Summary:
- March brought widespread cooler than average temperatures for most of the western US, except for northern Oregon and most of Washington which were warmer than average.
- A more southerly storm track resulted in wetter than normal conditions from southern Oregon into Northern California and across the Great Basin and desert southwest, but a drier than normal PNW.
- Snow water equivalents (SWE) over the central to southern portion of the western US were bolstered by March storms, bringing many basins to average or as much as 300% above average. Lower SWE continues across the northern areas of the PNW and Rockies.
- After a warm start to April, with temperatures more like June, frontal passages with significantly colder air that is much more like February will set in across the west. Coldest northward, with snow likely down to low elevations for this time of year.
- Clearing skies on any given night over the next few days to a week will bring frost issues for most western valleys. Moderate warm-up afterward but continued off and on again spring weather over the next few weeks.
- The April and 90-day seasonal forecast are pointing to normal to warmer than average for the western US, however, I am still holding to what I have been seeing for months now, a little cooler than what is expected. The forecasts also depict near average precipitation to drier than average, especially in the PNW.
- All indicators are showing a continued weakening of El Niño with a La Niña watch for the fall.
