March Comes to a Cold Conclusion

 

Although March 2022 will finish as a significantly warmer than average month, the last few days have felt more like January than March.  Overall, 19 of the first 30 days of March have been warmer than average, including 8 days highs in the 70s and low 80s.

Large fluctuations in temperature have occurred throughout the month.  D.C. residents went from an April-like high of 63° on March 11, to a January-like low of 24° on March 12 with 0.9” of snow officially at Reagan National Airport.  A few inches also fell in the suburbs north and west of town.  March has been D.C.’s snowiest month of the year four times over the last decade, most recently in 2018.  The coldest temperature this month of 21° occurred on March 13, compared to the warmest temperature of 80° on March 7.  D.C.’s average March temperature (combining daily high/low temperatures) is 50.6° through March 29.

The Nation’s Capital averages 3.50” of March rainfall according to NOAA’s updated weather averages for the 30-year period from 1991-2020.  However, only 2.75” has fallen as of March 29.  Unless a significant amount of rain occurs tomorrow, this month will finish as a drier than average March in Washington, D.C. for the sixth time in the last decade.

Aside from the large swings in temperature, this month’s major weather theme is how warm it’s been overall.  That led to an earlier than average peak bloom of D.C.’s cherry blossoms.  The National Park Service said the D.C.’s famous cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin reached “peak bloom” on March 21.  That’s compared to a recent 30-year average of March 31.  According to the National Park Service “peak bloom” occurs when 70% of the buds bloom at the Tidal Basin.

DC’s 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)

DC’s Coldest March’s (Source: NOAA) 

1. 34.5° (1885)
2. 35.4° (1872)
3. 35.6° (1960)
4. 37.4° (1888)
5. 37.6° (1906, 1883)
7. 37.7° (1892)
8. 37.9° (1916)
9. 38.5° (1896, 1887)