March Weather Trivia Statements
March 1
March 1, 1992: METEOROLOGICAL SPRING STARTED ON A WARM NOTE ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS. THE MERCURY ROSE TO 71 DEGREES AT CHICAGO WHILE ROCKFORD ENDED UP RECORDING A HIGH OF 66...SETTING NEW HIGHEST MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS AT BOTH STATIONS.
March 2
...CHICAGO... March 2, 1954. A STRONG FRONTAL SYSTEM MOVED INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS ON THIS DATE. IN THE CHICAGO AREA...IT BEGAN TO SNOW JUST BEFORE NOON AND BY MIDNIGHT 11.5 INCHES OF FRESH SNOW WAS ON THE GROUND. TRAFFIC WAS SERIOUSLY DELAYED THAT EVENING. IT RANKED AS THE 7TH GREATEST CALENDAR DAY SNOWFALL TOTAL IN CHICAGO'S RECORDED HISTORY.
...ROCKFORD... March 2, 2002. A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM SLAMMED INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS...BRINGING A REMINDER OF WINTER TO ROCKFORD RESIDENTS. ALTHOUGH TWO INCHES OF SNOW FELL ON THE 1ST...THE MAJORITY OF THE SNOW FELL ON THE 2ND WHERE 8.1 INCHES WAS RECORDED. ANOTHER INCH FELL ON THE 3RD AS THIS SYSTEM WAS PULLING OUT OF THE AREA. A TOTAL OF 11.1 INCHES FELL FROM THIS STORM.
March 3
...CHICAGO... March 3, 1966. SPRING-LIKE WEATHER MOVED INTO THE MIDWEST. IT RAINED OVERNIGHT...AND THEN THUNDERSTORMS ENTERED THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN AREA DURING THE EVENING RUSH. BY THE TIME IT WAS OVER...1.21 INCHES OF RAIN FELL...THE MOST PRECIPITATION FOR THIS DATE ON RECORD FOR CHICAGO.
...ROCKFORD... March 3, 1983. A MUCH NEEDED BREAK FROM THE COLD WEATHER OCCURRED AS TEMPERATURES SOARED TO 73 DEGREES...SETTING A NEW RECORD FOR ROCKFORD. TEMPERATURES WERE ABOVE 70 DEGREES FOR FOUR CONSECUTIVE DAYS...AS A HEAT WAVE HIT NORTHERN ILLINOIS WITH TEMPERATURES 40 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET OVER THE FOUR DAY HEAT WAVE...WHICH STARTED ON THE 2ND.
March 4
...CHICAGO... March 4, 1961. A F2 TORNADO MOVED NORTHEAST IN CHICAGO TO LAKE MICHIGAN. DAMAGE TOTALLED ABOUT 7 MILLION DOLLARS AS OVER 3,000 WERE DAMAGED, 617 SEVERELY. NINE MAJOR BUILDINGS REQUIRED DEMOLITION. ONE MAN WAS KILLED WHEN HE WAS HURLED AGAINST A BUILDING. ABOUT FIFTEEN PEOPLE WERE INJURED WHEN A RESTAURANT ROOF FELL IN.
...ROCKFORD... March 4, 2002. ALTHOUGH MARCH IS METEOROLOGICALLY THE START OF SPRING...WINTER SURE WASN'T LETTING GO OF ITS ICY GRIP IN ROCKFORD. THE LOW PLUMMETED TO 11 BELOW WHILE THE HIGH ONLY REACHED 14...SETTING LOW MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS. THIS WAS THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE DAY WITH RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES IN ROCKFORD.
March 5
March 5, 1978. ON THE HEELS OF ONE OF THE COLDEST WINTERS IN CHICAGOS AND ROCKFORDS HISTORY...ARCTIC AIR REMAINED OVER NORTHERN ILLINOIS DURING MUCH OF THE MONTH. IN FACT LOW TEMPERATURES ON THE 5TH FELL TO ZERO AND -9 AT CHICAGO AND ROCKFORD RESPECTIVELLY. THIS ESTABLISHED LOW TEMPERATURE RECORDS AT BOTH STATIONS.
