"In like a lion, out like a lamb." It's the popular saying that we've all heard describing the weather in March, but does it hold true for Wisconsin?
The month of March marks a transition from the cold, dark days of winter to the brighter, warmer days of spring. The spring equinox occurs on March 20th, 2021 and our hours of daylight become increasingly longer.
However, in Wisconsin, our March weather tends to be a little on the fickle side. Snow is still common across the state and wild temperature extremes can be a regular occurrence.
During the month of March, our average high temperatures across the state climb from the low and mid 30s into the 40s and even low 50s in some areas.
In La Crosse, our average high temperatures jump 15 degrees from 37 degrees all the way to 52 degrees between March 1st and 31st. Madison's average high also climbs to near 50 degrees by the 31st, up from 36 degrees on the first of the month.
Most other cities across the state see their average high temperatures warming into the mid to upper 40s by March 31st.
We are no stranger to temperature extremes across Wisconsin in March. From subzero lows to highs in the 80s, Mother Nature is capable of throwing just about anything our way.
On March 1st, 1962, our coldest March temperatures were recorded across the state. Rhinelander dropped all the way to -36 degrees and the temperature in Eau Claire was -35 degress to start the day! Subzero morning lows were felt everywhere in Wisconsin, with temperatures even down to -10 degrees in Milwaukee.
On the flip side, we've also experienced some abnormally warm temperatures in March. March 21st, 2012 brought temperatures in the lower 80s to Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay. Eau Claire and La Crosse also experienced highs in the 80s in late March in 1962.
As previously mentioned, snow is still fairly common in March as Old Man Winter tries to keep his grasp on the state. Milwaukee, Madison and La Crosse average around seven inches of snow throughout the month.
More than eight inches of snow is typically observed in Green Bay and Eau Claire, while 10 or more inches usually falls in Wausau and Rhinelander.
The month of March has started off on a fairly quiet note and that looks to continue for some time. According to the Climate Prediction Center, temperatures across Wisconsin are expected to be higher than normal throughout the month.
Our precipitation is also expected to be slightly higher than normal. With average high temperatures above freezing, this seems to point at the possibility of less snow and more rain across the state.
So while in most years, our weather across Wisconsin tends to roar in like a lion with cold and snow and out like a lamb as warmer air takes hold, this year looks like a much more lamb-like start with highs in the 40s and plenty of sunshine for the first week of the month.