Weather log March 2022
Key:
WW = West Wales
Lwn = Llanwnnen
AG = Aldermans Green, Coventry
CL = Church LawfordROW = Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire
CC = Capel Curig, Snowdonia
MH = Milford Haven
Mids = Midlands
CITE = Coton-in-the-Elms, Derbyshire
COL = Climatological Observers Link
PWS = Personal weather station
est = estimated
inc = including
Rather a mixed start to Spring, some rain at times the first fortnight with dry, bright interludes too (Midlands largely dry 4th - 10th). Temperatures below average at times the first week, thereafter often mild:
Sat 5th frosty night for much of WW, min Trawsgoed -3.8c, Lwn -3.6c, Pershore +0.4c, Coventry 3.1c, Nottingham 3.8c, Aberporth 4.8c; virtually unbroken sunshine for WW following on from the clear, frosty night (Llanwnnen est 9.5 hours) not so bright for the Midlands with just 1.3 hours at Coventry.
Wed 10th very mild much of the Midlands with the first 60f of the year at Nottingham (maxima 15.9c), other max Coventry 15.1c, Shobdon & Trawsgoed 11.2c, Lwn 9.9c, CC 9.6c.
Fri 11th a wet day for Wales and the Marches in particular with almost an inch in places, Llanwnnen 20.2mm, Shobdon 19.2mm, CC 17.4mm, Aberporth, MH & Mona 7.0mm, Coventry 4.0mm, Nottingham 2.8c.
Mon 14th widely dry with sunny periods after frost and fog in places.
A fine, mainly dry and often warm spell ensued after mid month:
Fri 18th rather warm and sunny, max Llanwnnen 17.1c, Trawsgoed 16.5c, Gogerddan (Ceredigion) 17.0c, Pershore 15.8c, Hereford & Shobdon 14.9c, Mumbles 11.9c.
Sat 19th warm for March with a virtually unbroken 10 or 11 hours in many places, maxima Valley 18.0c, Lwn 17.1c, Aberporth & ROW 16.7c, Pershore 16.6c, CL 14.3c, Aberdaron 13.4c.
Sun 20th Spring Equinox cooler air from the east (particularly the Midlands) although another sunny day, maxima Porthmadog 14.9c (warmest in the UK), Lwn 14.1c, Mona 13.8c, ROW 12.3c, CITE 11.8c, Shobdon 11.5c, Coventry 10.3c; 9 to 11 hours sunshine away from E Midlands.
Tue 22nd unseasonably warm and sunny; maxima Porthmadog 20.7c (highest in UK), Mona 19.6c, Lwn & Wellesbourne 19.3c, CITE 18.7c, Coventry 18.5c, Shobdon 18.1c, MH 14.8c (note the late March average is 10 to 12c); widely between 9 and 11 hours sunshine (Lwn est 11.5 hours).
Wed 23rd warm and sunny again after frost in places; maxima Nottingham 19.0c, Coventry & Pershore 18.9c, Trawsgoed 18.6c, Lwn 18.1c, Shobdon 17.2c, Valley 16.4c.
Thu 24th local air frost with a widespread grass frost, air minima Lwn -2.2c, Tirabad -1.7c, Hereford -0.6c, Pembrey Sands 0.0c, Coventry 6.2c, Aberdaron 6.2c; warm and sunny yet again, maxima Pershore 18.9c, Lwn 18.9c, Trawsgoed 18.1c, Coventry 17.8c, CL 16.9c, Pembrey Sands 13.5c.
Sat 26th near unbroken sun in many places now for the past week which has been consistently warm, widespread max 16 - 19c across the Midlands & Wales. Quite a few overnight frosts as well though; maxima today Porthmadog 20.5c (warmest in UK), Lwn 18.6c, Trawsgoed 18.3c, Pershore 17.9c, Aberporth, Coventry & Nottingham 17.3c, Hereford 17.0c, Mumbles 15.9c.
Sun 27th still warm and sunny WW but cooler and more cloud for the Midlands; maxima Porthmadog 18.8c, Lwn 18.2c, Shobdon 15.9c, Coventry 13.3c, Mumbles 13.1c, Winterbourne (B'ham) 12.9c; Aberdaron 12.0 hours sunshine.
Tue 29th still warm with sunny spells for much of Wales & the Marches; much cooler most of the Midlands however with some rain for the south Mids; isolated showers broke out across Wales with thunder in the Narberth area of Pembrokeshire mid afternoon; here at Llanwnnen max 18.5c (the past 8 days have exceeded 18c unprecedented for March!); other maxima Porthmadog 18.7c, Trawsgoed 16.4c, Shobdon 14.3c, CL & Nottingham 8.1c, Aberporth 8.0c (note sea fog affected parts of Cardigan Bay today).
Wed 30th the cooler air affected all areas today with some rain in places; maxima Lwn 9.6c (over 8c below levels of the past week or so); other maxima Nottingham 7.0c, CL & Coventry 7.8c, CC 7.9c, ROW 10.6c, MH 13.3c.
