March 2020 was sunny above average

    Offenbach ((TEH)) – The first spring month of 2020 was mild and above-average dry. This was reported by the German Weather Service (DWD) in its preliminary balance sheet in March after initial evaluations of the approximately 2000 measuring stations.

    Thereafter, March in Germany with an average temperature of 5.3 degrees Celsius was 1.8 degrees above the value of the internationally valid reference period 1961 to 1990. Compared to the warmer period 1981 to 2010, the deviation according to DWD data was one degree.
    The first two-thirds of the month was particularly mild. For example, on March 12, 22.3 degrees were measured in Garmisch-Partenkirchen – the highest nationwide in March 2020. The last third of March was marked by a drop in temperature: while on March 20 in Regensburg, 20 degrees were still measured in the afternoon it was only four degrees on the 21st. Despite the abundance of sunshine, the temperatures often remained in the single digits, and there were frosts at night.
    In some places, the lowest values ​​of the entire winter half-year were reached in the spring month of March. It was coldest on March 23 in Carlsfeld in the Ore Mountains with minus 11.4 degrees.
    With around 175 hours of sunshine, March 2020 exceeded its target sunshine level of 111 hours by 57 percent. The target results from what would be expected according to the average. According to DWD, it should be the fourth sunny March since the start of measurement in 1951. The sun was longest on the North Sea coast and on the Danube with up to 210 hours. In Upper Franconia and the Allgau, however, it seemed less than 150 hours locally.
    With an average of 50 liters of precipitation per square meter, March also remained a little too dry. According to the information, these values ​​were about ten percent below the target of 57 liters. However, there were major regional differences: In the Black Forest, some measuring points had already reached their monthly target by March 10. With some more than 200 liters per square meter, the most rain or snow in Germany fell here. In contrast, less than 20 liters of precipitation per square meter were reported at numerous measuring stations, particularly in eastern Germany, throughout March.