March begins tomorrow.
In other places, March means the beginning of spring. However, here in Fargo-Moorhead, the best we can usually hope for in March is the beginning of the end of winter. This year, March will start out with below-average temperatures, but at this point, it's impossible to tell if the month will remain cold or if it will moderate.
Many of us have had our memories skewed by quick and early thaws each of the past two years. Last year's spring flood crest happened March 21. In 2009, it was on March 28. But these were atypical. Historically, the Red River begins rising in late March and crests sometime in April because March usually starts out below freezing and slowly moderates as the snow pack melts.
A nice, slow thaw with very little precipitation would be the best thing for reducing the flood's impacts this year. The worst combination would be a cold March with heavy snows followed by a sudden warm-up in April with rain.
Have a weather question you'd like answered? E-mail weather@wday.com , or write to WDAY Stormtracker, WDAY-TV, Box 2466, Fargo, ND 58108
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