By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Tuesday’s high temperature of 67 degrees set a Sitka record not only for the day but for the month of March, the National Weather Service reports.
It was the second March record set in two days, said National Weather Service meteorologist Wes Adkins.
Monday’s high of 62 degrees was the hottest day in recorded history for any day in March for Sitka. Then Tuesday’s high of 67 degrees broke that record.
“They have broken new all-time March high temperature records,” he said.
The previous record going back at least 50 years for the hottest day in March here was 61 degrees, set in 1998.
Adkins said the unusually warm weather was caused after the atmospheric river pulled off to the northwest, which allowed a warm high pressure ridge to settle over the area.
“The skies cleared and in place was a high pressure ridge that was very, very warm,” he said. “We’ve had numerous daily high temperature records, and some of them were records for the month.”
He noted the same high pressure ridge was responsible for the 80-degree temperatures earlier this week in Seattle.
Adkins said Petersburg also broke its 1994 record for the month of March with its Monday high of 62 degrees, and the Wednesday high of 63 degrees.
Other all-time March high temperatures were recorded earlier this week in Pelican, Yakutat, Skagway, Auke Bay and Hoonah, NWS said.
Klawock was 70 degrees on Monday, setting a record for the earliest 70-degree day in the state’s history, he added.
Former Northwest Weather Service regional climate program manager Rick Thoman said on his Twitter feed that the Sitka’s 67-degree record on Tuesday was actually the highest temperature any day between Oct. 7 and April 16.
The temperature at press time today was 52 degrees, and the National Weather Service forecast a high temperature on Friday of 52.
