Favourite Marches

[baddie]

Hello. This is a forum to discuss your favourite (or least favourite) Marches. There were already threads for November, January and February


My judgement by using rankings on each year going back to 2001

2023 : 2/10 (Only because of the snow on the 9th)
2022 : 9/10 (One of my sunniest on record, and there were stunning sunsets during the warm spell)
2021 : 6/10 (The warm shot at the end was nice, but it was otherwise a dull month)
2020 : 7/10
2019 : 6/10 (Very wet first half, but sunshine was in good supply throughout)
2018 : 3/10 (Would have been a 1 if it wasnt for the two BFTEs)
2017 : 7/10
2016 : 5/10 (Maybe more sunshine and warmth during the dry spell would have been nice)
2015 : 6/10
2014 : 8/10 (I wish it didnt rain on my birthday, but a very nice month)
2013 : 2/10 (I dont appreciate cold and snow after the equinox, and it was horribly dull and windy too)
2012 : 10/10 (The last third was unforgettable, and even the first 20 days were nice)
2011 : 7/10
2010 : 6/10 (First half was cold and sunny, but the second half was dull and wet again)
2009 : 7/10 (Good spring sunshine, but if only it didnt rain on my birthday)
2008 : 4/10 (Complete borefest after a brilliant February. DIdnt feel very springlike)
2007 : 7/10
2006 : 2/10 (Most of the sunshine was right at the start, then a cold, grey abomination for two weeks followed by a washout at the end)
2005 : 3/10 (A drier version of March 2023, and it was actually even duller than March 2023)
2004 : 4/10 (Dont remember much, but it looked dull and changeable according to stats)
2003 : 8/10
2002 : 5/10 (only saved by the warm and sunny final week)
2001 : 2/10 (A similar procedure to March 2006, but the Easterlies were later on)

My top 5 favourites are : 2012, 2022, 2014, 2003 and 2020???
My top 5 worst are : 2023, 2013, 2006, 2001 and 2018 (They are all Easterly months too)

Edited February 15 by baddie

[damianslaw]

I struggle with March, its not a month I hold fondly weather wise, a transistional month that can show many sides, not as many as April mind!

2012 and 2013 two that spring to mind as most extreme Marches Ive experienced. 2012 abnormal warmth, 2013 an unusual long cold one, the depth of cold by months end, exceptional for so late in the season.

1996, 2001, 2006 and 2018 all brought notable cold and snow.

I quite like mixed Marches, cold and wintry starts becoming mild and sunny by months end. Last March was good in this respect.

[lassie23]

The marches against the atomic bomb were my favourite marches.

[MP-R]

Assuming winter has behaved, I like mixed marches too. Cold ones are depressing but warm dry ones aren’t normally good news for summer. A blend of 04 and 05 would suit.

Otherwise, a March 22 or 03 would do just fine.

[Weather Enthusiast91]

2012. 

A sunny month with some cool or mild days and chilly nights during the first half, followed by spring warmth along with more chilly nights from around the equinox onwards. The perfect March in my book.

The first 3 months of that year were actually decent for seasonal weather, pity that it all went pear shaped from April onwards.

Edited February 15 by Weather Enthusiast91

[Notty]

My favourite is the RAF March.

 

[Metwatch]

Usually i'd prefer March to be sunny and dry which would be most welcome after a dull wet winter, but I wouldn't mind snow if it properly delivers like 2018, then a warmup follows through later spring.

For settled and sunny conditions which is most preferred, hands down March 2022. March 2012 would be another but I remember pretty much nothing from that month.

For the last wintry episodes of the cold season, it would be March 2013 and 2018, especially 2018 as there was a warm up from mid April.

For a good mix of snowfall and convection, March 2023 was decent for that with a surprise overhead t-storm on the 22nd, but otherwise i don't like unsettled Marches.

 

Edited February 16 by Metwatch

[Harry233]

March 2022 - Stunning spell of warm, sunny weather from the 19th-27th every day during this period had a maximum of above 16.C. The month did have quite an unsettled start but it equally had some amazing weather. The month also had some notably cold nights which made it even more pleasant.

