While March usually signals the start of spring for many parts of the U.S., it will bring a little winter weather to Virginia on Monday.
Despite temperatures in the low 60s on Sunday, meteorologists predict that the Shenandoah Valley will see some snow and freezing rain to start the week.
However, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tom Kines said the storm “shouldn’t have a huge impact.”
“It looks like we might see some snow or freezing rain on Monday,” Kines said. “Because it’s been so warm lately, the ground is already quite warm, so snow and ice will likely struggle to stick to the roads.
“We’re expecting an inch or less on the grass. Unless the storm pulls in a lot of moisture from the Atlantic, it shouldn’t have a huge impact. If we do get more Atlantic moisture, we could see several inches of snow and more freezing rain, but that isn’t the most likely outcome.”
Throughout the state, there is a possibility of some frozen precipitation, except for the extreme southern part of the state where temperatures will be above freezing.
Regardless, after a few days in the 60s, it will feel much colder. The high on Monday is only 35 degrees. However, temperatures will quickly rebound with the latter part of the week getting up to near 80 degrees, which is 10 to 20 degrees above the historical average for March.
“The bigger news is that after a cold Monday, temperatures will jump into the 60s and 70s later in the week,” Kines said. “We might even hit 80 degrees one day.”
Kines said while the warm weather will be “a nice treat,” it won’t last.
“There’s definitely more cold air ahead,” he said. “That said, March is expected to be warmer than usual with average to below normal precipitation.”
Clocks spring forward one hour on Sunday, March 8, at 2 a.m. This marks the beginning of Daylight Saving Time which brings more sunlight to the evenings through Nov. 1.
The final frost is expected around mid-April.
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Crystal Graham
