Marching Through Spring

March average temperatures ranged from near normal to more than 8°F above normal.

March wrapped up with near or above-normal average temperatures across the Northeast, with parts of western Pennsylvania, western Maryland, and West Virginia being more than 8°F warmer than normal. Average temperatures for March at the Northeast’s 35 major sites ranged from 0.6°F above normal in Caribou, ME, to 9.7°F above normal in Huntington, WV. This March ranked among the 20 warmest Marches on record for 26 major sites.

March 2026 was among the 20 warmest Marches on record for 26 major sites.

March precipitation ranged from 25% of normal to over 200% of normal.

Precipitation during March ranged from 25% of normal in places like southern New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and southern West Virginia to over 200% of normal in parts of New York and western Pennsylvania. March precipitation at the region’s 35 major sites ranged from 38% of normal in Atlantic City, NJ, to 237% of normal in Rochester, NY, with 19 of the sites being wetter than normal. This March was record wet for Pittsburgh, PA, and ranked among the 20 wettest Marches on record for another nine major sites. However, it was among the 20 driest Marches for three other major sites.

This March was record wet for Pittsburgh, PA, and among the 20 wettest for another nine major sites but ranked among the 20 driest for three other major sites.

March snowfall ranged from more than 8 inches below normal to 2 inches above normal.

March snowfall was below or near normal for most of the Northeast, with the largest deficits of over 8 inches found in multiple locations throughout the region. At the region’s 35 major sites, March snowfall ranged from 12.1 inches below normal in Syracuse, NY, to 0.3 inches below normal in Charleston, WV. This March was among the 20 least snowy Marches on record for four major sites.

This March was ranked among the 20 least snowy on record for four major sites.

According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, a large portion of the Northeast including New England, New York, most of Pennsylvania, northern and central New Jersey, and portions of western Maryland and northern West Virginia is expected to be wetter than normal during April. There’s an increased likelihood of above-normal temperatures for most of the Mid-Atlantic.

For April, there’s a tilt toward wetter-than-normal conditions for much of the Northeast (shaded green) and warmer-than-normal weather for most of the Mid-Atlantic (shaded orange). Click to enlarge.