Not only did Wednesday?s high of 78 in Madison break the March 14 record of 75 set in 1995, but the long-range forecast shows continued warmth as far as can be predicted by atmospheric science.”The prolonged nature of how likely it is going to stay nice and warm is even more unusual than breaking an individual day?s record,” said Jonathan Martin, chairman of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at UW-Madison.”It?s very unusual,” he said. “But it?s at the tail end of an unusually warm winter, so maybe it?s just part of the deal.”
The mother of all outdoor patios, the Memorial Union Terrace, was caught off guard this week. The terrace is open, but its 650 signature sunburst chairs, which are in storage in Verona, probably won’t be out until the first week of April.