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CanisLupusArctos · 03-14-2007, 10:40 AM

The prospects of a large storm in *any* given March are very good. One of this nation's strongest and farthest-reaching winter storms in history occurred on the east coast in March 1993 - the "Superstorm." What typically happens this month is that springtime starts surging northward in the form of warmth and moisture, while the cold air is still trying to flow south out of Canada. When the two meet, it's like opening the door from your hot shower stall on a cold morning while the water's running full blast - steam everywhere. Same thing happens in nature but on a larger scale.

This week we have warm air surging into the area but the cold we had from January until last week is still nearby. Temps in Manitoba and Saskatchewan are still at the extremely cold levels we had last week. With that said, we're poised for several battles before spring finally wins out... and this weekend is starting to look like it'll be the first.

As for rain / snow amounts, it becomes even harder to predict at this time of year because on one side of any given storm you could have temps in the 60s and 70s while on the other it could be in the teens and 20s. The track of the storm is critical to who gets which side, and some places see both. Even in the all-snow belt of any March storm there are usually wild variations in amounts due to some areas getting a warmer, wetter snow while others get a colder, powdery snow.

Timing is also more critical for this weekend's storm than with those we saw in the winter, because in order to give us a dumping of snow it has to develop at exactly the right time while the cold air replaces the warm air over us at exactly the right time, and then the storm has to move on exactly the right track.

03-14-2007, 10:40 AM	#7
CanisLupusArctos Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Center Harbor Posts: 1,049 Thanks: 15 Thanked 472 Times in 107 Posts	The Real Prospects The prospects of a large storm in any given March are very good. One of this nation's strongest and farthest-reaching winter storms in history occurred on the east coast in March 1993 - the "Superstorm." What typically happens this month is that springtime starts surging northward in the form of warmth and moisture, while the cold air is still trying to flow south out of Canada. When the two meet, it's like opening the door from your hot shower stall on a cold morning while the water's running full blast - steam everywhere. Same thing happens in nature but on a larger scale. This week we have warm air surging into the area but the cold we had from January until last week is still nearby. Temps in Manitoba and Saskatchewan are still at the extremely cold levels we had last week. With that said, we're poised for several battles before spring finally wins out... and this weekend is starting to look like it'll be the first. As for rain / snow amounts, it becomes even harder to predict at this time of year because on one side of any given storm you could have temps in the 60s and 70s while on the other it could be in the teens and 20s. The track of the storm is critical to who gets which side, and some places see both. Even in the all-snow belt of any March storm there are usually wild variations in amounts due to some areas getting a warmer, wetter snow while others get a colder, powdery snow. Timing is also more critical for this weekend's storm than with those we saw in the winter, because in order to give us a dumping of snow it has to develop at exactly the right time while the cold air replaces the warm air over us at exactly the right time, and then the storm has to move on exactly the right track.