Why March is Distinguished as One of the Wildest Weather Months

True to form, the month of March is getting off to a wild start. Weather experts know that the third month of the year offers a little bit of everything as it bridges the winter and spring seasons. Dramatic temperature swings, gusty winds, and every bit of precipitation on the table can make for some crazy weather patterns this time of the year. Here are a few weather elements that you may see in the weeks ahead.

Major Snow Events, Flooding, and Mud Season

Despite March 1 being the meteorological start to the spring season, it is still too early to put away those snow shovels for most of the nation. Measurable snow is a good possibility in March for the Mountain West, the Plains states, the Midwest, the mid-Atlantic, and the Northeast.

March is typically the snowiest month of the year for the Colorado Front Range and the High Plains. For instance, Denver averages nearly 8 inches of snow this month. The Mile High City recorded nearly 32 inches of snow during a March snowstorm in 2003.

Chicago and New York City each see about 5 inches of snowfall during an average March. Going way back in history, New York City saw 21 inches fall across Central Park in March of 1888.

The snow has to go somewhere once the temperatures begin to warm up. The melting snowpack inevitably leads to a muddy mess and the threat of flooding. This is particularly true if the warmup comes on quickly and dramatically.