March 6
March 6, 1960. WINTER STUCK AROUND IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS DURING MUCH OF THE MONTH OF MARCH. ON THIS DATE...THE LOW FELL TO 2 ABOVE AT CHICAGO AND TO -7 AT ROCKFORD. BESIDES SETTING NEW LOW TEMPERATURE RECORDS AT BOTH STATIONS...THIS WAS THE COLDEST TEMPERATURE RECORDED DURING THE MONTH AT ROCKFORD WHILE IT TIED WITH THE 1ST AS THE COLDEST DAY AT CHICAGO. WITH THE FIRST TWENTY-SIX DAYS OF THE MONTH AVERAGING AROUND 10 TO 15 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL...MARCH 1960 GOES DOWN AS THE COLDEST MARCH ON RECORD FOR BOTH STATIONS.
March 7
...CHICAGO... March 7, 1931. A STRONG FRONTAL SYSTEM WAS MOVING THROUGH NORTHERN ILLINOIS DUMPING ABUNDANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW. WITH THE TEMPERATURES HOVERING AROUND 30 DEGREES IN CHICAGO...THE SNOW WAS WET AND HEAVY. BY MIDNIGHT, CHICAGO HAD MEASURED 10.9 INCHES OF FRESH SNOW. THIS IS THE 15TH GREATEST CALENDAR-DAY SNOWFALL ON RECORD FOR THE CHICAGO AREA.
...ROCKFORD... March 7, 2000. SPRING-LIKE WEATHER MOVED INTO ROCKFORD FOR THE START OF METEOROLOGICAL SPRING. THE 7TH WAS THE SECOND IN A THREE CONSECUTIVE DAY STRING OF 70 DEGREE PLUS HIGH TEMPERATURES...WITH DAILY AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURES AVERAGING 20 TO 30 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. OVER THE THREE DAYS...FOUR TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE ESTABILSHED.
March 8
...CHICAGO... March 8, 1931. THE SECOND DAY OF WHAT WILL BECOME THE MARCH SNOWSTORM OF '31...IT HAD SNOWED THE MAJORITY OF THE DAY. BY MARCH 9TH 16.2 INCHES OF SNOW HAD FALLEN ACROSS THE CHICAGO AREA. THIS IS THE 5TH GREATEST SNOWSTORM IN RECORDED HISTORY FOR CHICAGO.
...ROCKFORD... March 8, 1977. THIS WAS THE FIRST IN A FIVE CONSECUTIVE DAY WARM SPELL IN ROCKFORD. DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM 62 TO 70 DEGREES...WHICH IS 20 TO 30 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. ROCKFORD SET SEVERAL NEW HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORDS DURING THIS PERIOD. IN FACT... THERE WERE TWELVE DAYS DURING THIS MONTH THAT RECORDED HIGHS OF 60 DEGREES AND ABOVE...MAKING THIS MARCH ONE OF THE WARMEST IN HISTORY.
March 9
...CHICAGO... March 9, 1998. A QUICK MOVING STORM SYSTEM BROUGHT SNOW TO THE CHICAGO AREA. ON THIS DATE...A TOTAL OF 6.5 INCHES FELL WHICH WAS THE STORM TOTAL AS WELL. BLOWING SNOW AND ICE PELLETS WERE ALSO REPORTED WITH THIS STORM AS WINDS GUSTED TO 47 MPH. AS A RESULT...1.60 INCHES OF LIQUID PRECIPITATION WAS RECORDED...SETTING A GREATEST PRECIPITATION RECORD FOR THE 9TH.
...ROCKFORD... March 9, 2002. THE HIGH TEMPERATURE PEAKED AT 58 DEGREES AT MIDNIGHT WHILE THE MERCURY FELL TO 19 DEGREES 24 HOURS LATER. THE DAILY CHANGE IN TEMPERATURE WAS NEARLY 40 DEGREES...AND IS MORE THAN TWICE THE NORMAL DIURNAL SWING. A COLD FRONT PASSED THROUGH NORTHERN ILLINOIS... USHERING RAIN...THUNDERSTORMS...AND SNOW.
March 10
March 10, 1984. NORTHERN ILLINOIS WAS IN IT'S FIFTH DAY OF A 7-DAY COLD SNAP. DAILY HIGHS IN CHICAGO AND ROCKFORD FAILED TO REACH THE 30 DEGREE MARK. THIS MONTH ALSO WENT DOWN IN THE RECORD BOOKS AS BEING THE 5TH COLDEST MARCH ON RECORD AT BOTH CHICAGO AND ROCKFORD. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THIS MARCH WAS 29.5 DEGREES AT CHICAGO AND 28.5 DEGREES AT ROCKFORD.
