A Closer Look at March Weather in DC

March 2015 Snowfall in the DC Metro Area

March is one of the most diverse weather months for much of the United States.  That’s certainly true in the DC Metro Area where accumulating snow, severe weather and summer-like warmth can all occur.  The first third of this month has been on the blustery side with high winds causing the near average temperatures to feel much colder.  Nevertheless over the first third of the month, DC’s average temperature (combining daily high and low temperatures) is 43.1° (0.4° colder than average).

DC’s warmest March on record was in 2012 and third warmest was in 2016.  D.C. has averaged approximately four March days with high temperatures in the 70s, and between seven and eight days in the 60s over the last 24 years.  It also averaged roughly one day with highs in the 80s and one day with high temperatures at or below 32° every other March.  DC residents experienced four days with temperatures in the 80s in March 1998 and March 2012.  By comparison, March 1996 and March 2009 each had consecutive days where temperatures remained below freezing. 

March 2014 was DC’s snowiest March since 1960 and coldest since 1996.  Washingtonians may recall that record snowfall occurred on St. Patrick’s Day in 2014.  A total of 7.2” of snow fell on March 16-17, which made for DC’s tenth largest March snowstorm.  Although DC residents have had accumulating snow in eight of the last 10 March’s, including this month, the last two winters have featured significantly below average snowfall.  

Half of the last 24 March’s have been wetter than average in Washington, D.C.  Washingtonians experienced their driest March on record in 2006 (0.05”) and the second wettest in 1994 (8.45”).  NOAA keeps weather records in the United States and counts the liquid equivalent of snowfall as rain.  In other words, if 2” of snow melts into 0.2” of water, then that would count as 0.2” towards March’s average of 3.48”/rain.

Although severe weather in March is rare in the Mid-Atlantic Region, it does occur on occasion with some notable examples on March 4, 2008 and March 10, 2011.  March severe weather is more common in the Midwest and southeastern United States.  For example, a total of 687 reports of severe weather (including 132 tornadoes) occurred on March 2, 2012 from the Ohio Valley to the Gulf Coast with a total of 30 fatalities.  Also, on March 27, 1994, a deadly tornado outbreak occurred in the southeastern United States with 29 tornadoes that claimed 40 lives in what was dubbed the “Palm Sunday Tornado Outbreak.”