FROM WINTER TO SPRING....

Finally, it's March! That means meteorological spring (March-May) is upon us. Let's take a look back at the key winter statistics (December-February).

We'll start with temperatures.

Much of the Midwest ended up below normal on temperatures. The biggest departures ran from NW Iowa into northern Minnesota. Very consistent with what La Nina winters typically produce.

Here's the total accumulated winter precipitation.

Most of the Midwest was near to below normal. December and January were especially dry

Winter snowfall looked like this.

For the most part snowfall was near to below normal. There was a strip from northwest Iowa to Minnesota and NW Wisconsin where amounts were above normal. Northern Illinois and NW Indiana also experienced above average winter snow.

Here's the preliminary numbers for some cities around my area.

Going forward the long range forecasts from the Climate Prediction Center show this for March. Temperatures first.

Now March precipitation.

For meteorological spring (March-May), here's the temperature forecast.

Now precipitation.

Back to the short term, the weekend is looking good for early March. Sunshine and mild temperatures will rule the balance of the period. The next chance for rain does not arrive until Sunday night. Happy Friday and enjoy the taste of spring. Roll weather...TS