DC’s dynamic March weather

 

March 2020 in Bethesda, Maryland

March is arguably the most changeable weather month of the year in the nation’s capital. Average daily high/low temperatures range from 52°/35° on March 1 to 62°/43° by the end of the month. That’s the largest monthly temperature spread of the year.

No month in the nation’s capital has a larger difference between the monthly record high (93° on March 23, 1907) and the low (4° on March 4, 1873) than March. The nation’s capital experienced a March 10 record high temperature of 84° yesterday for DC’s warmest temperature since last October. Today’s record high of 86° was DC’s warmest temperature during the first half of March in nearly 36 years since March 12, 1990 (89°).

Large swings in temperature and precipitation-type are common in March as these examples illustrate:

2018: DC’s largest snowfall of the 2017-2018 winter season occurred unusually late when 4.1” fell on March 21. More snow fell on that one day than accumulated during that entire winter. The nation’s capital averages only 2” of March snowfall.

2014: Following a high of 70° on March 15, a major change quickly occurred in the nation’s capital. A low of 31° on March 16 shortly before midnight brought accumulating snowfall that evening. Before the snow ended on March 17, Washingtonians had a two-day total of 7.2”, giving DC residents their snowiest St. Patrick’s Day. It also became DC’s tenth largest March snowfall on record. St. Patrick’s Day 2014 was not only a snowy occasion in the nation’s capital, but a frigid one with a high temperature of only 32°.

2012: This was DC’s warmest March on record. Low temperatures were at or below freezing on only two days in March 2012, compared to four days high temperatures in the 80s. That’s a significant total since Washington, D.C. has averaged only one March day in the 80s every other year over the last three decades, according to NOAA.

1990: One of the more extreme examples of how quickly and dramatically March weather can change in the nation’s capital happened in 1990. An unusually cold day occurred on March 7 with a high/low of only 41°/22° at National Airport. Merely five days later, however, there was a record high of 89° on March 12. That was the first of five consecutive days with highs in the 80s, which led to the earliest peak bloom of the cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin on March 15, according to the National Park Service. Following DC’s high temperature of 81° on March 16, the weather pendulum swung back to winter four days later when 0.4” of snow fell.

Weather’s impact on DC’s cherry blossoms

 

Past cherry blossoms in Bethesda, Maryland

Near record-setting warmth will occur across the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia) tomorrow and Wednesday. That will help accelerate the development of DC’s world-famous Yoshino Cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin.

The National Park Service recently announced it expects them to reach peak bloom between March 29 – April 1. That would be the latest peak bloom since 2019 (April 1). However, it’s only slightly earlier than the average date of April 4. “Peak bloom” is defined as when 70% of the blossoms emerge. How warm or cold the winter and early spring are is what determines when they reach their peak. 

The earliest that peak bloom has ever occurred was on March 15, 1990. High temperatures were at record levels in the 80s on five consecutive days from March 12 – 16, 1990, which helped the blossoms reach peak bloom on March 15. A relatively early peak bloom also occurred on March 17, 2024, after a very warm winter and start to March in the nation’s capital.

By comparison, the latest the cherry blossoms reached peak bloom was on April 18, 1958. That’s because February and March 1958 were colder and much snowier than average with a two-month snow total of 27.8”. More recently, Washingtonians experienced colder and snowier than average February and March’s in both 2014 and 2015. That contributed to a relatively late peak bloom on April 10 of both years.

When the buds are developing on the cherry trees, temperatures in the 20s for any length of time can damage them. Such was the case in March 2017 when, according to the National Park Service, “...a late frost that occurred between March 14 and March 16 caused roughly half of the blossoms to be lost.” Once they reach peak bloom, gusty winds can reduce the length of peak bloom. Given ideal conditions, peak bloom can last roughly five to seven days, giving DMV residents and tourists alike ample opportunity to enjoy their splendor.

Large fluctuations in temperature are common in the nation’s capital in March. For example, temperatures have rebounded from lows near freezing this March 2 and March 3 to having temperatures in the 70s to near 80° during this week. Such warmth, especially overnight, will accelerate the development of the cherry blossoms. 

