March snowstorms are not unusual for New Jersey

The phrase, "March comes in like a lion," exists for a reason. Snow events like today's storm are not a rare occurrence for the Garden State.

According to the state climatologist, New Jersey averages 4 to 5 inches of snow during the month of March.

"Last March, for instance, Cape May had 21 inches of snow," said Dr. David Robinson at Rutgers, noting the northern section of the state had hardly any snowfall during the same time period.

More snow dropped in Atlantic City during March 2014 than it did during the entire 2014-2015 winter.

"March snows are not unusual," Robinson added. "We're not out of the woods for major winter storms."

In fact, some of the state's most historical winter events occurred in the month of March.

The blizzard of 1888, considered the worst to ever hit the eastern United States, brought the area to its knees. Snow drifts from the Mar. 11-13 storm reportedly reached the second-story windows of buildings and covered entire houses.

More recently, the Superstorm of 1993, also known as the Storm of the Century, dropped more than a foot of snow and ice on New Jersey in the middle of March.

Robinson said the average temperatures in March change drastically between the first of the month and the 31st, but Mother Nature does not always cooperate with climate patterns.