March weather in Bend typical for early spring

Published 12:30 pm Thursday, April 1, 2021

March weather in Bend was typical for the first month of spring. Temperatures were mild and light snowfall turned to rain throughout the month, according to the National Weather Service office in Pendleton.

The weather service reported in its monthly climate summary that the average temperature for March in Bend was 39 degrees, which was 0.2 degrees below normal. It was the exact same average as March 2020, but much warmer than the near-record cold average of 31.4 degrees in March 2019.

High temperatures last month in Bend averaged 51.4 degrees, which was 0.5 degrees above normal. The highest temperature was 68 degrees on March 29. The record high temperature for the month in Bend was 83 degrees on March 12, 1916, according to weather service data.

Low temperatures last month in Bend averaged 26.7 degrees, which was 0.8 degrees below normal. A total of 26 days had a low temperature below 32 degrees.

The lowest temperature recorded last month was 17 degrees on March 30. The record low temperature for the month in Bend was minus 13 degrees on March 2, 1917, according to the data.

March precipitation in Bend totaled 0.16 of an inch, which was 0.57 of an inch below normal. Measurable precipitation of at least 0.01 of an inch was recorded on four days. The heaviest precipitation last month was 0.06 of an inch on March 6.

So far this year, precipitation in Bend has reached 2.33 inches, which is 1.02 inches below normal.

March snowfall in Bend totaled 0.6 of an inch. The heaviest snowfall was 0.2 of an inch on March 9. The totals were much lower than the 4.5 inches of snow recorded in March 2019.

The weather outlook for April calls for below normal temperatures and near normal precipitation.

The 60 degree weather this week is expected to cool down by Monday, when high temperatures drop to 50 degrees, said Rob Brooks, a weather service meteorologist in Pendleton.

“We have another system coming in Sunday,” Brooks said. “It brings in a little cold air behind it.”

Normal high temperatures for April in Bend rise from 54 degrees at the start of the month to 60 degrees at the end.

Normal low temperatures rise from 29 degrees to 32 degrees throughout the month.

The normal April precipitation in Bend is 0.78 of an inch.

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