Is it Typical to be Near Normal?

Having just wrapped up the first week of March, temperatures have yet to reach, or exceed, 'normal' for this time of year.

On average, the first week of March should yield temps in the low/mid 40s, but so far this month, Toledo's daily highs have been overwhelmingly cool, settling in the 20s and 30s. 

Max Toledo Daily Temps: March

Normals and Records for Toledo Express Airport Reporting Site

So, what does this indicate for the rest of the month? Nothing.

Being at, or near normal, isn't always 'typical' at any time of year. The normal temp represents the average temperature for any given date based on years of record-keeping and mean-value calculations. So, for example, if over the course of 5 years, the high temperature on March 7th was 37°, 49°, 17°, 44°, and 68°, the average, or 'normal' high is 43°, but it was never actually 43° on the dot any of those years. 

I can also confidently say that this weekend's upcoming warm-up doesn't mark the end of winter. More on that to come.

FORECAST:   

Sunshine peeking through the clouds Thursday. Highs in the upper 30s/lower 40s. Skies clear overnight, allowing everyone to see a fair share of sunshine on Friday to wrap up the work week. 

Highs will skyrocket into the 50s this weekend.

And, don't forget to turn your clocks ahead on Saturday evening.

Daylight Saving Time Begins Saturday-Sunday

One final thought:

A hydrological report by the NWS warns residents in far NW Ohio and SE Michigan that received snow on Tuesday about the possibility of some minor flooding next week. Snow will melt this weekend, saturating an already wet ground & leading to increased runoff and rising river levels. In addition, there's a band of moderate to heavy rain showers possible Sunday into Monday, adding to those already high water levels. Keep this in mind if you're in a flooding prone area.