March 2012 - Exceptionally warm and dry the mean maximum temperature was 13.3.C which is 4.C above average, even more interesting was the maximum temperatures were 9.C warmer than March 2013. Unlike 2022 though there wasn’t much interesting weather other than that glorious heatwave between the 25th-30th, with a record March maximum being set at 21.7.C for me on the 27th. The month was just very mild, dry and sunny throughout with very little rain, wind, snow or frosts.

March 2010 - A good mix of alternating cold and warm spells, notable cold snap at the end of the month with heavy snow.

March 2009 - Not a March with any extremes but it was generally very pleasant and mild throughout.

March 2003 - Similar to March 2012 but not any extreme heat, think the highest I recorded that month was about 17.C. 

 

[Weather Enthusiast91]

If we can't have a March 2012 redux, then a March with April 2021 synoptics would be good.

[Daniel*]

2018 of course for the novelty factor I'm not looking for warm weather in March. Plenty of time for that.

[baddie]

 Weather Enthusiast91 March 2003 or 2022 would be lovely. I would happily accept a March 2020 as well (without the lockdown)

Edited February 16 by baddie

[Frigid]

2023: 5/10 First half was alright, didn't get any snowfall but was quite cold at times. Second half was a bore fest.

2022: 6/10 Sunny for the most part, the cold spell at the end was great. Flurries and frosts.

2021: 3/10 Gloomy and repetitive. The warmth at the end was interesting however. 

2020: 6/10 Sunny, anticyclonic for the most part

2019: 5/10 Quite chilly at times, with a few flurries in the first half. 

2018: 9/10 Excellent month, featuring the BFTE and it's little brother. 

2017: 1/10 The literal opposite of 2018

2016: 7/10 Great snowfall on the 4th, reaching 10cm in some parts. Heaviest snowfall ever since.

2015: 6/10 Anticyclonic and cool. Decent month

2014: 4/10 Can't remember much.

2013: 10/10 The bees knees of March's. What a spectacular month that was.

2012: 2/10 The literal opposite of 2013

2011: 4/10 Can't remember much

2010: 7/10 Cold spell at the start of the month, can't recall much afterwards. 

Don't care for warmth in March, for me it's all about cold.. like for some, how September is for warmth. Some of the best March spells I can remember are in 2010, 2013, 2016, 2018 and the final days of March 2022 where we saw a late snowfall.

[raz.org.rain]

2020 by far has to be one of the best ones, simply phenomenal month. It's just a shame it happened at the same time as lockdown did. 

[MP-R]

 raz.org.rain you mean for the springlike lockdown part or the storminess?

For a variety, I’d probably go for a 2020 too.

[BruenSryan]

2022 by far. One of my favourite months. So many fine sunny days to get out and enjoy life. Says a lot that March 2022 was sunnier than any summer month here since June 2018 at the time - August 2022 and June 2023 have been sunnier since. 

Smashed any previous March sun record and I doubt I'll see anything like it again. Outside of Jersey, I believe Dublin was the sunniest place in the British Isles that month too - a rarity.

2022 203.1 hrs

2003 172.2 hrs

1955 171.7 hrs

1982 169.4 hrs

2011 162.9 hrs

Before that, 2011 was my favourite March and it holds up with the sun stats. I was too young to know about 2003 but would have loved that too. 2012 had a stupendous final week and was the best period of March weather out of any but the rest of it was a bit "meh" here and second week was very cloudy. 

This pic in the park on the 1st day sums up how the month would go on. I've never done as many steps in a month as March 2022. A lot of fantastic walks in the seemingly endless sunshine.

Edited February 17 by BruenSryan

[damianslaw]

Thinking of cold Marches, 2006 was on course to be one of the coldest of 20th century, but it turned exceptionally mild in the last week.

It featured alot of cold anticyclonic weather, cold northerlies and easterlies with one of our biggest snowfalls last 30 years on the 12th.

It was very similiar to 1996 and more so 2001 in many ways.  Interesting to note the 3-5 year cold March timescales...96, 01, 06, 10 (not especially so), 13 and 18.. but we skipped in 2023.. perhaps 2024? 

Edited February 17 by damianslaw

[baddie]

 damianslaw I would have loved March 2006s first week, but the rest.... hideous. The best March would be the first week of March 2006 then the rest of March 2022

 

[SummerShower]

My favourite March would be 1st week of 1995, 2nd week of 2014, 3rd week of 2009, 4th week of 2012, then 29th to 31st 2021.

