March Skies in Lucca
The first half of March is an unpredictable time here in Tuscany. Sometimes it feels like just another few very long weeks of winter. It roars in like the proverbial lion with wind, rain, thunder, and cold.
Early March is when the Magnolias bloom along Corso Garibaldi in Lucca. March 1, 2025
Clear blue skies over the old Mercato and the Torre Guinigi, March 2, 2025
Other years March arrives more gently, with mild temperatures and sunny skies. The Magnolias, which bloom in early March in sun or in showers, provide a bit of a spring tease.
Above all, early March is fickle. A couple of lovely days, just enough to make you believe spring has arrived, followed by a quick return to cold and wet weather.
This year, it seemed like someone flipped a switch on the first day of the month. Where February had been especially cold, gloomy, and wet, March 1st brought several days of blue skies and gorgeous weather.
Heading towards the Torre delle Ore, Lucca’s historic clock tower. March 10, 2025
The weather changed again the second week of March. By Friday March 14th Tuscany was under a weather alert that brought winds and rain, enough to cancel schools for the day.
Clouds building over Lucca’s historic walls, March 11
March 14th, cloudy and rainy in Lucca with high water levels and local flooding along the Arno from Pisa to Florence.
Gathering clouds over Piazza San Francesco, March 11
Sadly, by that evening the Arno (which runs through Pisa and Florence) was at dangerously high levels with some areas of flooding.
I’ve spent a lot of time watching the skies over Lucca these past two weeks. From bright blue to partly cloudy, from moody to threatening, each has had its own beauty. The threats of heavy rain and damaging floods have dampened the joy of sky watching these last few days, but hopefully we will return to blue skies over the next few days.
Soon April will arrive and bring true spring. Until then, I’ll be looking up to watch the clouds. But I’ll keep my umbrella handy. Happy mid-March from Lucca.