Objectively spring-like weather arrived in Thompson a couple of days earlier than the official first day of spring, establishing three daily high temperature records in a row.
March 18 was the first day with a high temperature in the double positive digits in Thompson since last Oct. 5, reaching 10.5 degrees Celsius to establish a new record for that date back to when records begin in 1968.
The mercury rose to 11.6 the following day for another record and then reached 12.8 degrees – the highest temperature of 2021 so far – on the spring equinox March 20. The high dipped slightly to 12.2 degrees March 21 before cooler air moved in and brought with it a dusting of snow to replace some of what melted during the four-day relative heat wave.
The March 21 high was 3.7 degrees below the all-time record of 15.9 set in 1987, which is the highest March temperature ever recorded in Thompson dating back to 1968.
Average high temperatures for March 18-21 range from -4.7 to -3.7 degrees.
The four-day stretch of double digit temperatures was the longest since Sept. 18-26, 2020, when temperatures reached 10 degrees or higher for nine days in a row.
Unfortunately for those who want to see this winter’s prodigious snowfall melt away once and for all, positive temperatures aren’t currently predicted to return until after Easter, with the warmest temperature forecast by the Weather Network in the next 14 days at -1 degree Celsius on April 5.