March 11
March 11, 1990. SPRING-LIKE WEATHER SETTLED OVER NORTHERN ILLINOIS FOR A CONSECUTIVE SEVEN DAY PERIOD. TEMPERATURES FROM THE 10TH THROUGH THE 16TH AVERAGED 15 TO 30 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. DURING THIS WARM SPELL...10 TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET BETWEEN ROCKFORD AND CHICAGO.
March 12
March 12, 1976. SEVERE WEATHER MOVED INTO NORTHEAST ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA...WHERE SEVERAL TORNADOES TOUCHED DOWN. A F3 TORNADO MOVED FROM JUST SOUTH OF OSWEGO TO NAPERVILLE...LISLE... AND VILLA PARK. ROOFS WERE RIPPED OFF OF BUILDINGS AND RESIDENCES AND NUMEROUS TREES WERE UPROOTED. A F2 TORNADO HIT THE NORTH AND NORTHWEST COUNTIES IN DUPAGE AND COOK COUNTIES. HOMES IN FRANKLIN PARK AND LEYDEN TOWNSHIP WERE BADLY DAMAGED. DAMAGE TO LONG-SPAN ROOFS WERE REPROTED NEAR O'HARE AIRPORT. UNFORTUNATELY A CONSTRUCTION WORKER WAS KILLED IN MORTON GROVE BY FLYING TIMBER. ANOTHER F3 TORNADO MOVED ACROSS IROQUOIS AND KANKAKEE COUNTIES IN ILLINOIS AND NEWTON AND JASPER COUNTY IN INDIANA. RURAL BUILDINGS AND CARS WERE TOSSED AROUND IN ILLINOIS. AN ELDERLY WOMAN DIED AS HER HOME WAS DESTROYED NEAR THE NEWTON-JASPER COUNTY LINE WHILE A MAN DIED OF A HEART ATTACK IN ONE OF THE DAMAGED HOMES IN DEMOTTE. TWO TORNADOES HIT LAKE AND PORTER COUNTIES IN INDIANA...ONE WAS RATED F4 AND THE OTHER F2. A RECREATION COMPLEX WAS DAMAGED HEAVILY IN PORTER COUNTY AND SEVERAL HOMES WERE UNROOFED.
March 13
March 13, 1995. THIS WAS THE SECOND IN A FIVE CONSECUTIVE DAY STRING OF 70 DEGREE PLUS TEMPERATURES AT CHICAGO AND THE FIRST IN A THREE DAY STRING AT ROCKFORD. THIS WARM SPELL PRODUCED A TOTAL OF 6 HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORDS AT BOTH STATIONS.
March 14
...CHICAGO... March 14, 1957. A F1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AND TRAVELED 2 MILES THROUGH LAKE COUNTY ON THIS DAY. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS INJURED AND ONLY MINOR BUILDING DAMAGE WAS REPORTED.
...ROCKFORD... March 14, 1944. IT WAS A RAINY SPRING DAY FOR ROCKFORD RESIDENTS. ON THIS DATE...A TOTAL OF 1.62 INCHES OF RAIN FELL. THIS SET A RECORD FOR THE GREATEST PRECIPITATION ON THE 14TH.
March 15
March 15, 1943. NORTHERN ILLINOIS SAW A WARM BUT RAINY SPRING DAY. ON THIS DATE...1.43 INCHES FELL AT CHICAGO AND 1.75 INCHES AT ROCKFORD...SETTING NEW GREATEST PRECIPITATION RECORDS.
March 16
March 16, 1945. PLEASANT SPRING-LIKE WEATHER SETTLED OVER NORTHERN ILLINOIS FOR MUCH OF MARCH. ON THIS DATE...HIGH TEMPERATURES CLIMBED TO 78 DEGREES AT CHICAGO AND 75 AT ROCKFORD...WHICH SET NEW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS WHICH STILL STAND TODAY. IN FACT A TOTAL OF TWELVE NEW RECORDS WERE SET BETWEEN CHICAGO AND ROCKFORD THROUGHOUT THE MONTH.
March 17
...CHICAGO... MARCH 17, 1900. WINTER NEVER REALLY LEFT CHICAGO DURING MARCH. IN FACT ON THIS DATE...THE LOW PLUMMETED TO -1 SETTING A NEW LOW TEMPERATURE RECORD. THIS WASN'T THE ONLY SUBZERO READING DURING THE MONTH AS ON THE 16TH A LOW OF -1 WAS ALSO RECORDED. THE COLD WEATHER LASTED THROUGHOUT MUCH OF MARCH AS THE AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE WAS 8.2 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THIS RESULTED IN MARCH OF 1900 BEING THE 4TH COLDEST MARCH ON RECORD.
