Washington Nature Guide: March 2026
Data updated: August 2026Sources & method · Corrections
March is the great unlocking of the Washington lowlands — Rufous Hummingbirds return, the Skagit's wintering geese and swans grow restless to leave, balsamroot and grass widows light the eastern slopes, and westside gardens shift into full spring planting under softening rain.
Week by week in March
February 26 – March 4
- Red-flowering currant bursts into pink racemes just as returning Rufous Hummingbirds arrive to feed on it in westside woods.
- The first Tree and Violet-green Swallows reappear over the lowland wetlands as spring migration accelerates.
- Bigleaf maple opens its drooping chartreuse flower tassels with the new leaves, drawing the first bees.
March 5–11
- East of the Cascades, grass widows carpet the eastern Columbia Gorge slopes in magenta and the first balsamroot opens its golden sunflowers.
- Sandhill Cranes stage near Othello in the Columbia Basin and the first Sage Thrashers return to the shrub-steppe.
- Plant seed potatoes, onion sets, and bare-root berries on the westside, and sow lettuce, beets, carrots, and chard outdoors.
March 12–18
- Skunk cabbage raises glowing yellow spathes in lowland swamps, and trillium begins to open on the westside forest floor.
- The bright-tipped Sara Orangetip flies on warm Columbia Gorge slopes, among Washington's earliest spring butterflies.
- Nettles, green garlic, and the first forced rhubarb mark the taste of the Northwest spring at westside markets.
March 19–25
- Brant stage along the Salish Sea feeding on eelgrass, and the first Rhinoceros Auklets return to colonies like Protection Island.
- The spring equinox passes; Leo rides high and the Big Dipper's handle arcs to brilliant orange Arcturus in the east.
- Red alder and black cottonwood flush a first green haze over the lowland rivers as the season turns.
March 26 – April 1
- The south Puget prairies near Mima Mounds begin to turn blue with common camas, laced with chocolate lily and shooting star.
- Sow tomatoes, peppers, and basil indoors under lights to transplant after the last frost, and plant rhubarb crowns and asparagus.
- The last wintering Snow Geese and swans drift north from the Skagit as the tulip fields begin to open.
Birds This Month
March is a month of arrivals and departures. The Rufous Hummingbird sweeps north up the coast and into westside gardens, one of spring's first migrants, just as the first Tree and Violet-green Swallows reappear over the lowland wetlands. The wintering Snow Geese and swans still throng the Skagit early in the month but grow restless, staging for the long flight to the Arctic. Bald Eagles are firmly on their nests.
On the Salish Sea, the spectacle is shifting: Brant stage along the shores feeding on eelgrass, and the first Rhinoceros Auklets return to colonies like Protection Island. Resident songbirds are in full song — Pacific and Bewick's Wrens, Spotted Towhees, Song Sparrows, and the buzzy Varied Thrush still calling from damp woods before it climbs to breed. East of the Cascades, Sandhill Cranes stage near Othello and the first Sage Thrashers return to the shrub-steppe.
What's Blooming
March is when Washington's wildflowers truly begin. In westside woods, native red-flowering currant bursts into pink racemes just as the Rufous Hummingbirds arrive to feed on them, Indian plum finishes its white display, and the forest floor greens with trillium beginning to open and the unfurling fronds of sword fern. Skunk cabbage raises its glowing yellow spathes in the lowland swamps.
The most dramatic show is east of the Cascades, where the shrub-steppe ignites: grass widows (Olsynium) carpet the slopes of the eastern Columbia Gorge in magenta, the first balsamroot opens its golden sunflowers, and yellow bells, desert parsley (Lomatium), and spring beauty dot the warming ground. Famous Gorge wildflower trails near Catherine Creek and Dog Mountain begin their season. The mountains, from Rainier to the Olympics, remain deep in snow.
Garden This Month
March is full-throttle spring planting on the westside. As soon as the soil is workable, direct-sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, beets, carrots, chard, and arugula, plant seed potatoes, onion sets, shallots, and garlic, and set out cold-hardy brassica starts under cover. Plant bare-root and container fruit trees, blueberries, raspberries, and rhubarb crowns now while they establish in cool, moist soil — the Northwest's ideal planting window.
Indoors and in the greenhouse, sow tomatoes, peppers, and basil to transplant after the last frost. Prune red-flowering currant, forsythia, and other early shrubs once they finish blooming, and divide summer perennials. East of the Cascades, the Columbia Basin soil is finally thawing — begin the earliest cool-season sowing late this month, but keep frost cloth handy, as hard freezes still reach the eastern valleys.
