ROANOKE, Va. – If there’s one thing about March weather, it is common to see large and chaotic temperature swings.
Even still, it may seem ironic that the first day of spring will likely be colder than the most recent winter solstice.
I did some data digging and found that that’s happened 21 times in the last 112 years (19% of the time).
The last time it happened was when the winter solstice of 2018 was slightly warmer than the spring equinox of 2019.
The most extreme example is when the winter solstice of 1949 was 25° warmer than the following spring equinox.
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In addition to the cold, the wind will get going once again early next week. This is common when temperatures drop quickly, as it signifies a change in air pressure.
Air naturally flows from high pressure to low pressure. The stronger the pressure difference, the bigger the drop in temperature and the stronger the wind becomes.
The wind chill, therefore, will be in the teens and 20s first thing Tuesday morning. That’s a far cry from the near-80° warmth some of us will see Thursday afternoon.
This is a harsh, yet important, reminder that frost and/or freezing temperatures still happen this time of year.
Tuesday and Wednesday mornings will see temperatures drop close-to-if-not below freezing.
On average, the last freeze in our area happens in mid-to-late April.
As enticing as it may be, it’s best to hold off on planting for the time being.
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