Wild Weather Swings the Norm on St. Patrick's Day

You never quite know what Mother Nature will have in store for the weather on St. Patrick's Day. The timing of the holiday during the middle of March means that revelers should expect everything ranging from early-spring heat waves to flooding rainfall to blizzard conditions. Here is a look at what the weather typically has in store in four U.S. cities that go all out for St. Patrick's Day.

St. Patrick's Day Weather in Chicago

There is no place quite like Chicago for St. Patrick's Day. The metro area's large Irish population makes it a natural gathering spot, despite its often miserable March weather.

The Windy City typically celebrates the holiday on the Saturday closest to the big day. This is when the Chicago Plumbers Union famously dumps about 40 pounds of vegetable dye into the Chicago River in the downtown area. The powder initially appears as a bright orange hue, quickly transforming into a brilliant emerald green. The green river provides the perfect backdrop for the city's massive St. Patrick's Day parade.

Highs during the middle of March generally bounce around in the low to mid 40s, with drastic extremes recorded over history. The record high of 82 degrees was notched in 2012, while the year 1900 saw a top reading of just 11 degrees. It is also not strange to see snow on the holiday.

This year's holiday is setting up to be one of the coldest ones in history, with a forecast high of just 25 degrees. Winds out of the west-northwest at 10 to 20 mph will make it feel even chillier. Although the day is expected to be mostly dry, a brief round of snow is forecast to blanket Chicago with another inch of accumulation in the evening and overnight hours.

St. Patrick's Day Weather in New York City