NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Winter and spring airmasses continue to do battle
This is the time of year when winter, which does not want to let go, does battle with spring-like or even summery feeling weather. It happens every March across the United States. There is still plenty of cold air still camped out at the North Pole that seeps down through Canada and into the United States. Meanwhile, episodes of unseasonable warmth and humidity flood northward to clash.
This sets the stage for some of the sharpest temperature contrasts of the entire year in this part of the world. For example, look at North Dakota today. In the northern part of the state, temperatures were in the single digits. Meanwhile, over the southern part of the state, it was in the 60s, approaching 70. In fact, just south of the state line in South Dakota some communities did top off in the 70s. That’s a difference of nearly 70 degrees across a distance of 200 miles!
When you look at the wind chill, the contrast was even greater.
Wednesday’s wind chill over North Dakota(wsmv)
Sharp differences in temperature help to make big, powerful low pressure systems. Because of that, March can host some of the strongest storm systems of the year for our nation. Case in point was in March of 2022. One of the strongest storm systems ever in our area passed just north of us. In the Midstate, we had a chance for severe weather that was followed by widespread 40 to 70 mph wind gusts for several hours. The persistent strong, gusty wind ultimately knocked out power to several hundred thousand people across the region.
For life-saving weather alerts, customized messages on conditions and forecasts, and videos detailing upcoming weather events, download the WSMV 4 First Alert Weather app for iPhone or Android. Have weather pictures or videos? Share them here.
