Spring Fever: Area Enjoying a Mild Winter

March is rolling in like a lamb with unseasonably warm weather encompassing the area this week.

Although the Pittsburgh area has received normal amounts of snowfall this winter, the white stuff isn’t sticking around very long. That’s because the average temperatures are much warmer than usual, and they don’t appear to be changing any time soon.

“I think the big thing is that temperatures have been well above the normal,” said Dennis Sims, a meteorologist at . “Any snow that has fallen has melted very fast. Look at Sunday and how it kept snowing and melting.”

The year’s snowfall measured at the airport is about 37 inches, and that compares closely to previous years. However, the average temperature from November to February was about 4.5 degrees warmer than the normal average of 33.7 degrees during that time span, Sims said.

Many people were out enjoying the nice weather Wednesday with afternoon strolls or playing with their children at the parks. The temperatures stayed in the mid-50s Thursday, although it was rainy. The temperatures will top out in the low 60s Sunday.

Sims predicted that “March is going to be a very mild month” even if a few flurries might spring up. He said this year isn’t unusual, pointing to previous winters in the mid-2000s that didn’t bring a lot of snow.

“As far as it being cycling, you’ll get several winters in a row when it’s snowy and cold and then several in a row when it’s not,” Sims said.