Northern Michigan's March 2021 Climatology

Above normal temperatures and below normal snowfall/precipitation continues for northern Michigan.

NWS Gaylord, MI

  • All climate sites were about 6 to 9 degrees above normal for the month of March with the first week of the month barely below normal and the rest of the month above normal. There were even a handful of days for each site that reached 20°+ above normal. All climate sites ranked within the top ten for the warmest March on record.
  • The lack of cold weather that has hindered lake effect development during the winter season has continued to increase the deficit for precipitation and snowfall throughout the area. Gaylord recorded the largest deficit for March 2021 out of the 5 main climate sites, with their normal precipitation for the month at 2.28"...they only received 0.81". Gaylord actually ranked within the top ten in all three categories: 4th Warmest, 7th Driest, and 4th Least Snowiest.
  • Houghton Lake and Alpena also ranked within the top ten least snowiest March's on record.

United States Drought Monitor, Valid as of March 30th, 2021:

https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/

01 / 05
1

Sault Ste. Marie

1888 - Present

2

Houghton Lake

1919 - Present

3

Alpena

1916 - Present

4

Traverse City

Temperatures: 1897 - Present. Precipitation: 1930 - 1993, 2001 - present

5

Gaylord

Temperatures: 1951 - Present. Precipitation: 1940 - Present

https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/