Meteorological Spring begins Sunday: What it means for mid-Missouri
Meteorological spring begins this Sunday. After above average snowfall this winter, many mid-Missourians are probably ready for warmer weather.
On average, over the last 30 years, Columbia Regional Airport sees its first 75º+ day by March 10th. While the low 60s expected this weekend are a cut below that margin, we still have plenty more chances as the month progresses.
In more good news (if you're a fan of warmer weather) we've pushed past when we usually see our last accumulating snowfall event, which is typically February 21st. Although, we know that the month March can have major wild cards up its sleeve.
Winter can certainly make its presence known during March. In fact, our tenth heaviest snowfall event came in late March of 2013. The Palm Sunday snowstorm dumped 9.6" of snow at Columbia Regional Airport, while many other places in mid-Missouri saw nearly a foot.
Several locations near the St. Louis Metro area reported thunder-snow with this event as well. This same year had two separate thunder-snow events in mid-Missouri during February too.
Don't get discouraged though. In 2012, a year prior to the Palm Sunday Snow of 2013, we experienced our warmest March ever recorded where high temperatures averaged 71º.
That year on March 14th, we touched 85º.
The old adage is that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb-- while sometimes correct, it doesn't seem like it will hold true, at least this year for the start of March.
However, the month can bring a very wide variety of weather. Make sure you stay prepared for all the swings as winter turns to spring by sticking with ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather!
-Luke