Zone 6a (Cascade foothills & eastern slopes): snow is leaving and the soil is thawing. Start the cool-season indoors-to-out transition cautiously, sow peas and spinach late in the month, and harden seedlings against still-cold nights.
Zone 7b (Puget lowland & coastal valleys): prime spring planting. Sow peas, lettuce, spinach, radishes, beets, and chard outdoors, plant seed potatoes and onion sets, and set out hardened-off brassica starts. Prune spring-flowering shrubs after they finish.
Zone 8a (Puget Sound shore & San Juan Islands): the mildest gardens are weeks ahead — direct-sow a full range of cool crops and even start earliest carrots. Watch for surprise late frosts on clear nights and protect tender new growth.
What's at the Farmers Market
March markets bridge winter storage and the first green of spring. Washington apples and pears from storage are still excellent — Cosmic Crisp and Pink Lady hold their crunch — alongside the last storage potatoes, carrots, beets, and winter squash. The first forced rhubarb, overwintered leeks, green garlic, and nettles begin to appear at westside markets, the true taste of the Northwest spring.
The Salish Sea still yields cold-water Pacific oysters and the tail of the Dungeness crab season, and spring spot prawns and razor clam digs on the coast draw crowds when openings allow. Hoop-house spinach, kale, and salad mix are abundant. Choose firm storage apples, keep shellfish iced and tightly closed, and look for bright, firm rhubarb stalks — store them refrigerated, wrapped, and use the tender forced stems quickly.
Night Sky This Month
March, with the spring equinox and lengthening clear spells, gives good viewing across Washington. The dark-sky destinations remain east of the Cascades — Goldendale Observatory State Park above the Columbia Gorge, Sun Lakes–Dry Falls in the coulee country, and the Methow Valley — where the high desert air is dry and the horizons wide. Westside viewers catch crisp nights between storms over the Olympics and Cascades.
The sky is in transition: brilliant Orion and the Winter Hexagon sink in the west after dusk while Leo, Virgo, and the rising spring constellations climb in the east, opening the season of distant galaxies for telescope owners. There is no major meteor shower in March. For this year's exact planet positions and aurora outlook for your region of Washington, consult the printable Washington night-sky guide.
Butterflies & Pollinators
March puts Washington's first true spring butterflies on the wing. East of the Cascades, the warm slopes of the Columbia Gorge and Yakima canyon come alive earliest — the bright-tipped Sara Orangetip appears, along with Spring Azure, Sage and Brown Elfins, and the season's first Anise Swallowtails patrolling the hilltops and balds.
In the milder Puget lowland, overwintered Mourning Cloaks and California Tortoiseshells are now reliably out on sunny days, and the first Spring Azures and Cabbage Whites flicker through gardens and woodland edges late in the month. Caterpillars are stirring too — fritillary larvae begin feeding on violets and the first generation of azure and elfin larvae works the early blooms. The high country stays under snow, its butterflies still months from emergence on the subalpine meadows.
What to plant for them is in the Washington native plants guide
Trees This Month
March greens the Washington lowlands. Bigleaf maple opens its drooping chartreuse flower tassels with the new leaves, drawing early bees, and the understory vine maple and red-osier dogwood leaf out along the streams. Red alder and black cottonwood flush their first green haze over the rivers, and the native Pacific willow and Scouler's willow are bright with catkins feeding the returning hummingbirds and bees.
The conifers — Douglas-fir, western redcedar, western hemlock, and coastal Sitka spruce — anchor the forest as always, while the broadleaf Pacific madrone holds its glossy leaves on the bluffs. The flowering Indian plum has already leafed fully. East of the Cascades, the ponderosa pine warms its orange bark in the strengthening sun, and the riverside cottonwoods and quaking aspens begin to break bud over the greening shrub-steppe.
The Washington native plants guide covers what grows with them
Weather & Daylight
Across Washington, a typical March day averages a high near 49°F and a low near 31°F, with about 4.6 inches of precipitation — statewide averages from the 1991–2020 U.S. climate normals.
Mild afternoons near 49F fight cool mornings in the low 30s, with steady rain making the season feel slow to warm.
| Average high | 49°F |
|---|---|
| Average low | 31°F |
| Precipitation | 4.6 in |
| Sunrise (mid-month) | 7:19 PT |
| Sunset (mid-month) | 19:09 PT |
Figures are statewide averages over the 1991–2020 U.S. climate normals; local conditions vary with elevation and distance from the coast. Sunrise and sunset are computed for a midstate point on the 15th (PT).
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One short note when Washington's next month turns — what's arriving, blooming, and worth a night outside.
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Same month elsewhere: March in West Virginia · March in Wisconsin · March in Wyoming