March, April, May and spring weather are right around the corner, and the latest forecast models have temperatures warming up quickly across most of the country.
Spring officially begins Monday, March 20 — a little more than a month away. Meteorological spring, however, begins on the first day of March.
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The latest forecast models give above average chances for warmer weather across the entire lower 48 with the exception of the Northwest and the Northern Plains. The best chances for an exceptionally warm spring will be across New Mexico and Texas as well as the Northeast.
This warm outlook comes on the heels of an exceptionally warm January and a record-breaking warm February.
As for precipitation, additional rain and snow is most likely across the northern third of the country from the Pacific Northwest over to the Upper Midwest. The desert Southwest is on the other end of the spectrum with a better chance for drier conditions.
Spring is also severe weather season, and it's already been more active than recent years. A number of large severe weather outbreaks have occurred in January and in the first weeks of February, and more are expected, especially with warmer weather in the forecast.
Most of the severe weather activity has been across the South, which is typical for early in the season.
The South should continue to be on the lookout for tornado activity into March and April, and during the month of April, the severe storm threat usually begins to shift into the Southern Plains. By May, tornadic storms are likely across most of the Plains and into the Midwest.
