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49 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, May 11, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend April 2, 2004 A warm and relatively dry spring in the Rogue Valley has pushed pear trees � like these on Carpenter Hill Road west of Phoenix � to bloom a bit eary this year. Sun and above-normal daytime temperatures are in the forecast through Tuesday. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Certainly a March to remember A 12-day stretch last month broke a record for days where the temperature hit 70 degrees or more By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune You’d have to be a real old-timer to remember a month like March 2004. There hasn’t been a spell of such idyllic spring weather in Jackson County for more than 60 years. Spring came two weeks early, when the temperature soared to 70 degrees on March 7, and climbed over 70 every day for the next 11 days. That 12-day taste of heaven set a new record for the longest streak of 70-degree days in March, breaking the old mark of 10 days, set in 1911 and matched in 1926 and 1939. March 2004 will enter the record books as the second warmest March since 1911, when the National Weather Service began collecting data in Medford. The average temperature for the month was 52.6 degrees, exceeded only by 1934’s average March temperature of 55.0 degrees. Even though there were 17 days with temperatures warmer than 70 degrees during the month, there was only one day of record heat — March 8, when the weather service’s thermometer climbed to 78 degrees, 4 degrees warmer than the previous record set in 1953. Advertisement Rain was scarce for the month, with just 1.27 inches — .58 inches below the March average — but ample moisture during December, January and February built up a snowpack in the mountains that even near-record warmth couldn’t melt away. At the end of March, the snowpack in the Rogue basin stood at 110 percent of normal, down substantially from 140 percent at the end of February, but still significantly above average. Wetter areas of the Rogue Valley measured at least twice as much rain as the Medford airport. Parts of eastern Jackson County between Rogue River and Grants Pass, for example, had nearly 3 inches of rain. While March was dry, that’s not unusual in Southern Oregon. Since 1911, there have been 21 years with less than an inch of rain for the month, including March 1926, when no measurable rain fell at the Medford airport. For comparison, there have been just 10 years with as much as 3 inches of rain in March. April could set the tone for the summer. Warm, dry days will hasten snow melt in the mountains and dry vegetation in the valley, which could make problems for firefighters during the summer. A cool, wet April will postpone the melt-off and keep more moisture in soil and plants on the valley floor — postponing the start of fire season. Cool wet days in April will also help mountain reservoirs fill to capacity. The climate data for April offer some food for thought. Over the long term, April tends to be drier than March — there have been 40 years with less than an inch of rain in Medford in April and just three with more than 3 inches. Two of those damp Aprils, however, fell within recent memory: 2000 (3.59 inches) and 2003 (3.53 inches). The next 30 days will tell whether the short-term trend or the long-term average plays out this spring. Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times