MISTY BOLLONE, LEFT, and Kathy Bollone of H&R Block in downtown Iron Mountain shovel their sidewalks after this morning’s snowfall. Both Dickinson and Iron counties were under a winter weather advisory until midnight Friday, with total snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches expected, according to the National Weather Service office in Marquette. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN — Temperatures are expected to soar into the 40s Saturday and the 50s Sunday as forecasters expect a fairly mild March across the Upper Peninsula.

“There will still be some cold shots from time to time, but without any blocking, these colder air masses will be mostly brief as they move in and out fairly quickly,” AccuWeather meteorologist Brett Anderson said.

The National Weather Service calls for a 60% chance of above-normal temperatures in the region through March, and just a 6% chance of below-normal. Precipitation trends are neutral.

“I suspect we may see an early greening across the Midwest and Northeast this spring, perhaps one to as much as two weeks earlier than normal,” Anderson said.

Spring arrives this year at 10:50 p.m. March 19, which is the earliest since 1896 — mainly because it’s a leap year in a century that began with a leap year. Going forward this century, there will be another slightly earlier start to spring every four years.

If the promises of a mild March hold true, it will mark the fourth straight month of above-average temperatures for the Iron Mountain-Kingsford area. Readings in February averaged 19.4 degrees, which was 3 degrees above normal. Temperatures in January were 7 degrees above average, while December’s readings were a fraction above normal.

The highest temperature last month was 53 degrees Feb. 24 and the lowest was minus-12 on Feb. 20. The month had 13 days with high temperatures of 33 degrees or warmer, according to observations at the

Iron Mountain-Kingsford Wastewater Treatment Plant. Overnight lows dipped below zero on eight occasions.

Preliminary data shows 6 inches of snowfall for the month, which was 5 inches below normal and far below the record 43.7 inches that fell in February 2019. The highest snow depth was 21 inches Feb. 10.

Before today’s snow, the Iron Mountain-Kingsford snowfall total since November was 62 inches — right at the average for a season — but with more likely to come.

A long-range forecast from the Climate Prediction Center calls for a 40% chance of above-normal temperatures in the U.P. through May, and a 26% chance of below normal. Precipitation, however, might be heavier than normal.

“Clearly, there will be very little ice on the Great Lakes this month, which will greatly reduce the risk of dangerous ice pileups along the shores this spring,” AccuWeather’s Anderson said. “Unfortunately for those who live right along the lakeshores, there will continue to be a risk of significant flooding through the spring as lake water levels will likely remain abnormally high.”

The U.S. Drought Monitor shows no areas of concern across the entire Midwest.