AFTER a run of mediocre months stretching all the way back to May 2008, March put us firmly back on a positive footing. It was generally the warmest and driest since the brilliant one in 2003. For some locations in the Dales, it was the most arid for 12 years.

Incredibly, for many parts, it was the sunniest month of any since April 2007. As March wasn’t that exceptional – the one six years ago also had more sunshine – this doesn’t say much for our previous two summers.

The month got off to a cool, unsettled start with the first significant rain for over a fortnight. There was widespread snow that gave a slight covering.

This contributed to a hard frost, though it was far from being as cold as early in March 2001. Then at Carlton, near Stokesley, temperatures in my screen and on the snow surface plunged to -12C and -17.5C (10.5F and 0.5F) respectively.

The opening ten days averaged about 0.5C (1F) below the mean but, apart from a few days at the end of the fourth week, the rest of March more than made up for this. With several very pleasant days, mercury levels recovered to well above normal over the month as a whole, notably by day.

Subsequent rainfall tended to be light and patchy. Indeed, in the 13 days from the tenth, most areas had no rain at all.

Consequently, totals for the month were limited to between one-third and half those expected.

Pressure was high, chiefly to the south-west of the British Isles in March. During the fine periods, the anticyclone was stationed close to the South-West Approaches giving a south-westerly drift across the country.

At the beginning of the month and for a week around the 25th, it retreated back to the Azores. This allowed depressions to track south-east near north-east Scotland, producing brisk west to northwesterlies and changeable, cool conditions.

Saturday the 28th was particularly miserable with frequent showers, some with hail, and falling as snow on the hills. It was widely the coldest day of the month. Just three days later, the 31st was the warmest March day for ten years.

March temperatures and rainfall at Carlton in Cleveland: Mean max: 10.9C, 51.5F (+1.6C, 3F); Mean min: 3.3C, 38F (+0.8C, 1.5F); Highest max: 16.9C, 62.5F, 31st; Lowest min: -5.0C, 23F, 5th; Total rainfall: 29mm, 1.15ins (-21mm, 0.85ins); Wettest day: 9mm, 0.35ins, 3rd and no of rain days, with 0.2mm (0.01ins) or more: 12 (-3). (Figures in brackets show the difference from the 25-year mean, 1984-2008)