...ROCKFORD... March 17, 1921. ROCKFORD RESIDENTS ENJOYED A FOUR CONSECUTIVE DAY WARM SPELL STARTING ON THIS DATE. HIGH TEMPERATURES CLIMBED TO AT LEAST 66 DEGREES WHICH SET A COUPLE OF NEW TEMPERATURE RECORDS DURING THIS PERIOD. ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES WERE ALSO RECORDED OVER MUCH OF THE MONTH RESULTING IN MARCH OF 1921 GOING DOWN AS THE 5TH WARMEST MARCH ON RECORD.
March 18
March 18, 1925. THE CHICAGO AND ROCKFORD AREAS RECORDED CLOUDY SKIES WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 40S AND EVEN 1.3 INCHES OF SNOW AT CHICAGO ON THIS DAY. BUT THE WEATHER WAS MUCH WORSE IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. THE GREAT TRI-STATE TORNADO MOVED FROM SOUTHEAST MISSOURI... ACROSS SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND INTO SOUTHWEST INDIANA. THE TORNADO TRAVELED A TOTAL OF 437 MILES ACROSS THE THREE STATES. THE DEATH TOLL OF 695 IS THE GREATEST LOSS OF LIFE IN THE UNITED STATES DUE TO A TORNADO. IN THE FIRST 120-MILE STRETCH OF THE TORNADO'S PATH 541 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN A 40 MINUTE SPAN, INCLUDING 234 PEOPLE IN MURPHYSBORO AND 148 IN WEST FRANKFORT. THE DEATH TOLL IN MURPHYSBORO IS THE LARGEST WITHIN A SINGLE CITY IN U.S. HISTORY. THE TORNADO AT TIMES WAS A MILE WIDE AND TRAVELED BETWEEN 55 AND 75 MPH.
March 19
...CHICAGO... March 19, 1910. CHICAGO MEASURED 0.16 INCHES OF RAIN ON THIS DATE... BEING THE FIRST DAY THAT MARCH WHICH HAD MEASUREABLE PRECIPITATION. MEASUREABLE PRECIPITATION OCCURRED ONLY TWO OTHER DAYS THAT MONTH... MAKING IT THE DRIEST MARCH ON RECORD FOR CHICAGO WITH A TOTAL OF 0.29 INCHES. MUCH OF THE MONTH ALSO EXPERIENCED ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AS IT TIED WITH 1945 AS THE WARMEST MARCH ON RECORD WITH AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 48.6 DEGREES.
...ROCKFORD... March 19, 1923. THIS WAS THE COLDEST IN A FIVE CONSECUTIVE DAY STRETCH OF MUCH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES. ON THIS DATE...THE LOW FELL TO 9 BELOW...SETTING A RECORD LOW MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD. WHILE THIS WAS THE COLDEST READING DURING THE MONTH... THE OTHER FOUR DAYS RECORDED LOWS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS. ALL TOGETHER THIS CONTRIBUTED TO MARCH OF 1923 AS THE TENTH COLDEST MARCH ON RECORD.
March 20
March 20, 1976. IT WAS A NICE EARLY SPRING DAY IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS...AS CHICAGO AND ROCKFORD REPORTED HIGH TEMPERATURES AROUND 70 DEGREES. HOWEVER VIOLENT TORNADOS WERE OCCURRING IN NORTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL ILLINOIS. A TORNADO CAUSED A 63-MILE PATH OF DESTRUCTION...TOUCHING DOWN SOUTHEAST OF DECATUR AND TRAVELING NORTHEAST TO NEAR DANVILLE. THE WORST DAMAGE OCCURRED AT SADORUS WHERE 13 HOUSES AND 7 MOBILE HOMES WERE DESTROYED AND ANOTHER 25 HOMES DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR. TOTAL DAMAGE WAS ESTIMATED AT TWO MILLION DOLLARS.
March 21
March 21, 1938. A NICE WARM SPELL HAD SETTLED OVER THE GREAT LAKES AREA. ON THIS DAY CHICAGO HAD A RECORD-SETTING TEMPERATURE OF 77 DEGREES WHILE ROCKFORD'S RECORD WAS SET WITH 78 DEGREES. BOTH CITIES HAD RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES ON THE 22ND AS WELL.
