March 1-10, 2004
Midwest Weekly Highlights - March 1-10, 2004
March Does Come In Like a Lion
The first ten days of March contained a very strong storm around the 4th and 5th that brought copious rain and snow and very strong winds to much of the Midwest. Most of the precipitation for March 1-10 fell during this storm, and brought some drought relief to the western Midwest. More than 1.50 inches of rain fell over the majority of the Midwest, with 3-5 inches falling in southwestern Missouri and 2-3 inches in places in southern Michigan and Kentucky (Figure 1). Much of the drought area stretching from northwestern Missouri to central Wisconsin received more than 300% of normal precipitation, with only northern Ohio staying below normal for the period (Figure 2). Heavy snow fell in the northern Midwest as the low pressure center passed through the region at mid-period, with parts of northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan receiving 12-15 inches (Figure 3). The period temperature average was well above normal due to the very warm and moist air that came to the region ahead of the big storm. For the first ten days of March, temperatures were 7-10°F above normal over 80% of the Midwest, with temperatures 5-7°F above normal in the far southwestern and far southeastern Midwest (Figure 4). Drought status in the U.S. Drought Monitor was improved one category in northwestern Missouri and in most of southeastern Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin (Figure 5), National Drought Mitigation Center).
The Lion
A substantial low pressure system was exiting the region as the month began, with some heavy rain in Kentucky added on March 1 to the previous storm precipitation and severe wind reports from February 29. However, by the 3rd, a large trough was being carved out in the U.S. Southwest (Figure 6, College of DuPage), and warmth and moisture from the Gulf of Mexico started to flow into the Midwest. Weak disturbances moved northeast along the airmass boundary, but then a very strong surface low developed and reinforced the flow of moisture. A large precipitation shield formed north of the surface warm front by mid-day on the 4th (Figure 7a, COD), and a strong squall line developed in the warm sector south of the Midwest (Figure 7b, COD). At about midnight, the surface low reached the western edge of Kansas City, Missouri, reforming a secondary area of convection near the center of circulation (Figure 7c, COD). Precipitation was widespread, with temperatures cold enough for snow on the northern edge. The influx of high dew points was also impressive for the time of year, with some values exceeding 60°F in southern Missouri (Figure 8, COD).
The storm moved very rapidly across the Midwest on March 5, going from near Kansas City (Figure 9a, COD) to northern Lower Michigan (Figure 9b, COD) in just 19 hours. The intense central pressure of 992 hPa (29.30 inches of mercury) set up extremely strong pressure gradients, leading to high winds and wind gusts greater than 60 mph throughout the central and northern Midwest (Figure 10, COD). In Champaign, IL (home town of the MRCC), a municipal bus was blown off a road and toppled over the rail of a small bridge, injuring two. Winds in Chicago caused 47,000 customer to loose power. About 100,000 customers lost power in Ohio, and another 35,000 lost power in the Detroit area. The wind piled up some huge stacks of lake ice along the shore of Lake St.Clair near Detroit, even while a record temperature of 68°F was recorded at the Detroit airport. Nearby, Toledo, Ohio, also set a new record of 70°F on the 5th.
Heavy rain caused flash flooding in a number of states, and many rivers and streams reached historically high levels for the time of year by mid-day on March 6 (Figure 11, USGS). Three people died of drowning in eastern Kentucky on the evening of March 5 in three separate incidents. Tygarts Creek, near Greenup, KY, rose more than 12 feet in just a few hours (Figure 12, USGS). One of the victims was found along this stream. Some of the larger rivers sustained high flows for a number of days, such as the Osage River near Schell City, MO, close to the Missouri/Kansas border (Figure 13, USGS). However, the likelihood of widespread large river flooding is thought to be small in the Midwest this spring due to early and gradual melting of the Midwest snow pack, and dryness in the upper Mississippi and Missouri River Basins. The first 10 days of March finished with some weaker clipper systems moving through the area.