REMARKS 



The weather during March was somewhat colder than usual 

 but near normal in other respects. The mean temperature for the 

 month was 32.9 degrees while the normal for March is 34.4 de- 

 grees. The lowest temperature for the month was -7 degrees on 

 March 9. Only once has there been a lower temperature in 

 March since the station was established in 1889. A minimum of 

 -7.5 degrees v/as recorded on March 24 in 1906. The low tem- 

 perature of -7 on March 9 this year was accompanied with the 

 highest barometer ever recorded at this station, a reading of 31.05 

 inches, corrected to sea level. The domestic heating load for the 

 month was 995 degree-days, the normal being 950 degree-days. 

 The total heating load of the season to the end of March is 6014 

 degree-days compared to a normal of 5932 degree-days. The 

 heating load to the end of March represents 88 percent of a normal 

 year's total heating load. 



The snowfall during the month was 7.50 inches which is very 

 near the normal snovv'fall for March. The total snowfall for the 

 season is 38.75 inches v/hile the normal snowfall to the end of 

 March is 45.62 inches. 



The total precipitation for the month was 3.07 inches, the 

 normal being 3.70 inches. The total precipitation since January 1 

 is 8.31 inches. The normal precipitation for that period is 10.50 

 inches. There were 220 hours of bright sunshine compared to 

 a normal of 199 hours. 



Dr. J. K. Shaw, research pomologist, makes the following 

 statement regarding vegetation: "The minimum temperature of 

 the past winter was unusually low. As a result we may look for 

 more winter injury to fruit trees than usual. The peach fruit buds 

 in Massachusetts were practically all destroyed. More or less 

 browning of the wood indicates wood injury. We shall have to 

 wait until growth starts to tell hov/ severe this will be. The more 

 tender varieties of apples also show wood injury, while the 

 hardier varieties show little or none. How severe this may be, 

 also remains to be seen. The covering of snov/ at the time of the 

 severe cold should have prevented injury to roots and low-grow- 

 ing plants. A few warm, days in the latter half of the month have 

 caused some bud swelling in early leafing trees and shrubs, but 

 the month closed v/ith colder weather, checking the development 

 of vegetation." 



