March Brings the Chance Of Snowstorms for Tournament Season

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- Despite the warm starts to both January and February, winter is shaping up to be about average for Central Minnesota. December was about 3 degrees colder than average for the St. Cloud area. January was a little over 2 degrees below normal, and with about a week left, February so far has been around 11 degrees above normal.

Assistant State Climatologist Pete Boulay says barring any huge changes, February will finish above normal, but winter is not done with us yet:

"It's interesting, in looking at the Climate Prediction Center's overall outlook through mid-March, they still have a tendency for above-normal temperatures, so there isn't like this really arctic air coming, more seasonably cool air, maybe way to phrase it, and it's certainly a busy weather pattern over the next week."

He says barring any drastic cold snaps, the last week of February will balance out temperatures for the winter overall.

Boulay says early March is looking to be towards the lamb side, and he doesn't see a big artic outbreak coming, so if anything, maybe just a little on the cool side.

Will we get a state tournament snowstorm this year?

He does say that March is a wild card month, though, and there is a pretty good chance we will see a state tournament snow storm of some kind:

"Over the years they've expanded the tournament so much adding hockey and then girls basketball, wrestling, it keeps getting bigger and bigger, so the chances of seeing a snowstorm over a span of about a month or five weeks in March and into February, there's a pretty good chance one of those weeks we'll see one."

Boulay says this is the time of year when we get to see the power of the sun. He says even with temperatures below freezing, it can still melt snow, so people need to be careful, as it is a prime part of the year for refreezing and spills when walking and driving.

READ MORE FROM AUTHOR PAUL HABSTRITT