REMARKS 



The weather during March was unusually warm, with much 

 sunshine, very little rainfall and only a trace of snow. The mean 

 temperature for the month was 44.5 degrees which exceeds the 

 all-time record for March set last year by one-tenth of a degree. 

 The normal mean temperature for March is 34.4 degrees. The 

 maximum temperature was 83 degrees on the 29th and the lowest, 

 8 degrees on the 1st. Last year the maximum temperature in 

 March was 85 degrees which also occurred on the 29th, and this 

 is the highest reading ever recorded in March. The college pond 

 was clear of ice on March 20. The heating load during the month 

 was 636 degree-days, while the normal for March is 950 degree- 

 days. The total load for the season to the end of March is 5775 

 degree-days, the normal for this period being 5932 degree-days. 



The total precipitation was 1.60 inches, all of which fell as 

 rain except for a light snow sguall on the 11th. Normally we get 

 7.47 inches of snow, with a total precipitation of 3.70 inches. The 

 total snowfall for this winter to the end of March is 60.40 inches, 

 which is the heaviest seasonal fall since the winter of 1925-26 

 when 61.00 inches was recorded. The normal for the same period 

 is 45.62 inches. 



There were 283 hours of sunshine, compared to a normal of 

 199 hours; and 21 days were classified as clear. The mean rela- 

 tive humidity was 64.2 percent, while the normal for March is 

 also 64.2 percent. High winds were recorded on the 3rd, 9th, 

 10th and 27th. 



Dr. J. K. Shaw makes the following report on the progress of 

 vegetation: "The temperature this month has been slightly higher 

 than it was during the abnormally warm March of 1945. Vegeta- 

 tion has advanced to about the same stage and our comments 

 of a year ago can now be repeated. 'The extremely high tempera- 

 tures in March have advanced vegetation so that it is about as 

 far along as it was a month later last year. Grass is green and 

 leaves are developing on many shrubs. Forsythia is in full bloom 

 at the last of the month. It is, so far, the earliest spring in many 

 years.' The month closes with cooler weather; if this persists, it 

 could delay bloom of fruit trees until danger of frost injury is de- 

 creased. It would require a temperature around 20 degrees or 

 possibly a little lower to cause serious injury to fruit buds at the 

 present stage of development. We can be quite sure that bloom 

 will be earlier than normal and that there will be a decreasing 

 probability of cold injury until late May or even early June. We 

 can hope to escape cold injury this year, but we may as well 

 admit that the fruit crop of 1946 is in great danger. 



"Fruit trees came through the winter in good condition. No 

 winter injury has been observed, and most fruit trees are full of 

 flower buds. Few peach fruit buds were killed and the prospect 

 is for a heavy bloom. The fruit crop of this year hangs in the 

 balance. If it escapes cold injury, there will be a big crop. If 

 cold comes, it may be reduced even to destruction." 



