Lohmann: Warmer Temperatures As March Comes To A Close

Now that the Pacific Northwest is officially in spring, what can we expect, will we see those April showers, will we see warmer temperatures?

National Weather Service meteorologist Marilyn Lohman said Spring is very volatile in the PNW, so change can and will happen very quickly. But she noted the April, May and June Outlook calls for cooler than normal temperatures normal to slightly above normal precipitation. And Lohmann noted you can thank La Niña.

“We thought it was going to go away, but it’s still kind of handing on. And actually, during the late February, early March time period, La Niña actually increased again, into cooler water and the trade winds and everything that was supposedly going away.  For spring in the Northwest, that does mean cooler than normal temperatures and above average precipitation.”

But, Lohmann noted it doesn’t look like any of those showers will be rolling in over the next week. In fact, she noted, as we prepare to say goodbye to March, and welcome in April, temperatures are expected to go up 10-15 degrees.

“Soil temperatures are currently in the upper 40s to lower 50s at that 8” depth and I think we’ll see those warm.  You know, on some days they can warm two to three degrees, so I do think we’ll see quite a bit of warming over the next week.”

What does Lohmann think about are soil moisture numbers? For that an more, check out our Ag Weather In Depth conversation.

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