Here's How The Polar Vortex Will Impact March Weather In CT

CONNECTICUT — Hoping for an early spring this year? Connecticut residents may be in luck, according to one recent forecast.

Big changes are in store for the weather in March, The Weather Company (The Weather Channel) reports. All 48 contiguous states originally were expected to see a warm start to March, but a revised forecast suggests that may not be the case.

Connecticut is among several expecting average, or slightly warmer than average, temperatures next month. The updated forecast suggests temperatures will still be dipping into the 20s in the mornings, but with daytime highs in the 40s. The average temperature in March for Connecticut is 35.4 degrees.

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Nationally, temperatures are expected to be below average from parts of the Dakotas to the upper Mississippi Valley, into the Tennessee Valley and north Georgia, The Weather Company reports. A widespread area from Montana eastward to the Great Lakes and into the Southern states will likely see temperatures near or slightly below average in March.

Most of the Northeast, as well as areas west of the Rockies, can expect temperatures near or slightly warmer than average, The Weather Company reports. The most above-average conditions will be found in Central and Southern California into southwestern Nevada and southwestern Arizona, the forecasters said.

The shift in forecast is due to a historically strong polar vortex that will persist into March, Dr. Todd Crawford, chief meteorologist at The Weather Company, said in the report. The latest computer models suggest this March could be similar to last year's, which saw below-average temperatures in parts of the Northwest, Plains and portions of the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys.

However, forecasters also said the pattern could still shift, so people in the rest of the country shouldn't completely give up hope for a warm March.

The Weather Channel long-term forecast for northern Connecticut shows no accumulating snow in the forecast through March 12. In fact, temps will be in the mid to upper 50s next week and rain is forecast Tuesday through Thursday. From March 1 to March 12, temps are in the upper 40s and 50s for most days.

In southern Connecticut, it's the same as temps will be in the high 40s and low 50s for the first half of March with no accumulating snow in sight. It is possible that some snow showers are possible late Monday but the odds are less than 50 percent. Temps are forecast to be chillier at the coast during this period of time but daytime highs are always at least above 40 degrees once we get past this chilly weekend.

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Here is the updated weather forecast for Connecticut for the first few days of March via the National Weather Service:

Friday
Partly sunny, with a high near 37. West wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.

Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 23. West wind 5 to 9 mph.

Saturday
Partly sunny, with a high near 34. West wind 5 to 8 mph.

Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 18. Northwest wind around 6 mph.

Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 35. Northwest wind 3 to 7 mph. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Sunday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 20. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Monday
A chance of rain after 5pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 42. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Monday Night
A chance of rain before 8pm, then a chance of snow between 8pm and midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Tuesday
A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Tuesday Night
A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. Light southwest wind. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Wednesday
A chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 56. South wind 3 to 7 mph. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.