As the United States gets set to make the leap to spring, let’s examine the expectations in regards to the weather in March, a month known to be “in like a lion, out like a lamb.”
Now while we might be on the final turn of a historic winter, you might want to hold back plans for your spring party.
When it comes to the official transition from winter to spring, March is the month, but it comes along with a lot of unpredictability and volatility, with warmer air moving in for a summer preview and an increase in severe weather.
Following a harsh winter that brought Arctic blasts and record-breaking storms, attention is now shifting to incoming balmy temperatures and an elevated activity in storms, per FOX Weather. With that being said, a strong portion of the U.S. is still in the grip of winter, as more snowfall and cold air are forthcoming. (RELATED: Wildfire That Can Be Seen From Space Erupts To 25,000 Acres In South Florida’s Everglades)
For the short term, into the first week and potentially second of March, the weather pattern is anticipated to include a trough, or a dip in the jet stream, along the West, while across the East, there will be a ridge.
In the 8 to 14 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center (CPC), the setup is clearly depicted. The outlook from the CPC also notes that a strong portion of the eastern and central United States are showing a trend of precipitation and temperatures over the average mark.
In the West, anticipated weather that will be cooler, cloudy and unsettled will help advance amplified flow from the Gulf of America, heightening the chances of wet weather and potentially severe thunderstorms.
Above-normal temperatures favored for nearly the entire United States except Alaska and Maine during early-mid March. https://t.co/OmuELOiqSU pic.twitter.com/wBQzTl3kUG
— NWS Climate Prediction Center (@NWSCPC) February 24, 2026
The dominant storm track is expected to stay westward of the Appalachians, which increases the East Coast’s likelihood for precipitation that will be anywhere from around average to possibly below average.
In March, the highest threat for severe weather will extend from the Central Plains out east through Alabama and Georgia.
The month is normally when Texas, Alabama and Mississippi experience their most tornadoes. In 2025, over 90 twisters formed in an outbreak throughout 13 states, killing dozens of people, per FOX Weather.
The 3 to 4-week outlook from the CPC persists in favoring temperatures that will be above average along the eastern and central U.S. Still, March’s trend for above-average temperatures doesn’t mean that winter weather and cold air won’t be encountered. (RELATED: Seattle Rattled By Magnitude 3.2 Earthquake)
Through March, the possibility remains for occasional snowfall, ice and cooler conditions. March also begins both the meteorological and astronomical springs. As time goes along, the days will be brighter and longer.
Lastly, as things head into March, we will see the looming time change occur Sunday, March 8. The clocks will “spring forward” one hour, and joined with the days that lengthen by nature, a lot of the United States will see an additional hour to an hour and a half of daylight by the conclusion of March.
