PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The spring season returns to western Oregon and Washington, even if the weather doesn’t reflect sunny and warmer conditions. The Portland metro area has been plagued with winter weather for over a week now.
However, the first day of March does bring drier conditions.
Meteorological spring is the scientific definition of spring that forecasters use to segment out the seasons. Meteorological spring runs from March first to the last day of May. Summer is from June to August. Fall, September through November. Winter ends and begins the year from December to February.
These differ slightly from the astronomical season. The first day of astronomical spring isn’t until March 20. That’s when the equator receives the sun’s most direct rays. Making the amount of daylight and overnight hours equal for the northern and southern hemisphere. Thus, giving it the name: spring equinox.
March usually brings warmer temperatures back to the Pacific Northwest. On average, temperatures warm about five degrees from the first day to the last of the month.
This is also a wetter month of the Portland metro area. An average of 3.97 inches of rain makes March the fourth wettest month of the year. That brings snow into the question. Portland usually sees about 0.3″ of snow in March on average. That might come true this year as snow chances increase once again across the Pacific Northwest as early as Thursday.