By Rod Hill on 2014-04-01
PDX ends March tied for the 2nd wettest on record with 7.52" of total rainfall. March of 1957 also had the same amount of total precipitation. March of 2014 was the wettest at the airport since December of 2012. The wettest day was last Friday, the 28th, when 1.69 inches set the all-time record for daily March rainfall at PDX. The all-time record for March rain was set two years ago when 7.89 inches fell.
I have written several articles the past few year talking about an apparent climate shift in Portland's rainy season. The change I am noticing is a shift of our wettest months moving from winter into spring. The March rainfall average over the last 10 years is 4.36 inches, well above the 1981-2000 average of 3.68 inches. March on average, is Portland's 4th wettest month. Current trends open the possibility of March averaging as much rainfall as December or January in the coming decades, but for now the thought is pure speculation.
Spring weather outlooks from the National Weather Service show Portland to be warm and dry when compared to normal for the months of April, May and June. However, forecast models show above normal April rainfall through the first two weeks of the month.
Spring Outlook