All bets are off for forecasters in the unpredictable month of March

“March: many weathers”. When it came to forecasting the weather for this month, our ancestors certainly knew how to hedge their bets.
Perhaps they had a point. For March can be one of the most variable and unpredictable months of the whole year, weatherwise.
We can experience freezing conditions (as in 1962, 1963 and in the very cold March of 2013), or warm, spring-like weather, as we saw in 2014, when the contrast with 12 months earlier could hardly have been greater.
We know to expect March winds – especially at the beginning of the month – for as the old saying goes: “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb”.
But frost and fog are also frequent, as are regular falls of snow, especially in northern Britain.
Our ancestors welcomed thunder in March, as it is supposed to lead to a fruitful harvest. At least that’s the opinion of the Germans.
However, the French and Portuguese beg to differ, suggesting that thunder will only bring sorrow for the rest of the year. One saying is especially relevant now that we are experiencing earlier and earlier springs.
“March flowers make no summer bowers” points out that the earlier the flowering season, the fewer flowers will appear later in the summer.
In fact the two are not necessarily connected, as what happens between now and July or August will have a far greater effect than the weather of this particular month.