March Now Feels Like Minnesota’s Snowiest Month– But It’s Not

One of the quirky parts about living in Minnesota used to be the sly knowledge that our snowiest month of the year wasn't one of the usual suspects, like January or February, but was actually the month of March. But is that still true today?

If you're a native Minnesotan or have lived in the North Star State for any length of time, you've likely heard the old adage that despite being known for our long, grueling winter months, the month of the year when Old Man Winter drops the most snow on us is actually March-- the month when spring begins.

Is March Really Minnesota’s Snowiest Month?

This curious fact is often brought up when someone unsuspecting turns the topic of conversation to winters in the Land of 10,000 Snow-and-Ice-Covered Lakes, right after someone else mentions the Halloween Blizzard of 1991. (You *have* heard of Minnesota's epic blizzard that dumped over 28 inches of snow over Minnesota between October 31st and November 3rd, all while trick-or-treating was supposed to be going on, right? You can read MORE about it from the DNR here.)

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But is that fact true-- do we really get more snow in March than in any other month in Minnesota? Well, sorry to break everyone's bubble, but I have some bad news for you:

The Month That Actually Gets the Most Snow in Minnesota

Minnesota does NOT get more snowfall in March than in other months, like January or February. At least, not anymore, that is. That's the word from this CBS-Minnesota story that says while a lot of Minnesotans grew up hearing that March was the snowiest month, that hasn’t really been true for several decades now.

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CBS-Minnesota notes that climatologists used to correctly say that, historically speaking, March was the snowiest month in several parts of Minnesota. This fact was likely true from around the 1950s through the 1970s, when several huge late-season blizzards boosted the averages, the story said.

But when looking at climate averages for more recent years, earlier winter months now usually win. In fact, while figures vary by location here in the Bold North, January is often now our snowiest month, followed by December, February, and then March. Again, your results may vary, based specifically on where you're located.

Why March Still Delivers Some of Minnesota’s Biggest Blizzards

The bottom line is, even though it’s not number one anymore, March *is* still famous for providing Minnesota with some major snowstorms. Like this year, for example, when the blizzard of March 15th dumped over 20 inches of snow on parts of Minnesota. And, in the Twin Cities, 7 of the 25 largest snowstorms on record have also happened in March, which is likely why it still has that reputation.