The first full week of March will have a little of everything, from some frost and freeze to start followed by a round of springtime storms — a few of which could be severe — followed by another dip below normal. Monday starts with a Freeze Warning inland and a Frost Advisory closer to the coast as lows drop to around freezing across much of the area. We’ll warm back into the low 60s in the afternoon under generally partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies; this will still run a few degrees below normal for early March.
Climatological winter has come to an end, and the first day of climatological spring will certainly feel the part. We’ll start the day in the mid-to-upper 40s, warming solidly into the mid-70s in the afternoon with just a few clouds expected.
A front swings through overnight Saturday, sending temperatures much cooler for Sunday. We’ll start Sunday a bit more on the cloudy side; expect lows to fall into the upper 30s with cooler air blowing in behind the front. Cold high pressure building in will help clear skies out, but it will also drive highs down some 20° cooler than Saturday — think mid-50s vs. mid-70s. Quite a shock!
The main issue we’ll need to watch for is elevated fire danger due to dry fuels and breezy conditions. Gusts over 20 MPH could help a seemingly benign fire spread more than you might think, so please be careful if you must burn.
Finally, the start of climatological spring also signals the beginning of the 2025 growing season, which means that frost and freeze alerts will once again be issued by the National Weather Service in the event temperatures fall to those levels.
We’ll climb back aboard the temperature rollercoaster this weekend as a series of fronts affect the area. The first one, coming through Thursday night into early Friday, will knock temperatures down about 10° or so with highs in the upper 60s expected Friday afternoon with mostly sunny skies. This is just a click on the warm side of normal for February 28, which marks the end of climatological winter.
After reaching 79° on Wednesday, some 13° above normal for this point in the year, we’re back in the mid-to-upper 70s on Thursday but with some increasing cloud cover ahead of an approaching cold front. Moisture ahead of the front won’t be the best, but a few showers will be possible later Thursday into the overnight as it gets by, so be aware for the potential for a little rain. It’ll also be a bit of a breezy day, with winds 15-20 MPH possible out of the southwest particularly in the afternoon.
After hitting 76° on Tuesday — 10° above normal, but still 10° below a record — we’re back to the mid-70s on Wednesday with more sunshine expected. Once again, we’ll start the day in the mid-40s, which is close to normal for February 26, but the forecast high of 76° will once again run 10° above normal.
