Polar Vortex Predicted To Affect March Temps: Wisconsin Weather

MILWAUKEE, WI — Big changes are in store for the weather in March, 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.

Wisconsin is among several expecting lower temperatures next month.

"It is still chilly across the northern tier in March, so below average temperatures in the Northern Plains and upper Midwest would make it feel more like winter than spring," the Weather Channel is reporting.

According to the Weather Channel, a major section of Wisconsin is forecast to have below-average temperatures throughout March.

The average high temps in March are forecast in the 40s for most of the state, with average lows dipping into the 20s. It isn't until the last few days that we will see temperatures in the 50s, the Weather Channel says.

Nationally

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.