average through the end of the month, and therefore this will end up being the warmest March on record for Indianapolis.
Why is the weather wacky? There’s a large upper-level ridge of high pressure over our part of the country (check the graphic in the video and on the desktop computer version of this story). This blocking pattern is bottling up cooler air to the north and west. The pattern is so sharp, and has dug in so far south that it has created a “cut-off” low down in Texas. East of that low we’ll find severe weather today in Louisiana and Mississippi. Up to five inches of rain may fall. (Oklahoma got drenched Tuesday.)
That area of low pressure will now trudge to the east and northeast over the next few days. That will change the pattern and promote precipitation here. Chances move in from southwest to northeast starting Thursday afternoon across the state. Periods of showers and storms are likely from Thursday night through Saturday, thanks to the cut-off low.
That will allow you to give your cut-offs a rest for a few days, even though temps will remain above average. They just won’t be setting records.
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Indy Almanac:
The average high today is 54, and the average low is 34. The record high (which is about to be broken) is 82, from 1907. The record low is 11, from 1876. Sunrise is 7:46, and sunset is 7:59
Detailed Indianapolis forecast:
Today: Mostly to partly sunny. Record high of 85!
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Low 62.
Thursday: Partly to mostly cloudy. High 81.
Thursday night: Showers and storms likely. Low 61.
Friday: Periods of showers and storms. High 71.
Friday night: Chance of showers and storms. Low 54.
Saturday: Chance of showers and storms. High 66.
Saturday night: Mostly cloudy. Low 49.
Sunday: Partly sunny. High 67.
Sunday night: Mostly clear. Low 49.
Monday: Mostly sunny. High 68.
Monday night: Mostly clear. Low 49.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny. High 71.
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