Polar Vortex Predicted To Affect March Temps: Colorado Weather

Hoping for an early spring this year? Residents of some states, including Colorado, shouldn’t get your hopes too high, according to one recent forecast.

Big changes are in store for the weather in March, The Weather Company (The Weather Channel) reports. All 48 contiguous states originally were expected to see a warm start to March, but a revised forecast suggests that may not be the case.

Most Colorado regions can expect below-average temperatures next month; however, parts of the southwest will likely see "near or slightly above average" temperatures, according to the report.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration analyzed the mean March temperature in our state since 1895, and found that it's risen since 1975. Before the 70s, the mean temperature was 33.1 degrees, and since then, it's risen to 33.7 degrees. But this year, below-average temperatures are expected, so you can expect quite a few days that are lower than 33.7.

Nationally, temperatures are expected to be below average from parts of the Dakotas to the upper Mississippi Valley, into the Tennessee Valley and north Georgia, The Weather Company reports. A widespread area from Montana eastward to the Great Lakes and into the Southern states will likely see temperatures near or slightly below average in March.

Most of the Northeast, as well as areas west of the Rockies, can expect temperatures near or slightly warmer than average, The Weather Company reports. The most above-average conditions will be found in Central and Southern California into southwestern Nevada and southwestern Arizona, the forecasters said.

The shift in forecast is due to a historically strong polar vortex that will persist into March, Dr. Todd Crawford, chief meteorologist at The Weather Company, said in the report. The latest computer models suggest this March could be similar to last year’s, which saw below-average temperatures in parts of the Northwest, Plains and portions of the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys.

However, forecasters also said the pattern could still shift, so people shouldn’t completely give up hope for a warm March.

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