March 22
March 22, 1993. DURING MARCH OF 1993...WINTER JUST WOULD NOT LET GO IN MUCH OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS. THIS WAS THE FIFTH DAY OF A 7-DAY PRECIPITATION EVENT. SNOW BEGAN TO FALL ON THE 18TH, AND CONTINUED OFF AND ON THROUGH THE 22ND...WHEN OVER 3 INCHES OF SNOW FELL. TEMPERATURES HAD WARMED UP ENOUGH FOR IT TO RAIN THE NEXT TWO DAYS. FROM THE 18TH THROUGH THE 22ND SIX INCHES OF SNOW HAD FALLEN ACROSS THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN AREA WHILE 7.9 INCHES FELL IN THE ROCKFORD AREA.
March 23
...CHICAGO... March 23, 1907. THIS WAS THE THIRD AND WARMEST OF A 3-DAY HEAT WAVE IN CHICAGO. THE MERCURY REACHED 80 DEGREES...A RECORD FOR THIS DATE. AS IS TYPICAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR...AFTER THE 80 DEGREE READING... THE 24TH'S HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS ONLY 48 DEGREES.
...ROCKFORD... March 23, 1939. THE WARM WEATHER DURING MARCH OF 1939 CONTINUED ON THIS DATE. THE HIGH CLIMBED TO A RECORD BREAKING 82 DEGREES. HOWEVER A STRONG FRONTAL SYSTEM PASSED THROUGH NORTHERN ILLINOIS CAUSING TEMPERATURES TO TUMBLE. AT ROCKFORD THE TEMPERATURE FELL 52 DEGREES AS THE LOW WAS A CHILLY 30 DEGREES.
March 24
...CHICAGO... March 24, 1974. WINTER RETURNED BRIEFLY FOR CHICAGO AREA RESIDENTS DURING THE MONTH. THE HIGH TEMPERATURE ONLY CLIMBED TO 17 DEGREES WHILE THE LOW FELL TO 5 ABOVE...SETTING NEW LOW MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS.
...ROCKFORD... March 24, 1910. LIKE CHICAGO...MARCH OF 1910 WAS WELL ABOVE NORMAL. THIS DAY WAS THE 3RD IN A TEN CONSECUTIVE DAY STRETCH OF HIGH TEMPERATURES OF AT LEAST 65 DEGREES. ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES WERE ALSO RECORDED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH...MAKING MARCH OF 1910 THE 3RD WARMEST MARCH ON RECORD.
March 25
...CHICAGO... March 25, 1954. VERY HEAVY RAINS MOVED THROUGH THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN AREA DURING THE MORNING HOURS. COUNTLESS BASEMENTS AND UNDERPASSES FLOODED CAUSING EXTENSIVE PROPERTY DAMAGE AND STOPPED TRAFFIC. MANY HOMES...SCHOOLS AND HEATING PLANTS WERE INOPERATIVE DUE TO BASEMENT FLOODING. LATER THAT AFTERNOON STRONG WINDS MOVED ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS CAUSING EVEN MORE PROPERTY DAMAGE. THOUSANDS OF ROOFS HAD DAMAGE...AND ONE FACTORY WALL BLEW DOWN ON SEVERAL PARKED CARS.
...ROCKFORD... March 25, 1920. HEAVY RAIN MOVED THROUGH NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS DUMPING A TOTAL OF 2.01 INCHES OF RAIN. BESIDES SETTING A GREATEST PRECIPITATION RECORD FOR THIS DATE...THIS IS ALSO THE 2ND LARGEST CALENDAR DAY PRECIPITATION TOTAL FOR MARCH.
March 26
...CHICAGO... March 26, 1930. A STRONG SNOW STORM MOVED INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS STARTING ON THE 25TH AND CONTINUING ON THE 26TH. ALTHOUGH IT WAS A WET AND HEAVY SNOW...UNUSUALLY LARGE SNOW DEPTHS WERE REPORTED IN THE CHICAGO AREA. 13.6 INCHES OF SNOW FELL ACROSS CHICAGO ON THE 25TH AND ANOTHER 5.6 INCHES ON THIS DATE WITH A SNOW DEPTH OF 17 INCHES. THIS IS THE GREATEST SNOW DEPTH REPORTED IN MARCH FOR THE CITY.
...ROCKFORD... March 26, 1907. WARM AIR MOVED INTO THE ROCKFORD AREA. ON THIS DATE... THE HIGH CLIMBED TO A SUMMER-LIKE 81 DEGREES WHILE THE LOW ONLY FELL TO 59. NOT ONLY WAS THIS 30 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL...BUT THIS IN TURN SET RECORD HIGH MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS FOR THE 26TH.
