Midwest Overview - March, 2004

---

March 2004 was noteworthy for its precipitation and warmth in the Midwest, which had its 17th wettest and 18th warmest March since 1895. More than 3.5 inches of precipitation fell over more than half of the Midwest, with up to 7 inches falling in southwest Missouri (Figure 1). Only Minnesota received less than 2 inches over its extent, although this was still well above normal in most places. A large swath of the Midwest received more than 150% of normal precipitation for the month (Figure 2), with Wisconsin having the highest individual rank, 5th in 109 years, and Michigan and Iowa ranking 6th and 7th wettest, respectively. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan and northern Wisconsin also had substantial snow fall for March, ranging from 20 to 35 inches in places (Figure 3). The portion of northern Wisconsin mentioned received more than double the normal snow amount for the month (Figure 4), as did a swath through Iowa that received up to 10 inches in a single storm. Temperatures were 2.5 to 5.0°F above normal in most of the Midwest, and all of the Midwest was above normal to some extent (Figure 5). The copious rain did reduce drought in the Midwest, eliminating drought in Iowa and central Wisconsin, and ameliorating drought in northwestern Missouri and Minnesota (Figure 6, National Drought Mitigation Center).