ST

ST. PATRICK'S DAY

THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED IN BUFFALO ON ST. PATRICK'S DAY WAS 69 DEGREES IN 1945. THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE WAS RECORDED IN 1967 WHEN THE MERCURY DIPPED TO MINUS 4 DEGREES. NORMALLY, THE HIGH AVERAGES AROUND 38 DEGREES AND THE LOW NEAR 24.

THERE HAS BEEN PRECIPITATION OF A TRACE OR MORE ON 88 OF THE PAST 114 ST. PATRICK'S DAYS. IT HAS SNOWED ON 66 OF THE PAST 114 YEARS.

IN 1936, A SEVERE SNOW STORM DUMPED 19.0 INCHES OF SNOW ON BUFFALO‑‑THE MOST EVER FOR THE DATE. THE MELTED SNOW YIELDED 2.62 INCHES OF WATER‑‑SETTING THE RECORD FOR THE MOST PRECIPITATION FOR MARCH 17TH. NEARLY 300 TONS OF WATER PER ACRE FELL IN THE STORM. SO DEEP AND HEAVY WAS THE SNOW THAT BY MID‑AFTERNOON STREET CAR SERVICE CEASED. ALSO CONDITIONS BECAME INDESCRIBABLY BAD FOR AUTO, BUS AND OTHER TRAFFIC. TOTAL LOSSES RESULTING FROM THE STORM ARE DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE. ACTUAL PROPERTY LOSS WAS PERHAPS $100,000 INCLUDING COLLAPSE OF BUILDINGS, DAMAGE TO MANY AUTOMOBILES, ETC. EXTRA FUNDS FOR CLEANING STREETS AND REMOVING THE SNOW WERE $175,000. THE INTERNATIONAL RAILWAY CO. WAS HARD HIT DUE TO THE LOSS OF BUSINESS AND THE HEAVY EXPENSE INCIDENTAL TO ITS EFFORTS TO KEEP THE STREET CAR LINES RUNNING, AND THEN TO REOPEN THEM UP AFTER A COMPLETE SHUTDOWN OCCURRED. INTERFERENCE WITH BUSINESS DUE TO THE TERRIBLE STREET CONDITIONS CAUSED THE MERCHANTS SEVERE LOSS OF BUSINESS.

IN 1935, A SEVERE WIND STORM PASSED OVER THE CITY. DAMAGE WAS CHIEFLY OF A MINOR NATURE. A FOUR‑STORY STEEL FRAMEWORK FOR THE NEW KENSINGTON HIGH SCHOOL WAS TWISTED AND PARTLY FLATTENED BY THE WIND; A PORTION OF A FIRE ESCAPE WAS TORN FROM A BUILDING ON SENECA STREET INJURING ONE PERSON; PART OF THE ROOF OF ACADEMY THEATRE WAS TORN OFF; SEVERAL PLATE GLASS WINDOWS WERE BROKEN; AND A FEW SIGNS, BILLBOARDS, AND CHIMNEYS WERE BLOWN DOWN. FERRY OPERATIONS BETWEEN TONAWANDA AND GRAND ISLAND WERE SUSPENDED PART OF THE MORNING. THE WIND WAS NOT UNUSUALLY STRONG PRIOR TO 6AM AND DIED DOWN RAPIDLY AFTER 2PM.

AS A RESULT OF HEAVY RAINS IN WESTERN NEW YORK AVERAGING NEARLY AN INCH FOR THE AREA AND HIGH WATERS DUE TO MELTING OF SNOW DURING THE PAST WEEK, MANY CREEKS AND STREAMS OVERFLOWED THEIR BANKS IN 1942. DAMAGE WAS ESTIMATED AT $1,000,000. THE MOST DAMAGE OCCURRED IN COUNTIES SOUTH OF BUFFALO, CATTARAUGUS AND CHAUTAUQUA IN PARTICULAR. ROADS, BRIDGES AND FARMS WERE INUNDATED BY RAMPAGING WATERS FROM SWOLLEN CREEKS AND STREAMS WHILE HUNDREDS OF HOMES AND BUSINESS PLACES REPORTED FLOODED CELLARS AND BASEMENTS. THIRTEEN BRIDGES WERE WASHED OUT IN CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY. LAKE CHAUTAUQUA AT JAMESTOWN WAS 24 INCHES BELOW ITS ALL TIME HIGH LEVEL. MANY HEAD OF LIVESTOCK WERE DROWNED. TONAWANDA CREEK AT BATAVIA WENT 14 FEET OVER ITS BANK. FLOOD CONDITIONS WERE ALSO QUITE GENERAL NEAR LANCASTER AND WEST SENECA.

