Terry L. Ettinger Horticulture Consulting Services
Meeting The Needs Of Today With A Vision For The Future
March Weather
Average High Temperature: 43.1°F
Record High Temperature: 87°F (the 30th, 1986)
Average Low Temperature: 24.2°F
Record Low Temperature: -16°F (the 4th, 1950)
Average Precipitation: 3.02" inches
Maximum Precipitation: 6.84" (1955)
Minimum Precipitation: 1.01" (1981)
Average Snowfall: 18.1"
Record Snowfall: 54.4" (1993)
Least Snowfall: 1.2" (1962)
The average high temperature leaps by
more than ten degrees this month, from 37°F on the 1st, to 49°F on
the 31st. And, while it's not out of the question to get a ten inch
snowfall even at the end of the month, a low temperature of below
zero hasn't been recorded in Syracuse after March 20th since at
least 1949. In fact, it's more likely to have a day or two in the
low 80's by the end of the month, than it is to have a day where
temperatures plunge toward zero!
All of this good news comes together to lay a whopping dose of spring fever on almost all of us this month. So, we rush out onto our lawns and into our gardens to find . . . . . .
A real mess
along the edges of our lawns where snow was piled all winter long
(at right, above)! And, if
there's been prolonged snowcover,
snow mold may be widespread as the temperatures continue to warm through the end of the
month, and we may find that
rabbits and voles have taken a real bite out of the stems and trunks of trees and shrubs throughout
or landscapes.
On a more pleasant note, by the end of the month, there can be almost a riot of color in your garden - if you've planted Lenten roses and early-blooming daffodils along with your crocus. Another great addition for early spring color can be a witchhazel, or two!