After a cool first third of the month, part of which was under an Arctic airflow and thus wintry in nature, March progressively became a little warmer. And after virtually incessant rainfall since the end of October, we finally had a month, which whilst having average rainfall, actually had more days without rain than days with. High pressure became dominant from the 10th, remaining in control until the 23rd in which time we had a 15 day 'Absolute Drought' when no measurable rain was recorded and which also brought some sunny days.

   However, March was, on the whole, very average, but with Easter falling early this year (25-28th) it had the misfortune to immediately follow the drought and experienced a break down in the weather that saw the Saturday become the month's wettest day, with showers and sunny intervals on Easter Sunday.

   MSLP of 1014.0 Mb was +1.5 Mb above the local average for March with low pressure affecting both ends of the month, but high pressure was truly dominant during that prolonged dry spell.

   Overall a mean minimum of 1.37°c and a mean maximum of 8.76°c saw the temperature 0.3°c below the 1981-2010 average and made it the warmest March since 2014. The highest maximum temperature recorded was 12.8°c (14th), the lowest minimum -3.2°c (8th).

   Rainfall of 73.0 mm (Crosby Ravensworth School 75.9 mm - Castle Scar 81.0 mm and at Reagill, 93.0 mm) made it the driest March since 2013 (both the 5th driest and wettest (!) of the 9 recorded by myself) and here at Maulds Meaburn was 99.9% of average for 2008-15.

   At the Met' Office site at Newton Rigg, 57.6 mm (76%) made it the driest March since 2013 and in a series back to 1900 56 have been drier with 59 wetter (1 year of missing data). In a complete series back to 1952, a mean temperature of 5.1°c is the warmest since 2014 with 36 having been warmer and 28 colder in that time.

   Figures from the Environment Agency’s rainfall sites were, (figure in brackets being the monthly average for 1961-90)   ‘Data kindly provided by the Hydrometry and Telemetry team of the Environment Agency (Penrith)’:

   Kirkby Thore 42.6 mm (55.1 mm)

   Brothers Water 100.66 mm (219 mm)

   Nunwick Hall 42.0 mm (60.0 mm) and

   174.8 mm at Seathwaite Farm (Borrowdale - 319 mm [average for 1981-2010])

  1st    A frontal system brought rain overnight into the 1st (but credited back to 29th Feb'), which cleared during the morning, although the day remained dull and damp with a few showers, but at 10.8°c it was mild.

  2nd - 7th    We then came under the influence of a cooler Arctic airflow that brought a more wintry feel. Low pressure (LP) would remain over or near the UK throughout the period, later broadening out, although with the occasional weak front bringing some snow and/or rain.

   An occluded front overnight 1st-2nd moved south over the UK and brought a spell of snow that saw the 2nd start with a 1.5 cm cover with further snowfall for the first part of the morning, although this would soon peter out. The winds turned NW'ly and now the day-time temperatures became pegged within the range of a cool 5-6°c.

   Heavy rain of 19.3 mm overnight 3rd-4th came as LP moved west-east over the UK with its associated occluded front pivoting through the north-western half of the UK. As the LP moved out into the north sea it continued to pull down Arctic air and that rain turned to snow.

   The pressure gradient now broadened and slackened resulting in lighter winds and we now saw a succession of overnight frosts.

  8th - 9th    The 8th started with a month's coldest temperature of -3.2°c (26.2°f) before an occlusion associated to LP near Iceland arrived from off the Atlantic. This only brought some occasional light rain, but both days stayed cloudy throughout.

  10th - 23rd

   High pressure (HP) would then become dominant for a considerable period and finally we had an extended dry spell, in total, 15 days without any rain, by the end of which the ground was almost dry!

   The HP initially built over Scandinavia, taking a few days to become firmly established before migrating south then west and south again to end the period lying to the SW of the UK. We saw a mix of fine sunny days and those that just stayed cloudy all day and typically what you had first thing in the morning was what you kept for the rest of the day. If you got to see the sun, the temperature rose above 10°, but if you kept the cloud all day, then temperatures tended to stay below that mark.

   The best spell of sun and warmer temperatures came during the 13-15th brought by a SE'ly flow as the HP sank down into the North Sea. Each day attained 12°, the 14th topping out a month's high of 12.8°c (55.0°f). Slightly cooler on the 17th, but this was also a lovely sunny day and by now the HP had migrated over into the Atlantic.

   But then apart from the 20th, the accent was more on cloud with the days becoming a little bland before the HP finally gave way in time for Easter!