The preliminary numbers are in – the statewide temperature for March of this year was 34.1 degrees. That is 7 degrees below the long-term average of 41.1 degrees and the 11th coldest March on record. That is in remarkable contrast to March 2012, which ended up at 55.3 degrees. That March was 14.2 degrees above the long-term average and the warmest March on record. In fact, the difference between this March and last March was a whopping 21.2 degrees.
The statewide precipitation was 2.85 inches, which is 0.15 inches below the long-term average of 3.00 inches. Precipitation amounts were largest just east of St. Louis and lightest in east-central Illinois. The largest monthly total came from Kaskaskia with 6.42 inches of precipitation. Several surrounding sites had in excess of 5 inches.
[updated 4/11/13] Snowfall was above-average for the month thanks mostly to a large storm that passed through central Illinois on March 24-25 and some earlier events that passed through northern and western Illinois. The Springfield COOP site received 17 inches in 24 hours, a new 24-hour record for that site, and a storm total of 18.5 inches. They finished the month with 19.6 inches of snow. The CoCoRaHS site at Nokomis (IL-MY-1), to the south of Springfield, had a similar experience with 19 inches of snow from the one storm and a monthly total that tied Springfield with 19.6 inches. A CoCoRaHS site at Springfield (IL-SG-17) reported 18 inches during the one storm and a monthly total of 19.5 inches.
Precipitation totals and departures from the long-term average for March:
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Click to enlarge.
Snowfall totals and departures from the long-term average for March:
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Click to enlarge.
Illinois State Climatologist 
Jim-what were the 11 yrs that were colder than this Mar?
I had a number of very confused migratory birds after that snowfall, and went through alot of bird seed. It will be interesting to see what Summer brings. In the 1930’s we had wild extremes of hot and cold that are somewhat similar to the last two years.
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