Capital Weather Gang
We declare winter over. Spring has arrived, unambiguously.

By Jason Samenow
Editor and writer covering weather and climate

March 27 at 12:18 PM

Spring has awakened. Magnolias are in full bloom, and Washington’s cherry blossoms peak in just a few days. ... Winter is dead, and there’s no turning back.

There are no intense or prolonged cold spells in the forecast or any real prospect of accumulating snow, so we officially declare that cold, dark season over.

Of course, by the calendar definition, winter ended a week ago, or by the meteorological definition, on March 1. But the season had a few more tricks up its sleeves. Friday, we had that bizarre graupel storm, and chilly conditions returned early this week. Wednesday morning, many spots away from the city dropped into the 20s.

But check out the forecast for the next 15 days from the European modeling system (below). It shows no more days with highs below 50 degrees, and most of the time we hit the 60s or higher.

{snip}

Jason Samenow is The Washington Post’s weather editor and Capital Weather Gang's chief meteorologist. He earned a master's degree in atmospheric science and spent 10 years as a climate change science analyst for the U.S. government. He holds the Digital Seal of Approval from the National Weather Association. Follow https://twitter.com/capitalweather