Hard to believe its the last day of March. I never know what to expect this time of year other than to expect there to be some interesting weather. Typically there is a lot of snow in March in Rocky Mountain National Park but last year that was not the case. We also tend to see a few days that are more summer/spring like than winter like. The kind of days that get you excited for the summer season which is quickly nearing.
March 2021 in RMNP will be remembered as a month which was a great improvement from March 2020. For one, we saw a lot more moisture and snow in March 2021 in Rocky than we did in 2020, but also for the fact that Rocky Mountain National Park was closed for much of March 2020 due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
So overall March 2021 was a pretty good month in Rocky. Lots of moisture, a handful of good snowstorms and some pretty good conditions for landscape photographers to work in. If I have any thing to complain about wrapping up this month, its that the exit timing of many of the March storms was a little off in that sunrise was often obscured or blocked by clouds when the most dramatic light would have occurred.
On a positive note, many of the March storms saw the clearing occur shortly after sunrise and allowing for decent light, combined with still interesting atmospherics to photograph the snow covered landscape of Rocky Mountain National Park in. As your typical obsessed landscape photographer, I can always find one small issue here and there with the light, timing, amount of snow that I would liked to have seen occur differently but as my wife tells me, I cant get frustrated about things I have not control over.
It was a good month. March 2021 has me exited for April which also typically offers lots of opportunities to photograph more snowy landscapes in what is usually more moderate winter conditions. Some of our first wildflowers should also be sprouting under the base of Ponderosa trees soon (Pasque Flowers). Streams and even some of the lakes may start to see ice off as well in areas where the water is moving. Lots of dynamism to come from RMNP in the next month and as we hurdle towards summer its easy to stay motivated and excited for next visit to Rocky.