JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit - this is how my 3rd-grade teacher started every new month. Now, while I don’t remember the why, I looked it up: “Rabbit rabbit rabbit” (or “rabbit rabbit”) is a superstition from the UK and North America where you say the phrase first thing in the morning on the first day of the month to bring yourself good luck for the next 30 days.
This seems appropriate for the beginning of March since we also have St. Patrick’s Day on March 17: “The Luck of the Irish”, which celebrates good fortune, often symbolized by leprechauns, pots of gold, and four-leaf clovers.
What does this have to do with the weather forecast? March often is a transition period from winter to spring. More hours of sunshine, warmer temperatures, and the return of pollen are all indicators that winter might be behind us.
This week, we’ll see all of that, including close to record highs by the end of the week.
Today, after a cloudy Saturday, foggy conditions to start. Once those low clouds burn off, we’ll be left with mostly sunny skies, zero rain, northeasterly winds 5-15 mph. Temperatures will climb above the normal range into the mid-70s inland and the mid-to-upper 60s along the coast.
The week ahead has temperatures climbing into the lower 80s, which could be close to record-tying highs.
And, if we believe in luck, perhaps we’ll start to see a change in our dry pattern and receive some significant rain. The next chance of rain is coming later in the week.