Thu 31st March went out on quite a cold note with wintry showers in many areas although especially so the Midlands; there was a slight covering of snow in places, chiefly over high ground, but temporary coverings locally lower down such as at Brinklow, Warks in the early afternoon; still not a single snowflake this 'extended' Winter period (November to April) here at Llanwnnen! Maxima Porthmadog 9.1c, Lwn 8.7c, Pershore 7.8c, Aberporth 6.3c, Coleshill 5.9c, CC 4.7c.
Nature notes:
Early month: garden hedgerows coming into leaf; Lampeter Willows starting to leaf.
Thu 10th Aberaeron good view of a Dipper; sounded like a Chiffchaff very briefly - if so first of the year and early. It was along the lane towards the disused railway; plenty of Snowdrops in full bloom still; Blackbirds singing well.
Mon 14th Forestry Chiffchaff singing quite well and within 20 metres; driving home a deer going up the roadside hedgebank near the care home (Roe Deer? Not sure but it had small antlers and a white rump).
Mid month Daffs well out now in the village; still quite a few Snowdrops going on well; first Stichwort blooms
Tue 15th loud Chiffchaff singing in the University grounds; Lampeter Magnolias coming into flower.
Wed 16th unusually a Greenfinch eyeing up the feeders (they have declined in recent years hardly ever see any here).
Hawthorn leaves and Blackthorn blossom making an appearance after mid month.
Snatches of Blackcap heard from the garden 18th and 20th.
Fri 18th first Peacock butterfly of the year at Aberystwyth.
Sat 19th Chiffchaff heard from the garden for the first time this Spring.
Tue 22nd Peacock butterfly in the garden this afternoon.
Wed 23rd Aberaeron Tortoisehell butterfly; lots of beautiful white Wood Anemone flowering along the river.
Sat 26th Longwood: many singing Chiffchaff (12 plus); another Peacock butterfly.
Sun 27th first Bluebells in flower in our 'wild garden' area.
Mon 28th a fine old stand of over 20 Pine trees have been felled along the lane besides the forestry, I counted the rings and some of these were over 100 years old, God knows why as these older specimens would pre-date the adjacent forestry plantations (pre WW2 most of these), seems a senseless act unless some of them had blown over? Spawn puddles largely dried out with the toad/ frog spawns perishing (they seem to get lucky perhaps every other Spring when there is adequate rains although most Springs these days seems to get at least one prolonged warm and sunny spell enough to dry many pools out). The puddles at the bottom of the hill near the main road rarely dry out completely and seem to be fed by a Spring (there were tadpoles here today).
Towards month end while some Daffs are going over while others are just coming out; still the odd patch of Snowdrops out though fading. Quite a few Forget-me-nots now in flower.
Tue 31st Bluebells out now Lampeter University (early).
Thu 31st Neuadd Lane: Quite a few Stitchwort now out along with Dandelions; a few Beech tree have buds opening; Elder coming into leaf along hedgerows. One small patch of Snowdrops still going.
March 2022 summary
Mild and sunny; generally a dry month, very dry parts of WW; a few spots in the Midlands up to average rainfall.
March saw a prolonged dry, warm and very sunny spell in the second half though there were a fair few frosts as well; average maxima well above normal while nights closer to average. Just 2mm of the months total rainfall fell after the 12th here at Llanwnnen and sunshine was almost double the March average.
Rainfall totals March 2022
Valley 32.6mm (57%)
CC c 70mm
Aberdaron c 35mm
Trawsgoed c 38mm
Aberporth c 36mm
Llanwnnen 58.9mm (71%)
Pembrey Sands 47.8mm (67%)
MH c 39mm
Mumbles c 32mm
Nottingham (Watnall) c 41mm
Shawbury 37.4mm (86%)
Coleshill c 33mm
Coventry 34.6mm (74%)
CL 35.2mm (78%)
Pershore c 29mm
Shobdon 52.2mm (94%)
COL stations rainfall March 2022:
Llansadwrn, Anglesey 29.1mm (32%)
Ludlow, Salop 44.6mm (82%)
Warstock, B'ham 34.5mm (65%)
Alvechurch, Worc 35.7mm (66%)
Cosby, Leic 32.5mm (65%)
Hinckley 40.6mm
Towcester, Northants 47.2mm (102%)
PWS rainfall March 2022:
Daventry, Northants 37.6mm
March 2022 sunshine:
Valley 193.3 hours (147%)
Llanwnnen 178 hours (191%)
Aberporth c 154 hrs
Shawbury 167.7 hrs (146%)
Coventry 166.0 hrs (132%)
Shobdon 152 hrs (128%)
COL stations sunshine March 2022:
Ludlow 156.5 hrs
Alvechurch 146.3 hrs
Cosby, Leic 176.6 hrs
