Weather History for March 20

Explore significant weather events that occurred on this date throughout history, including hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, floods, and extreme temperature records.

« March 19
Today
March 21 »
9 Historical Weather Events on March 20
1924 — A late winter storm in Oklahoma produced nearly a foot of snow at Oklahoma City and at Tulsa. (David Ludlum)
1948 — The city of Juneau received 31 inches of snow in 24 hours, a record for the Alaska capitol. (20th-21st) (David Ludlum)
1984 — A severe three day winter storm came to an end over the Central Plains. The storm produced up to twenty inches of snow in Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas, and left a thick coat of ice from eastern Kansas across northwestern Missouri into Iowa. (Storm Data)
1987 — A storm produced blizzard conditions in Wyoming and eastern Nebraska, and severe thunderstorms in central Nebraska. Snowfall totals ranged up to 12 inches at Glenrock WY and Chadron NE. Thunderstorms in central Nebraska produced wind gusts to 69 mph at Valentine, and wind gusts to 76 mph at Bartley. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)
1988 — Squalls in the Great Lakes Region left up to eight inches of new snow on the ground in time for the official start of spring. Unseasonably warm weather prevailed in the western U.S. Seven cities reported new record high temperatures for the date, including Tucson AZ with a reading of 89 degrees. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)
1989 — Snow and high winds created blizzard conditions in western Kansas to usher in the official start of the spring season. Thunderstorms produced severe weather from east Texas to Alabama and northwest Florida, with nearly fifty reports of large hail and damaging winds during the afternoon and evening hours. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1990 — The northeastern U.S. was in the midst of a snowstorm as spring officially began at 4 19 PM. Snowfall totals in the Green Mountains of Vermont ranged up to thirty inches, and up to 15 inches of snow was reported in the Catskills and Adirondacks of eastern New York State. Totals in eastern Pennsylvania ranged up to 12 inches at Armenia Mountain. The storm resulted in one death, and forty-nine injuries. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
2005 — An F1 tornado hits South San Francisco. Trees are uprooted. At least twenty homes and twenty businesses are damaged, including the city's new fire station.
2006 — Grand Island, NE, receives 17.8 inches of snow in 24 hours, breaking the old local record for the most snowfall in a day by 4.8 inches. 29.7 inches in 48 hours also breaks a record.

About Weather History

Weather has always played a significant role in shaping human history. From devastating hurricanes and tornadoes to record-breaking temperatures and historic blizzards, extreme weather events have left lasting impacts on communities across the United States and around the world.

This collection documents notable weather events that occurred on March 20 throughout recorded history. These events include tropical storms and hurricanes, tornado outbreaks, severe thunderstorms, winter storms and blizzards, flooding events, heat waves and cold snaps, and other significant meteorological phenomena.

Types of Events Documented

  • Tropical Systems: Hurricanes, tropical storms, and their impacts
  • Severe Weather: Tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and damaging winds
  • Winter Weather: Blizzards, ice storms, and record snowfall
  • Temperature Extremes: Heat waves, cold outbreaks, and record temperatures
  • Flooding: Flash floods, river flooding, and coastal flooding
  • Other Events: Droughts, wildfires influenced by weather, and unique phenomena

Understanding historical weather patterns helps us appreciate the power of nature and the importance of weather preparedness. Browse through different dates to discover what weather events shaped history on any given day of the year.