If you live in Southeast Michigan, you already know March is a “two seasons in one month” kind of deal. One week can feel like spring, and the next week can bring back winter boots.
First, let’s set the baseline. In the Detroit area (using Detroit Metro Airport climate normals), a typical March averages a high near 46°F and a low near 29°F, with about 2.43 inches of total precipitation. We also average about six inches of snow during March, so snow is still very much on the table.
Outlook
Now the outlook.
The latest official 30-day outlook from the NOAA Climate Prediction Center (CPC) for March 2026 calls for a more progressive, Pacific-influenced weather pattern heading into early and mid-March.
This setup tends to favor milder air across much of the country.
Temperature (March 2026)
CPC’s discussion supports above-normal temperatures for much of the central U.S. into the Ohio Valley, while the far Northeast is closer to “equal chances.”
Southeast Michigan sits close to that transition zone, so I’d describe this as a small lean toward a milder-than-average March, not a guaranteed warm month.
Precipitation (March 2026)
This is where the signal is clearer: CPC highlights favored above-normal precipitation in the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley.
For us, that means the odds lean toward a wetter-than-normal March total.
Whether that falls as rain or snow will depend on the week (and sometimes the day).
One important reminder: these outlooks are probabilities compared to the 1991–2020 “normal” period—they don’t tell you exactly how many storms you’ll get or what happens on any single day.
Which means we could still get snow, followed by 60’s a few days later. Sounds like spring in Michigan.