How Variable is March's Weather in the Nation's Capital?

By early March, most people are eagerly awaiting the warmer weather of spring.  Meteorological spring also begins March 1 and runs through May 31.  In Washington, D.C., average high temperatures climb significantly during the month from 51 on March 1, to 61 on March 31.

March also features a wide variety of weather in the Mid-Atlantic Region.  It can feature significant snowfall as it did during the 1993 “Superstorm” where DC’s western suburbs saw more than a foot of snow.  Another storm brought 8.4” to National Airport, while parts of Fairfax County, VA, saw up to a foot of snow in March 1999.  Meanwhile, March 2012 was on the opposite end of the weather spectrum in the Nation’s Capital.  That’s when Washingtonians experienced their warmest March on record, including 10 days in the 70s and 4 days in the 80s.

By comparison, last year featured the coldest March in Washington, D.C., since 1996.  More than a foot of snow downtown last March, while Dulles Airport experienced their snowiest March on record with 19.8”.  That doesn’t necessarily mean, though, that this month will feature record warmth or record snowfall.  However, the Nation’s Capital does average 1.3” of snow in March according to the National Weather Service.  While that’s less than what January or February average, it helps illustrate that March snowfall isn’t unusual in the DC Metro Region.

As the Vernal Equinox approaches on March 20 (when the sun shines directly on the equator and the length of day and night are nearly equal), cold waves also tend to be shorter in March than earlier in the winter.  The Vernal Equinox is the start of astronomical spring.  The National Cherry Blossom also begins on March 20 along the Tidal Basin and continues through April 12.

In the meantime, the battle between seasons will continue this week with more active weather in the Mid-Atlantic Region.  This evening’s commute will be impacted in spots by a wintry mix, although today’s wintry weather isn’t expected to be as widespread or significant as Sunday's freezing rain and sleet was.   High temperatures tomorrow will reach the 50s in parts of the DC Metro Region and that will coincide with rain.  Thursday morning has the increasing potential for accumulating snowfall in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

To go from near average temperatures close to 50 degrees one day, to the prospect of accumulating snow the next day is fairly typical during the month of March in the Nation’s Capital.  There are a lot of variables in Thursday’s forecast so be sure to keep track of the latest weather updates.  You can tune into my colleagues on the WUSA9 weather team on-air, online and on the WUSA9 news app.