**March 2025 Overview – Midwestern Regional Climate Center **

Temperature

The average March temperature for the Midwest was 42.4°F, which was 5.5°F above the 1991-2020 normal (Figure 1). Temperatures were above normal across the entire Midwest, with the warmest anomalies in the central and western portions of the region (Figure 2). Statewide average temperatures ranged from 4.3°F above normal in Kentucky to 6.4°F above normal in Missouri (Figure 1). While the above-normal warmth persisted for most of March, the most extreme temperatures were noted during the second week of the month when high temperatures from March 8-14 averaged 15 to 25°F above normal (Figure 3). On March 14, temperatures soared over 30°F above normal in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. St. Louis (MO), Peoria (IL), and Waterloo (IA), which have between 129 and 148 years of observations, all had their 5th warmest March on record. Indianapolis, Indiana, had 9 days with high temperatures over 70°F in March, which is the second most for the month in 153 years of data. Rochester, Minnesota, reached 80°F on March 28, making it only the 4th time since records began in 1886 to reach 80°F in the month of March. With five days over 80°F, St. Louis, Missouri, had their 4th greatest number of March days over °F since records began in 1874.

Precipitation

March precipitation totaled 2.90 inches for the Midwest, which was 0.33 inches above normal, or 113 percent of normal (Figure 1). The upper Midwest had precipitation totals 2 to 5 inches above normal (Figure 4). The lower Midwest was generally within an inch of normal, except for the southern half of Missouri, where precipitation was 1 to 3 inches below normal. Statewide precipitation totals ranged from 1.07 inches below normal in Missouri to 1.96 inches above normal in Michigan. Final rankings indicate that Michigan and Wisconsin had their 2nd and 5th wettest March, respectively, since records began in 1895. A very active weather pattern brought multiple rounds of storm systems across the region throughout the month, which is fairly typical for March. Some of the more notable storm systems are detailed later in this report. In Michigan, long-running weather stations at Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie, and Houghton had their wettest March on record. Record monthly precipitation totals were also reported across southern Minnesota and central Wisconsin. Madison, Wisconsin, had a record number of days with precipitation over 0.5 inches, with records dating back 155 years.

Snowfall

Despite warmer-than-normal temperatures, northwest Iowa, northern Wisconsin, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula finished the month with snowfall totals that were 175-300 percent of normal (Figure 5). Marquette, Michigan, had its 5th snowiest March with 53.5 inches. Minnesota, however, missed out on the snowfall, with most of the state seeing less than 50 percent of normal. Similarly, southern Michigan had less than 25 percent of normal snowfall for March.

Drought

Above-normal March precipitation helped reduce the extent of drought across the Midwest by about 15 percent. By late March, 62 percent of the Midwest remained in drought or abnormally dry on the U.S. Drought Monitor map (Figure 6). Kentucky was the only state in the region that remained free of drought or dryness throughout the month. Drought improvements were most notable in Michigan, where the state went from 55 percent of land in drought in early March down to 25 percent in drought by month’s end. Improvements were also seen across Iowa, northern Illinois, and northern Indiana. Drought and abnormal dryness expanded in southern Missouri, and dryness expanded in southeast Ohio.

March 4-6, 2025 – Blizzard and Lake-Effect Snow

A March 4-6 storm system brought blizzard conditions to Iowa and Minnesota with 6 to 10 inches of snow and 40 to 50 mph winds while dropping near-record snow in northern Michigan (Figure 7). Marquette, Michigan, observed 20.8 inches of snow on March 6, making it the 3rd largest March daily snowfall since records began in 1961. In Iowa, blowing snow significantly affected road conditions and motorists, and there were reports of snow drifts over 10 feet high in rural areas.

March 13-15, 2025 – High Winds and Severe Weather Outbreak

A sprawling low-pressure system induced high winds gusting 40 to 55 mph across the region beginning late on March 13 and continuing for much of the day on March 14. Strong winds paired with dry conditions ahead of the growing storm system triggering Red Flag Warnings throughout Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois. Wildfire smoke from Texas and Oklahoma was carried northward by the strong winds, causing poor air quality in the central Midwest on March 14. Violent severe storms traversed the region starting the afternoon of March 14 (Figure 8) and into March 15 (Figure 9). At least 47 tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service in Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. Twelve fatalities were reported in Missouri, making it the deadliest tornado day in the state since 2011 (Joplin EF5). Eleven of the confirmed tornadoes were rated EF3, with seven of those occurring in Missouri.

March 28-30, 2025 – Northern Michigan Ice Storm

A long-duration ice storm from March 28-30 blanketed northern Michigan with 0.25-1 inch of ice. This widespread icing brought down large trees and powerlines, caused massive power and gas outages, and closed bridges and roadways throughout the region. The severity of impacts, which lingered into early April, resulted in Michigan’s Governor declaring a state of emergency. According to the National Weather Service in Gaylord, Michigan, this storm is the worst icing event to affect northern Michigan since 1922.