March Arrives in the Nation's Capital

NOAA Expects a Warmer than Average March for much of the U.S.

Following DC’s seventh warmest winter with the third smallest snow total on record, March 2020 has gotten off to a mild start.  March is the first month of meteorological spring, which runs through May, and is a transitional weather month in the Nation’s Capital.  There have been significant winter storms and severe weather outbreaks in the DC Metro Area during March.

Average high/low temperatures in the Nation’s Capital range from 51°/34° on March 1 to 61°/42° on March 31.  DC’s hottest March temperature on record is 93° on March 23, 1907.  Meanwhile, DC’s coldest March temperature remains the frigid 4° temperature on March 4, 1873.  Weather records date back to 1871 and were made downtown until National Airport opened in June 1941.  DC’s hottest March temperature at National Airport is 89° and has occurred several times, most recently on March 12, 1990.  The coldest observed temperature at National Airport is 11° on March 4, 1943.

While only four of the last 10 March’s have been warmer than average, three of them rank among DC’s warmest (2016, 2012 and 2010).  At the same time, March 2013 – 2015 were each colder than average.  While March 2012 was DC’s warmest on record, March 2014 was DC’s coldest since 1996.  That helps illustrate the significant amount of variability from one March to the next in the Nation’s Capital.  

Washington, D.C. averages 1.3” of snow in March.  Measurable snowfall has occurred in the DC Metro Area in 13 March’s since 2000.  That should be encouraging to winter weather enthusiasts since appreciable snowfall can still occur in March.  In fact, March was DC’s snowiest month of the year four times since 2013.  However, NOAA’s current March temperature outlook is not encouraging for winter weather as much of the United States is expected to be warmer than average. 

That’s good news, however, for those looking forward to the arrival of the cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin.  The National Park Service recently announced that green buds have already appeared on the famous cherry trees.  Although the average peak bloom for the cherry blossoms isn’t until early April, the combination of a warm February and a warm start to March may lead to an early bloom of the cherry blossoms.