United States - weather in March

March is the first month of spring in the United States.
The temperatures are still low in the interior of the north, in the Great Plains (see Fargo), in the Great Lakes area (see Chicago) and in New England (see Boston, Portland in Maine), where it often snows. The Great Lakes, on the border with Canada, can freeze to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the temperature. Generally, the maximum extent of the ice is reached between the end of February and the beginning of March.
In the central area (see Kansas City, New York, Washington), temperatures are quite mild, however, the weather is unstable and it can still snow. In the south, on the other hand, temperatures are already decidedly mild, both in the west (see Los Angeles) and in the center-east (see Dallas, New Orleans).
Even in March, cold spells can occur in almost the whole territory, even though they are less intense than in winter. In general, only the coast of California (see San Francisco, Los Angeles) and southern Florida (see Miami) are safe from cold spells. In the Great Plains the blizzard, the icy north wind, can blow, while in the Great Lakes and in the north-east, in New England (see Boston, Portland in Maine), and sometimes also in New York and Washington, there can be snowstorms, especially in the first half of the month.
In the Rocky Mountains, there are several resorts where you can practice winter sports.
On the eastern side of the mountains (see Helena, Denver), the chinook can blow, a mild, dry wind capable of melting snow.
Precipitation generally increases somewhat compared to winter, except in central-southern California (see San Francisco, Los Angeles), where the climate is Mediterranean, and in spring rainfall begins to decrease. However, the rains are more frequent and abundant in the western part of the Pacific Northwest, in the states of Washington and Oregon (see Seattle), and also in the central-eastern part of the United States.
Instead, in the Great Basin, the arid plateau of the west (see Utah, Nevada and southeastern Oregon) and in the Great Plains (see Fargo), precipitation is quite scarce, however, it can still occur as snow. In the deserts of the southwest (see Las Vegas, Phoenix), the rains are rare.
In spring, tornadoes can form in central-eastern United States, predominantly along two paths: the "Tornado Alley", from South Dakota to northern Texas (north/south), and the "Dixie Alley", from Oklahoma to Ohio (southwest/northeast). However, tornadoes are more frequent in the following months, from April to June.

The sea is warm enough for swimming only in the southern tip of Florida (see Miami).

The following tables show the climate averages in the month of March in the United States in a selection of locations.

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Monthly climate averages - March

(from north to south)


























See also: United States, the weather in February - April
The climate of United States