A large ridge of high pressure at both the surface and aloft covered the eastern half of the United States as the work week began on March 6th. This ridge remained nearly stationary across the Southeastern United States from the 7th through the 9th. A mild southwest flow that began the afternoon of the 6th became progressively warmer as the work week continued. This climaxed in Eastern Pennsylvania  on Wednesday the 8th as one of the warmest days so early in the calendar year. High temperatures were as warm as the lower 80s, breaking the daily high temperature records. Some high level cloudiness on the 9th prevented temperatures from reaching the 80s again, but many locations again set new record highs for the date.  A series of cold frontal passages on the 10th and a subsequent onshore flow on the weekend (11th and 12th) brought temperatures down to seasonal levels.The highest readings (all on the 8th) included 82 degrees in West Chester (Chester County), Crum Creek (Delaware County), Reading and Hamburg (Berks County) and at the Franklin Institute (within Philadelphia), 80 degrees at the Philadephia International Airport, Pottstown and Green Lane (Montgomery County) and Valley Forge (Chester County),  79 degrees at the Lehigh Valley International Airport, Easton (Northampton County), Neshaminy Falls and Sellersville (Bucks County), 78 degrees in Doylestown (Bucks County), 77 degrees in Bath (Northampton County), 76 degrees in Perkasie (Bucks County), 74 degrees in Lehighton (Carbon County), 72 degrees in Long Pond (Monroe County) and 71 degrees in Mount Pocono (Monroe County).  New daily high temperature records were set on both the 8th (80 degrees) and the 9th (73 degrees) at the Philadelphia International Airport. The high of 80 degrees on the 8th was the earliest in the calendar year that the temperature reached 80 degrees. The previous earliest was March 12th in 1990.  The Lehigh Valley International Airport came close to matching this feat with new daily record highs of 79 degrees and 70 degrees on the 8th and 9th respectively.

Heat in CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA
From 08-MAR-00 10:00:00 to 10-MAR-00 17:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heat in BERKS, PENNSYLVANIA
From 08-MAR-00 10:00:00 to 10-MAR-00 17:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heat in BUCKS, PENNSYLVANIA
From 08-MAR-00 10:00:00 to 10-MAR-00 17:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heat in CARBON, PENNSYLVANIA
From 08-MAR-00 10:00:00 to 10-MAR-00 17:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heat in LEHIGH, PENNSYLVANIA
From 08-MAR-00 10:00:00 to 10-MAR-00 17:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heat in MONROE, PENNSYLVANIA
From 08-MAR-00 10:00:00 to 10-MAR-00 17:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heat in MONTGOMERY, PENNSYLVANIA
From 08-MAR-00 10:00:00 to 10-MAR-00 17:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heat in NORTHAMPTON, PENNSYLVANIA
From 08-MAR-00 10:00:00 to 10-MAR-00 17:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heat in PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
From 08-MAR-00 10:00:00 to 10-MAR-00 17:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heat in DELAWARE, PENNSYLVANIA
From 08-MAR-00 10:00:00 to 10-MAR-00 17:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC