How Does March 2020 Compare to Average?

There have been several significant March weather trends in the Nation’s Capital as this month comes to a close.  It will finish among DC’s Top Ten warmest March’s on record.  Not only has this month featured a significant amount of mild temperatures, there has also been precious little cold weather.  Despite a significant number of rainy days, March 2020 will also finish as a drier than average month.

Only five March days were colder than average in Washington, D.C.  There haven’t been any freezing temperatures in the Nation’s Capital since March 1, when the low temperature was 26°.  Also, there have been eight days this month with high temperatures of at least 70° (DC’s average high temperature on April 25)!  That includes DC’s record-tying high of 83° on March 20.

It may come as a surprise given the number of cloudy, rainy days in the Nation’s Capital, but March 2020 will finish drier than average with only 2.19” of rain.  That’s more than an inch below DC’s monthly average of 3.48”.  This month has had a total of 15 days with measurable rainfall, with 10 just since March 15.  That’s contributed to a gloomy feeling among some DC Area residents.  None of the rain was particularly heavy, though, with DC’s wettest day being March 28 with 0.46”.

The warm temperatures this month helped make it only the third March over the last 20 years without snow.  The last time DC residents didn’t have any March snowfall was in 2008.  By comparison, since 2008 the month of March has been DC’s snowiest month of the year five times – most recently in 2018.  The Nation’s Capital averages 1.3” of March snowfall according to NOAA, so not seeing any is unusual.  In addition, DC just finished its third least snowy winter on record.  A total of only 0.6” fell in the Nation’s Capital during the entire 2019-2020 winter season.

It’s been a decade since Washingtonians experienced a warmer and drier than average March.  While this month will rank among DC’s Top Ten warmest March’s, it wasn’t among DC’s driest.  DC’s driest March occurred relatively recently in 2006 with only 0.05” at National Airport.

DC’s Ten Warmest March’s (Source: NOAA)

1.  56.8° (2012)
2.  56.2° (1945)
3.  55.5° (1921)
4.  53.5° (2016)
5.  53.2° (2020)
6.  53.0° (1946)
7.  52.7° (1977)
8.  51.7° (2000)
9.  51.5° (1979)
10.  51.3° (1976)