LOCAL FLOODING AGAIN OCCURRED IN 1963. MILD WEATHER CAUSED LOCAL FLOODING FROM SNOWMELT AND ICE JAMS. CATTARAUGUS CREEK OVERFLOWED AT SUNSET BAY CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO MANY HOMES. THERE WAS LESSER FLOODING ON OTHER STREAMS. HIGH TEMPERATURE, REACHING 59 DEGREES, AND CONSIDERABLE MORNING SUNSHINE CONTRIBUTED TO THE SNOWMELT.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY MARCH 17 PERIOD OF RECORD: 122 YEARS (1890‑2012)

TEMPERATURE DATA

HIGHEST 69 DEGREES IN 1945

LOWEST ‑4 DEGREES IN 1967

LOWEST MAXIMUM 4 DEGREES IN 1885

HIGHEST MINIMUM 49 DEGREES IN 1919

AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE 39.0 DEGREES

AVERAGE LOW TEMPERATURE 24.2 DEGREES

HIGH TEMPERATURE BY 10 DEGREE RANGES

TEENS 20S 30S 40S 50S 60S

NUMBER OF

4 17 53 26 13 8 OCCURRENCES

3% 14% 43% 21% 11% 7%

PRECIPITATION DATA

NUMBER OF TIMES WITH MEASURABLE 65 OCCURRENCES OR 53%

NUMBER OF TIMES WITH A TRACE OR MORE 90 OCCURRENCES OR 74%

NUMBER OF TIMES WITH NO PRECIP 32 OCCURRENCES OR 26%

SNOWFALL: NUMBER OF TIMES WITH A TRACE OR MORE 68

NUMBER OF TIMES WITH OVER A TRACE 41

NUMBER OF TIMES WITH 1.0 INCH OR MORE 13

NUMBER OF TIMES WITH 5.0 INCHES OR MORE 4

MAXIMUM PRECIPITATION: 2.62 INCHES IN 1936

MAXIMUM SNOWFALL: 19.0 INCHES IN 1936

* NO DATA FOR 2012 *

ST. PATRICK'S DAY

YEAR HI LO PRECIP REMARKS

1890 32 22 0.01/0.1 PARTLY CLOUDY

1891 35 11 0.00 PARTLY CLOUDY

1892 26 14 0.02/0.2 CLOUDY

1893 34 18 0.00 PARTLY CLOUDY

1894 60 32 TR PARTLY CLOUDY

1895 31 17 0.00 CLEAR

1896 32 14 TR / TR CLEAR

1897 44 16 0.00 PARTLY CLOUDY

1898 46 35 0.02 PARTLY CLOUDY

1899 29 19 TR / TR CLOUDY

1900 14 4 0.16/1.6 CLOUDY

1901 39 23 0.03/0.2 PARTLY CLOUDY

1902 37 17 0.06/ TR PARTLY CLOUDY

1903 50 39 0.33 CLOUDY

1904 33 18 TR / TR PARTLY CLOUDY

1905 53 22 0.02 CLOUDY, RAIN TILL LATE MORNING

1906 23 15 TR / TR LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON FLURRIES