[A Winter's Tale]

March 2006 was memorable for a remarkable snowfall on the 12th which was one of the largest snowfalls I’ve experienced. I didn’t get to measure it however at Bishopton the depth was 22cm - the highest snow depth in the Glasgow area since Dec 2000. The snow cover didn’t last long as milder Atlantic air arrived. The month as a whole was pretty cold - especially the first half. 

I don’t have too many memories of Mar 2010 though I remember experiencing thundersnow for the first when driving near Fintry where a lot of snow had fallen at the end of the month. I can remember snow cover lasting into April on the Campsie Fells after a long, cold winter. 

March 2012 was a very mild and dry month with an exceptional spell of early warmth around the 25th-28th with 20C recorded at Glasgow airport on the 26th and 27th. 

March 2013 was a truly extraordinary month. The only days when maxima exceeded 10C were the first two days which was the last of a very fine settled spell at the end of February. Around a third of the way from the month it turned colder with snow showers arriving from the east and a depth of 2cm on the 10th. A very low temperature of -8C was recorded at Glasgow airport on 12th. This was followed by 16 consecutive days of maxima no higher than 6C from the 16th to 31st. A maximum of 1C on the 23rd was the coldest since 1980. It was a very snow period was snow falling on 13 out of 14 days from the 17th-30th. Despite this there was snow cover on only 5 days in that period with depths no greater than inch (which melted after sunrise). An inch of snow on the morning of the 28th remains the latest date I’ve recorded lying snow. The overall mean temperature at Glasgow airport was 2.6C (0.9C lower than the second coldest since 1973). With most of the cold weather occurring  after mid month it was a reminder of how winter can make its presence felt so late in the season. 

I quite liked March 2015 which was quite mixed with some sunshine, showers and was quite chilly at times. On the 3rd snow showers from the west brought 4cm. 

2018 is best remembered for the Beast from the east. Most of the snow fell on the 28th Feb but the depth on the morning of 1st March was 26cm - the highest depth I recorded since I started in 2010. December 2010 was the last time I recorded a similar depth. 26cm is possibly an underestimate and Bishopton recorded 46cm. The snow was very powdery and the drifts were the most impressive I’ve experienced here. The maximum temperature on the 1st was 0C at Glasgow airport - the coldest for March in over 50 years of records. Despite the low temperatures the snow melted in the sunlight which resulted in icicles. It took around a day for traffic to return on some of the main roads. The first few days were quite cloudy with some light snow in the easterly wind. The first 4 days had maxima no higher than 2c and by the 4th the depth was 17cm - the 5th day with a depth of at least 6 inches. The snow cover was largely gone by the 6th with the arrival of less cold weather though it remained chilly throughout the rest of the month. I remember some nice spells of chilly and bright early Spring conditions. On the 18th cold and snow from the east returned with a fall of 5cm. This is the latest I’ve recorded a 2 inch snowfall (2017/18 was also the only time I’ve recorded 2 inch falls in December, January, February and March). 

 

March 2022 was a very fine month with a lot of sunshine. The nights were quite cold with plenty of frosts and a low of -7C on the 7th. The 19th-28th saw notable maximum temperatures reminiscent of 2012. 17C was recorded on the 19th, 15C+ recorded 22nd to 28th with a high of 19C on the 23rd. It turned colder at the end of the month with some snow.

[Summer18]

March 2018 just for how exceptional the Beast From The East was, I’ve never felt a wind as cold as that before with full on white out conditions. It had a decent variety that month in general.

I loved the warm spell in 2012 so that’s up there too.

2013 was remarkable but the cold and greyness outstayed its welcome by the end. The landscape was a barren winter wasteland well into April. Still it was an astonishing month with lots and lots of snow. 

[Weather Enthusiast91]

A first half of March 2018 followed by a second half of March 2012 would be good.

[A Face like Thunder]

Best - 2003 and 2020, both dry and sunny. 

Worst - 2008 and 2013, both with early and cold Easters, plus the start of March 2018 with The Beast from the East. 

[alexisj9]

That's not a good question to ask me, got a head full of music, rather than weather.

[cheeky_monkey]

March can do one as far as I'm concerned....its only redeeming factor is that is not January or February 

[Norrance]

Marches 1968, 1969 and 1970 were three good ones in a row.

Edited February 22 by Norrance