February 2025 marked one of if not the best month of snow and ski conditions for the East. Consistent cold air and favorable light snow events increased the season snow totals and brought great snow conditions for East Coast standards. New England saw the coldest temperatures and best snow, with lake effect snow in New York bringing the heaviest snow.

In March, we will see warmer temperatures as spring gets closer and snow starts to melt for many locations. Temperatures will see equal chances of being above or below normal, except for areas south of West Virginia and Virginia with a 30-50% chance of being above normal. The precipitation forecast in March will see a favorable storm track bringing above-normal precipitation (30-60% chance) to areas near the Great Lakes and in northern New England.

Read on to learn more about the weather in February and the March forecast.

February 2025 Review:

It has been another active month of weather across the Eastern US with season snow totals adding up and many areas getting over the 100-inch mark if not more! The weather pattern saw consistent northwest and westerly flow that favored upslope snow showers and lake effect snow.

Lake effect snow was the star of February with significant snow totals east of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario in the snow belts. This gave some areas 4-6+ feet of snow just within a couple of days! 

New England saw consistent storms bring widespread snow that was associated with cold air. This brought high snow ratios and made the snow fluffy for great snowpack conditions several weeks early in February.

Check out the OpenSnow season snow depth map from October 2024 through February 2025 and a look at the current snow depth on the ground as of March 1, 2025.

Temperatures during February were split across the East. Most of the Northeast and especially New England saw below-normal temperatures. Areas in the Mid-Atlantic and especially south of the MD-PA border saw above-normal temperatures.

The cold air and great snow conditions in New England were associated with normal to above-normal precipitation. This allowed many resorts to move into the 'average' of near-average snowfall for the winter thus far. The Mid-Atlantic saw normal to above-normal precipitation with a narrow area north of the North Carolina border seeing 3-7+ inches above normal!

March 2025 Outlook:

In March, the weather pattern will continue to favor northwest-to-west flow that will bring equal chances of above or below-normal temperatures. The exception will be for areas south of West Virginia and Virginia with a 30-50% chance of above-normal temperatures.

The temperature forecast in March will bring spring conditions and the end of the ski season for many locations in the Mid-Atlantic. The higher terrain should see light snow with this forecast and New England will still see colder air and snow with 'normal' temperatures.

The precipitation outlook in March forecasts a 30-60% chance of above-normal precipitation across the Great Lakes and northern New England. This will favor above-normal snowfall for the higher terrain and maybe bring late-season lake effect snow.

The lake effect snow season starts to end in March due to a warmer atmosphere, but can still occur if there is cold enough air. There is a higher favorability for snow squall events in March.

 

Stay posted on the Mid-Atlantic and New England Daily Snows in March. Zach and Jay will provide you with the latest information on weather, snow, and slope conditions! 

Thanks for reading, I will have the next monthly review at the start of April.

Zach Butler