1907 47 31 0.06 CLOUDY, MORNING RAIN

1908 34 18 0.06/0.4 CLOUDY, LATE MORNING FLURRIES

1909 25 20 0.01/0.1 CLOUDY, AFTERNOON FLURRIES

1910 39 20 TR / TR PARTLY CLOUDY, LIGHT MORNING FLURRIES

1911 38 17 TR / TR CLOUDY, AFTERNOON FLURRIES

1912 54 32 0.00 PARTLY CLOUDY

1913 24 19 0.11/1.7 P CLOUDY, MORNING SNOW, AFTERNOON CLEARING

1914 45 30 0.00 CLEAR

1915 30 30 0.00 CLEAR

1916 16 3 0.08/0.9 P CLOUDY, MORNING FLURRIES THEN CLEARING

1917 45 27 0.10/ TR MORNING RAIN CHANGING TO AFTERNOON FLURRIES

1918 39 35 0.00 CLEAR

1919 66 49 0.40 CLOUDY, RAIN ENDING LATE MORNING

1920 34 27 TR / TR CLOUDY, AFTERNOON AND EVENING FLURRIES

1921 44 31 0.20 CLOUDY, AFTERNOON SHOWERS, BREEZY

1922 26 18 0.04/0.4 PARTLY CLOUDY, EARLY MORNING FLURRIES

1923 37 20 0.00 CLEAR

1924 35 22 0.00 CLEAR

1925 42 38 0.08 CLOUDY, LATE MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON SHOWERS

