As noted by USDA Agricultural Meteorologist Brad Rippey:

Following all of the snow, ice, and rain in February and persistently cold weather through the first two months of the year, March represented a nice transition toward spring. Mountain State monthly temperatures rebounded to near-normal levels, averaging generally from 2 degrees F below normal to 4 degrees F above normal at most major observing stations, despite several cold days during the first half of March and again at month's end. Snow was infrequent until the end of March, even at high elevations, allowing for an orderly melt-down of the previous month's large accumulations. Rain fell sporadically but did not cause any flooding of note. Despite below-normal March precipitation totals, soil moisture shortages were not yet a major concern in West Virginia. Nevertheless, some abnormal dryness crept into West Virginia's northern panhandle by month's end, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The Drought Monitor archives indicate that drought was last observed in West Virginia across eastern parts of the state in October 2002.

In Parkersburg, the monthly precipitation of 0.98 inch represented its lowest March total since only 0.10 inch fell in 1910 and third-lowest March sum on record. It was the fourth-driest March on record in Huntington (1.49 inches) and Beckley (1.45 inches), and the driest March in the latter location since 1921. Charleston (1.78 inches) had its eighth-driest March and driest since 1.30 inches fell in 1987.

Two potent, early-spring cold fronts crossed West Virginia, the first on March 20-21 and the second on March 29. The first brought heavy rain to eastern parts of the state and some large hail to extreme southwestern areas. On the evening of March 20, one-inch hail was reported at Kermit in Mingo County, while 1.25-inch hail fell at Crum in Wayne County. A day after the late-month cold front's passage, the West Virginia (and adjacent) highlands had their most significant snowfall of the month. March 30 totals included 16.5 inches near Davis in Tucker County, as reported by a co-operative observer above Canaan Valley; and 8.1 inches in Blacksburg, Virginia. Some additional mountain accumulations were noted in snow squalls on the last day of March, including another 3.1 inches near Davis.

             Preliminary Station Data, March 2003*
Temperatures (Degrees F), Precipitation (Inches), and Departures from Normal

Station        Avg   Dep   Hi / Lo Temp (Dates)          Pcpn  Dep      % of Nml
Beckley        45.2 +3.1   72 (25th) / 19 (10th)         1.45 -2.18     40
Bluefield      45.4 +0.8   69 (13th) / 20 (31st)         2.25 -1.38     62
Charleston     48.6 +3.3   78 (25th) / 21 (3rd)          1.78 -2.12     46
Elkins         42.6 +2.6   74 (25th) / 12 (4th)          2.38 -1.54     61
Huntington     48.9 +3.0   79 (28th) / 19 (3rd)          1.49 -2.34     39
Martinsburg    42.2 -1.9   75 (25th, 29th) / 13 (3rd)    3.12 -0.39     89
Parkersburg    45.7 +1.7   78 (25th) / 14 (3rd)          0.98 -2.81     26

Nearby Stns    Avg   Dep   Hi / Lo Temp (Dates)          Pcpn  Dep      % of Nml  Snowfall
Pittsburgh, PA 40.9 +1.1   76 (28th) / 4 (3rd)           1.55 -1.62     49        4.1
Blacksburg, VA 45.7 +4.3   73 (13th) / 19 (4th)          3.09 -0.74     81        8.1
Jackson, KY    51.1 +4.0   78 (28th) / 20 (10th)         1.47 -2.91     34        0.2

* Preliminary station data provided by National Weather Service offices in Blacksburg, VA,
Charleston, WV, Pittsburgh, PA, Sterling, VA, and Jackson, KY.