March 27
...CHICAGO... March 27, 1991. A F3 TORNADO MOVED NORTHEAST FROM NEAR ROMEOVILLE... IT CROSSED THE DES PLAINES RIVER AND DISSIPATED 7 MILES WEST OF OAK LAWN. SOME HOMES IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM HAD MINOR DAMAGE WHILE TWO HOMES WERE DISTROYED IN LEMONT. A 263-FOOT MICROWAVE TOWER COLLAPSED AND A NURSING HOME SUFFERED HEAVY DAMAGE. THIS TORNADO TRAVELED 15 MILES AND DAMAGE WAS 7 MILLION DOLLARS.
...ROCKFORD... March 27, 1965. THE COLD MARCH OF 1965 CONTINUES EVEN TOWARD THE END OF THE MONTH. THE HIGH ONLY CLIMBED TO 31 DEGREES WHILE THE LOW PLUMMETED TO 2 ABOVE...SETTING RECORD LOW MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS FOR THIS DATE. IN ALL...MARCH OF 1965 HAD AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 25.9 DEGREES...MAKING IT THE 3RD COLDEST MARCH ON RECORD.
March 28
March 28, 1920. ON THIS DATE A LARGE TORNADO OUTBREAK OCCURRED ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS. IN NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS ...A F2 TORNADO MOVED FROM CORTLAND TO NEAR SYCAMORE IN DEKALB COUNTY. SEVERAL BARNS AND SILOS WERE DISTROYED. THERE WERE AT LEAST 4 CHICAGO AREA TORNADOS. AN F3 STRUCK NEAR ELGIN WHERE MANY BUILDINGS WERE DISTROYED OR DAMAGED WHILE TWO CHURCHES WERE DISTROYED. ANOTHER TORNADO STRUCK FROM NEAR CHANNAHON TO LOCKPORT. IT TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN IN MAYWOOD...CAUSING F4 DAMAGE. AN F2 TORNADO STRUCK THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF CHICAGO NEAR THE BRIDGEVIEW AREA OF CHICAGO AND PASSED BETWEEN CICERO AND MIDWAY AIRPORT. THE TORNADO LIFTED 4 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF THE LOOP. THERE WAS OVER 2.5 MILLION DOLLARS DAMAGE AND 28 PEOPLE WERE KILLED WITH 400 INJURED.
March 29
March 29, 1986. CONTINUED STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS BROUGHT UNSEASONABLY WARM TEMPERATURES TO NORTHERN ILLINOIS. THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED DURING MARCH OCCURRED IN BOTH ROCKFORD AND CHICAGO. ROCKFORD'S TEMPERATURE REACHED 85 DEGREES WHILE IN CHICAGO THE THERMOMETER TOPPED OUT AT 88 DEGREES. FOUR TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES DURING OVER FOUR CONSECUTIVE DAYS.
March 30
...CHICAGO... March 30, 1926. A PERSISTENT SNOW EVENT MOVED INTO THE CHICAGO AREA. IT SNOWED FOR THE LAST SIX DAYS OF THE MONTH. ON THE 30TH ALONE...NEARLY EIGHT INCHES OF SNOW FELL, AND THE 31ST RECORDED ANOTHER 4.8 INCHES. TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THIS MONTH IS 23.1 INCHES... THE MOST SNOWFALL FOR ANY MARCH IN CHICAGO'S RECORDED HISTORY.
...ROCKFORD... March 30, 1954. MARCH WAS NOT GOING OUT LIKE A LAMB AS WINTER CONTINUED ITS ICY GRIP IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS. AT ROCKFORD... THE LOW FELL TO 6 ABOVE...SETTING A RECORD LOW MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD THAT STILL STANDS TODAY.
March 31
...CHICAGO... March 31, 1929. ON THIS DAY A COLD HEAVY RAIN HAD MOVED INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS. BY MIDNIGHT...CHICAGO REPORTED 3.12 INCHES OF RAIN. THIS IS NEARLY A HALF INCH ABOVE THE NORMAL MONTHLY TOTAL. THIS IS ALSO THE SECOND GREATEST SINGLE-DAY PRECIPITATION TOTAL FOR MARCH.
...ROCKFORD... March 31, 1926. MARCH WENT OUT LIKE A LION...DUMPING 13.5 INCHES OF SNOW IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD OVER ROCKFORD. 2.5 INCHES OF SNOW FELL THE DAY BEFORE...LEAVING A SNOW DEPTH OF 16 INCHES.
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