So what causes these winds of March? Wind is caused by changes in temperature and pressure in the atmosphere. Warmer air expands and rises in the atmosphere; then cooler air rushes in to replace the warmer air. "March winds" are cyclical winds that come with spring and warmer temperatures. In a sense, the winds of March are winds of change, a transition between the seasons. As we move from winter and into spring, a wide variety of weather can be expected. Although the month often starts out in a wintry fashion, like it has this year, it often ends on a much milder note.

According to climatology, on March 1st Louisville should expect to see highs in the lower 50’s and lows near the freezing mark. By the end of the month these averages warm into the lower 60’s and lower 40’s respectively. However, these averages can be very misleading on a given year. On March 6, 1960 we set a record low of 1 degree below zero and on March 23, 1929 we saw a high of 88 degrees! That is quite a range of temperature for any month.

On average, Louisville will receive about 4 ½ half inches of rain, and 2 inches of snow during the month of March. Again, these are only averages and the weather in March can be far from average. For instance, on March 1, 1997, Louisville received an astonishing 10.48 inches of rain, the all-time 24-hour rainfall record for the city, as we ended up with 17.41 inches of rain for the month! Finally, on March 23, 1968, Louisville was buried beneath more than a foot of snow!

So far, this March we’ve seen everything from heavy snow to flooding rains. As far as the rest of this month is concerned, I guess we’ll just have to wait for that lamb to arrive.