MARCH 2013----VERY COLD BUT DRY

In the temperature records for Pitlochry, commencing in 1976, no March has been as cold as that of 2013.

Ironically, only a year ago, I was telling you that March 2012 had been the warmest in the record books.

The mean maximum temperature this year was 5.1 & with the mean minimum -1.9. These figures indicate that the month was a little over 3 degrees below the long-term average.

24 nights saw air frost & 27 had a ground frost. Snow was a regular visitor, though generally in small amounts.

The persistence of a high pressure system   to the north of Britain helped displace the jet stream much further south, keeping us in a bitingly cold easterly air-flow.

But the high pressure had a positive side too, keeping rainfall totals (including sleet & snow) to just 42% of average.