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March was a cold month in a cold winter. Seven nights it frosted, with four overnight lows below 30 degrees the first two weeks and the 28.1 degree month's low March 17. Snow was not measured locally.

By all calculations it was cold. The 35 degrees average morning low was 2.9 degrees below the century average of 37.9. The average daily high of 51.4 was 0.8 degrees below the 52.2 century average.

Those combined to have the 42.9 degree daily average peg at 1.9 degrees below the 44.8 degrees for the century.

The high topped 50 degrees 18 times, starting the 6th. Only twice did it go above 62 degrees, with the 62.7 degrees high March 18 in the middle of 12 straight days above 50 degrees.

Rain was scarce, too, only 2.1 inches and never more than 0.4 inches in a 24 hour period. That came March 24 during four days of rain dropping 0.9 inches, 41.7% of the month's total.

There was a quarter inch or more only four times, while six rain events were under one-tenth inch and no rain on 16 days.

This was the fifth driest March this century and one of 11 years under three inches of rain.

Seven of the driest Marches have been since 2013, with 2019's 1.3 inches the least rain and 2021's 1.6 inches the third driest year.

Yet four of the wettest years since 2000 have been since 2014, with the five inches in 2017 the most rain.

The month's average rainfall for the century is now 3 inches. This year was nine-tenths an inch, 30.6% below that.

For 2023, rainfall has totaled 6.23 inches. That is 3.7 inches and 37% under the 24 year century average as the region heads into six months of less rain. April's century average is 2.7 inches.

March did not set a single weather record.

Measurements and data are at Washington State University’s Mount Vernon weather station on Memorial Highway.