March outlook - in like a lamb

We are soaring into March on warm temperatures and no doubt, probably feeling like April more than March. I think we'd all agree that March is starting like a lamb, but the month as a whole can be a wildcard. We can have blizzards and tornadoes simultaneously - and some of our biggest snows have happened in March.

Here's where we stand on drought going into the month. The first image is the drought monitor from the week of February 17th. The image immediately following is the most recent drought index. Conditions have improved some, but western Kansas still has a need for rain.

March normals: We will gain over an hour of daylight between March 1st and the 31st. And normal highs go into the 60s by the end of the month too.

So what should we expect - first, let me say that it I don't think we have seen our last cold snap yet nor do I think we've had our last snow (for Kansas anyway). I wouldn't start the garden yet.

March looks to start dry, but moisture should be coming back mid to late month. My expectation is that we will end up with normal or above normal precipitation (likely around 2-3 inches for most of the area)

Temperatures: The month starts warm, and will likely be that way for the first couple of weeks.

Mid-late March: should be cooling down, but remember, given time of year, a drop in temperatures would probably mean highs in the 50s with lows 20s/30s. I think there will still be another push of cold air coming in from the north, which may not reach us until late in the month. We'll see.

Did you see this? A picture on social media from Leigh Marts clearly shows why forecasting snow is so difficult. In a 15 mile wide path, some areas had a foot of snow from the storm Tuesday.

It has melted quite a bit, and on Friday, I received another picture from Ryan Austin showing how much was still left. What an interesting setup ... but not one that you want to try and forecast. It's a real bear sometimes.