Ohio Spring Weather Forecast: Long-Range Outlook For March

OHIO — Spring may not officially start till March 20, but this month could bring plenty of warmth and rain to Ohio.

March will bring warmer-than-usual temperatures and a heavy amount of rain to the Buckeye State, according to a new long-range forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Ohio and neighboring states like Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky are likely to see a “wetter-than-normal” March, the agency predicted. The increased precipitation could help parts of the region that have seen drought, or near-drought conditions in recent years.

“Probabilities of above normal precipitation are greater than 50 percent from southern Michigan to western areas of the Ohio Valley,” the National Weather Service said in its climate prediction.

What could be behind the increased rain? The NOAA thinks a jet stream could steer storms toward the Great Lakes region this month, but the influx of precipitation isn’t all bad.

Ohio is also expected to be warmer-than-usual in March. The Buckeye State typically has March temperatures that range between 30 degrees (on the low end) and 47 degrees (on the high end), according to the National Weather Service.

In northern Ohio, there’s a 33-40 percent chance of a warmer-than-usual March, while communities in central and southern Ohio have an almost 50 percent chance of seeing unusually high temperatures.

This weekend already shows signs of unusual warmth in Ohio. Temperatures could climb into the mid-60s on Saturday and Sunday, 15 to 20 degrees higher than usual, according to the National Weather Service.

The deep South and West are the regions most likely to see hotter-than-usual temperatures this month, the NOAA said.