TRAVERSE CITY — The National Weather Service says last month was the warmest March on record across Michigan.
Weather service offices in Gaylord, Grand Rapids, Marquette and the Detroit area all reported a record-breaking March. Highs got in the 70s and 80s in places.
In Traverse City, the average temperature of 46.8 degrees topped the previous record set in 1946 of 41.5 degrees. March's average was 16 degrees above normal.
In Grand Rapids, the average temperature of 50.7 degrees topped the previous record set in 1945 of 45.9 degrees. In suburban Detroit, the average of 50.7 degrees broke the 1945 mark of 47.9 degrees.
It was also the wettest March on record in Traverse City, thanks in large part to the powerful winter storm that blasted northern Michigan in the month's first week. The National Weather Service said 4.36 inches of precipitation fell in March, 2.42 inches above normal and topping the previous record of 4.19 inches set in 1976.