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center expects near to below average temperatures to return later this week and continue over the next 1-2 weeks across the DMV. Fortunately, that should not harm the cherry blossoms since temperatures aren’t expected to fall below freezing downtown for any length of time.

DC residents shiver through the coldest winter in decades

 

A cold winter for the DMV

The 2025-2026 meteorological winter finished as DC’s coldest in 23 years. The unofficial start to spring got underway on March 1. Meteorologists use three-month increments to measure the four seasons, so “winter” spans from December 1 – February 28. That differs from the astronomical seasons that are based on the solstices and equinoxes.

Some impressive weather benchmarks occurred this winter.  Not only was it DC’s first since 2009-2010 that all three months (December, January and February) were colder than average, but with an average temperature of 35.6°, it was DC’s coldest winter since 2002-2003 (34.0°).

The winter got off to a frigid start as December 2025 finished 4.4° colder than average. That made it DC’s coldest December since 2010. Despite 1.5” of December snowfall, the nation’s capital hasn’t had a snowier than average December since 2017.

Next, January 2026 finished 4.2° colder than average and was DC’s coldest since 2014. The final eight days of the month remained below freezing. January also finished with 7” of snow, making it DC’s third consecutive snowier than average (4.9”) January. The nation’s capital hasn’t experienced three consecutive snowier than average January’s since the 1960s.

February was 3.8° colder than average and was DC’s coldest since 2015. Seven of the first nine days of last month were at least 10° below average. Last month was DC’s tenth February in the last 11 years with below average snowfall. That’s despite February traditionally being the snowiest month of the year in the nation’s capital.

The 10.4” of snow since December 1, 2025, will ensure this winter finishes with below average snowfall (13.7”). The combination of this winter being at least four degrees colder than average (35.6° vs. 39.7°) combined with below average snowfall is DC’s first such occurrence since the 1993-1994 winter.

Looking ahead, NOAA’s spring outlook is for near average temperatures and rainfall. That would be a change from recent springs in the nation’s capital. That’s because eight of the last 10 springs have been warmer than average, while seven were also wetter than average. Any rainfall this spring would be beneficial across the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia) considering the ongoing moderate drought conditions.

Meteorological spring gets underway

 

NOAA's March 2026 temperature outlook

Last month was DC’s coldest February since 2015. It also featured below average snowfall for the tenth time in the last 11 years. Meteorological spring officially gets underway today and continues through the end of May. 

Average daily high/low temperatures rise dramatically this month from 52°/35° on March 1 to 62°/43° on March 31. There has been a near 50/50 split of warmer and colder than average March’s over the last 20 years. However, the last six have each been warmer than average. DC’s warmest March temperature on record is 93° on March 23, 1907. By comparison, the coldest March temperature in the nation’s capital remains 4° on March 4, 1873.

Despite the warming March temperatures and increasing sun angle, accumulating snowfall can still occur. As recently as 2018, Washington, D.C. saw 4.1” of snow on March 21. March has been DC’s snowiest month of the year four times since 2010. March is the only month of the year DC’s snowfall average has increased in the last 10 years  (having risen from 1.3” to 2.0”), according to NOAA. 

By comparison, March has also been a drier than average month 13 times over the last two decades. DC residents average 3.5” of March rainfall (that includes the liquid equivalent of melted snowfall). Precipitation is important in March as it sets the stage for the start of the growing season.

Unseasonal warmth during January and February can sometimes be followed by unusually cold March weather. A good example of this occurred in February 2017 which finished as DC's warmest on record, but was followed by a colder than average March. That was significant because DC’s famous cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin were on track for an earlier than average peak bloom. However, March 2017 had eight consecutive days with lows that were below freezing in the middle of the month. That caused widespread damage to the buds that had developed early.

The world-famous cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin are one of DC's signature springtime attractions. NOAA’s March outlook is for warmer than average temperatures in the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia) with an equal chance of near average precipitation. The National Park Service will factor that into its initial forecast for peak bloom of the cherry blossoms when it is released on March 5.