1926 32 12 TR / TR CLEAR, LATE NIGHT FLURRIES

1927 68 42 0.00 CLOUDY

1928 30 21 TR / TR CLOUDY, MORNING FLURRIES

1929 30 19 0.00 CLEAR, BREEZY

1930 49 34 0.05 INCREASING CLOUDS, AFTERNOON SHOWERS

1931 39 26 0.01/0.1 MORNING FLURRIES, CLEARING THROUGH THE DAY

1932 33 27 TR / TR CLOUDY, EVENING FLURRY

1933 40 33 TR INCREASING CLOUDS THROUGH THE DAY

1934 60 32 0.16 CLOUDY, FIRST THUNDERSTORM OF THE YEAR

ST. PATRICK'S DAY

YEAR HI LO PRECIP REMARKS

1935 60 23 0.04/ TR ** SEE NOTES

1936 33 27 2.62/19.0 ** SEE NOTES

1937 37 23 0.04/0.5 PARTLY CLOUDY, MORNING SNOW

1938 47 37 0.12 CLOUDY, EARLY MORNING RAIN

1939 22 15 0.03/0.3 PARTLY CLOUDY, AFTERNOON FLURRIES, BREEZY

1940 35 21 0.00 PARTLY CLOUDY

1941 18 7 0.07/0.9 WINDY CAUSING BLIZZARD LIKE CONDITIONS--EVENING

1942 59 35 0.04 CLOUDY, LATE MORNING RAIN SHOWERS

1943 39 29 0.01 MAINLY CLEAR, EARLY MORNING SHOWER

1944 38 32 0.02/0.2 CLOUDY, FLURRIES ALL DAY

1945 56 32 0.11 CLOUDY, THUNDERSTORMS

1946 58 42 0.04 CLOUDY, MORNING SHOWERS

1947 26 18 0.06/0.3 CLOUDY, FLURRIES

1948 40 28 0.01/0.1 CLOUDY, FLURRIES

1949 31 16 TR / TR EARLY MORNING FLURRIES THEN PARTLY SUNNY

1950 34 15 0.39/2.9 MOSTLY CLOUDY, THUNDERSTORMS

1951 34 28 TR / TR CLOUDY

1952 32 23 TR / TR CLOUDY, BREEZY

1953 41 30 0.01/ TR MOSTLY CLOUDY, LATE MORNING SHOWERS

1954 41 26 0.00 CLEAR

1955 27 18 0.01/0.2 PARTLY CLOUDY

1956 25 12 0.03/0.4 PARTLY CLOUDY, SHOWERS TILL EVENING

1957 35 28 TR / TR MOSTLY CLOUDY

1958 37 23 TR / TR CLOUDY, NOONTIME FLURRIES

1959 32 20 0.46/6.3 CLOUDY, AFTERNOON AND EVENING SNOW

1960 39 30 0.05/0.5 CLOUDY, FLURRIES ALL DAY

1961 22 8 0.00 CLEAR

1962 40 27 TR / TR PARTLY CLOUDY, EARLY MORNING FLURRIES

1963 59 36 0.27 PARTLY CLOUDY, WINDY, SHOWERS ALL DAY

1964 44 22 0.06/0.6 CLOUDY, FLURRIES ALL DAY

1965 37 20 0.26/2.1 CLOUDY, SLEET, SNOW

1966 57 26 0.00 PARTLY CLOUDY

1967 14 5 0.06/1.4 CLOUDY, BREEZY, COLD, FLURRIES ALL DAY

1968 38 33 TR CLOUDY, EARLY MORNING SHOWERS

1969 48 27 0.00 CLEAR

1970 36 19 0.00 PARTLY CLOUDY

1971 31 24 0.02/0.4 CLOUDY, FLURRIES TILL AFTER NOON

1972 38 34 0.01/0.2 CLOUDY, EARLY MORNING FLURRIES

1973 38 25 0.90/2.0 RAIN AND SNOW ALL DAY

1974 30 25 0.01/0.6 CLOUDY, FLURRIES ALL DAY

1975 48 27 0.00 CLEAR

1976 22 10 0.11/1.7 PARTLY CLOUDY, EARLY MORNING SNOW

1977 36 29 TR / TR CLOUDY, LATE MORNING FLURRIES

1978 31 18 0.01/0.1 CLOUDY, EVENING FLURRIES

1979 46 30 0.00 PARTLY CLOUDY

ST. PATRICK'S DAY

YEAR HI LO PRECIP REMARKS

1980 52 35 0.16 CLOUDY, AFTERNOON RAIN

1981 28 24 0.33/3.6 CLOUDY, COLD, WINDY, MORNING SNOW

1982 42 33 0.16/ TR CLOUDY, DRIZZLE ALL DAY, MID AFTERNOON FLURRIES

1983 61 30 0.00 CLEAR

1984 23 17 TR / TR CLOUDY, MORNING FLURRIES

1985 36 22 0.07/0.6 BREEZY, FLURRIES THROUGHOUT THE DAY

1986 39 30 0.00 VARIABLE CLOUDINESS

1987 45 26 0.00 CLEAR, SUNNY SKIES

1988 36 24 TR / TR VARIABLE CLOUDS, MORNING FLURRIES

1989 41 25 0.06/0.2 MORNING RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS, EVENING FREEZING RAIN

1990 54 38 0.37 MORNING RAIN THEN BECOMING MOSTLY SUNNY

1991 57 27 0.00 PARTLY SUNNY, MILD

1992 39 24 0.08/0.7 MORNING SNOW, EVENING CLEARING

1993 40 9 0.38/1.9 RAIN TO SNOW, CONTINUING THROUGH MID AFTERNOON

1994 27 15 0.02/0.5 MOSTLY CLOUDY, FLURRIES

1995 43 29 0.08/0.1 MOSTLY CLOUDY, FLURRIES

1996 47 24 0.00 PARTLY SUNNY

1997 44 20 0.00 PARTLY SUNNY

1998 33 19 0.01/TR CLOUDY, DRIZZLE AND FLURRIES THRU THE DAY

1999 58 32 TR MOSTLY SUNNY, LATE NIGHT SHOWER

2000 28 19 TR/TR PARTLY SUNNY, FLURRIES

2001 30 26 0.38/5.4 LIGHT SNOW ALL DAY

2002 39 24 0.07/ TR CLOUDY, EVENING RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS

2003 65 39 0.00 MOSTLY SUNNY AND WARM

2004 27 19 0.01/0.9 CLOUDY, LIGHT SNOW

2005 37 22 0.00 MORNING CLOUDS, THEN PARTLY SUNNY

2006 33 22 0.00 MOSTLY SUNNY

2007 37 22 0.02/0.2 MOSTLY CLOUDY

2008 36 18 0.00/0.00 MOSTLY SUNNY

2009 54 31 0.0/0.0 FOG, HAZE

2010 53 29 0.0/0.0 CLEAR

2011 60 31 0.0/0.0 FOG

2012 MM MM MM MM