Spring 2017 Temperature Outlook: Warmth to Persist in the South

Linda Lam
Published: January 20,2017
Spring 2017 will likely see a continuation of warmth seen so far this winter warmer for portions of the South, according to an outlook released by The Weather Company, an IBM Business.
Current indications are that the best chance for warmer-than-average temperatures from March through May will be found from southeastern Arizona through the southern Plains eastward into Alabama.

March - May 2017 temperature outlook. Areas not shaded have an equal chance of above- or below-average temperatures.
(The Weather Company, an IBM Business)

La Niña has played a significant role in temperatures over the last few months but is expected to end and transition to ENSO-neutral conditions by this spring. How the atmosphere responds to this transition will be an important factor in temperatures across the contiguous U.S.
(MAPS: Average High and Low Temperatures)
"The pressing question is how long the La Niña background state will last; if it persists into spring, the general warmth will likely continue, but a quick reversal may mean cooler risks," said Dr. Todd Crawford, chief meteorologist with The Weather Company.
When factoring in the temperatures experienced so far this winter and climate model forecasts, the most likely outcome for spring appears to be cool conditions in the North, while the southern tier experiences warmer-than-average temperatures.
(MAPS: 10-Day Forecast)

March

• Warmer-than-average temperatures are likely from South Carolina and Florida westward into southeastern Arizona and northward into Kansas and Missouri.
• Below-average temperatures are expected in parts of the Pacific Northwest.
• Areas from California into the Rockies, upper Midwest and Northeast have an equal chance of seeing above- and below-average temperatures.

March 2017 temperature outlook. Areas not shaded have an equal chance of above- or below-average temperatures.
(The Weather Company, an IBM Business)

April

• Above-average temperatures will persist in the southern Plains and into the lower Mississippi Valley.
• The best chance of colder-than-average conditions will be in far northwestern Washington.
• Otherwise, much of the West, Midwest and East will have an equal chance of below- or above-average conditions.

April 2017 temperature outlook. Areas not shaded have an equal chance of above- or below-average temperatures.
(The Weather Company, an IBM Business)

May

• Most of the U.S., from the West Coast into the northern and central Plains eastward to the Midwest and East, will once again have an equal chance of warmer- or colder-than-average temperatures.
• Warmer-than-average temperatures are most likely across the southern tier from Arizona through Texas and into southwestern Alabama.

May 2017 temperature outlook. Areas not shaded have an equal chance of above- or below-average temperatures.
(The Weather Company, an IBM Business)

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