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W on 2/15/2017 3:25:36 PM:
We are coming about 4 hours north from Iowa and was wondering what the weather/temps are like on the trail in March? Just wondering if it would be to cold, below 50 degrees. I admit I am a fair weather rider. Imagine April or September would be the best times to ride?

Also, we are trying to decide where to stay. If you wanted to ride on the more scenic part of the trail, which city would you stay at, St. Charles or Jefferson City. Any info you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

 
Ray (webmaster) on 2/15/2017 3:41:17 PM:
That's a tough question - March weather in MO can vary a lot. About the only way to predict March weather is to wait until a few days before your trip and check the 10-day forecast. :-)

IN GENERAL, early March tends to be wintery and late March tends to feel like spring. I usually think of St Pat's Day as the unofficial start of spring. But we often have mild weather in early March, and we've had freezing temperatures in late March (not often but it can happen).

So far this year, February has been very mild, with temperatures reaching the 60's and even 70's on a weekly basis, but then swinging back to cold. But overall it's been an unusually warm, mild winter. Hopefully the trend will hold through to spring.

I wish I could give a more precise answer, but that's Missouri weather for you.

 
Allen from Shawnee on 2/15/2017 4:01:24 PM:
There is no predicting March weather except for a few days ahead. One thing to keep in mind is the water at the trailheads isn't generally turned on before April 1. It's the same for most campsites also. I am anxious to ride again this year as always but will wait until April because i camp.

Allen

 
Anonymous on 2/15/2017 4:04:26 PM:
I too am a fair weather rider. That makes March too iffy for me. It's not worth a four hour drive to be uncomfortable or borderline miserable. For the most scenic part of the trail, as for lodging, I'd choose Rocheport, Hartsburg, and Hermann.

 
Allen from Shawnee on 2/15/2017 4:10:15 PM:
In regards to the most scenic parts of the trail, most people consider the part just east of Rocheport to be one of the most scenic, because of the high bluffs right along the trail which is next to the river at this point. I like the trail from Mokane to Blufton, again there are some high bluffs here. Most of the trail is very scenic. For me the least scenic is between Clinton and Sedalia, others may feel differently about this.

Allen

 
Bulldog on 2/15/2017 4:18:55 PM:
April is my favorite time because:
- usually warm, but not hot (can be chilly in the morning tho)
- the bugs haven't come out yet
- restrooms are all open
- not crowded
- trees have leaves but you can still kinda see through them

Sure there could be April showers, but May and June can be rainy too.

 
Dave from Kirkwood on 2/16/2017 8:39:20 AM:
As other have stated, March weather here can be quite variable. On average, high temps are around 50 in early March, and up to 60 by April 1.

This winter has been unusually warm, aside from a couple cold snaps earlier. We went biking this past weekend when it was 70 (in early Feb!). We even had a problem with mosquitoes at a rest stop.





 
Jim from St Thomas on 2/16/2017 3:36:48 PM:
Unless your schedule forces you to do a March ride, I would wait until at least mid-April. No guarantees about the weather no matter when you ride but you stand a pretty good chance of hitting a cold spell in March.