Monthly Climatological Summary
Norman 3SE, Cleveland Co., OK (Lat 35^10'57"N, Lon 97^25'27"W, elev 1130)
March 2003
------------------------------------------------------------------
Temperature Precipitation Snow AM PM
Max Min Water Snow Depth Wx Wx
------------------------------------------------------------------
01 46.8 34.3 T 0.0 0 -DZ OVC
02 43.9 29.1 .00 0.0 0 OVC SCT
03 57.7 24.8 .00 0.0 0 SKC BKN
04 70.0 26.6 T T 0 BKN -SN
05 34.5 22.3 T T 0 -SN BKN
06 53.4 19.0 .00 0.0 0 SKC SKC
07 67.8 33.3 .00 0.0 0 SKC SKC
08 75.9 36.7 .00 0.0 0 BKN BKN
09 47.8 25.2 .00 0.0 0 OVC FEW
10 53.2 25.2 .00 0.0 0 BKN BKN
11 73.4 37.8 .00 0.0 0 OVC BKN
12 79.2 57.2 .39 T* 0 BKN +TSRA GR
13 69.1 49.3 .00 0.0 0 TS SCT
14 71.8 37.8 .00 0.0 0 SKC SCT
15 78.4 45.9 .00 0.0 0 SCT OVC
16 78.1 58.8 .00 0.0 0 BKN BKN
17 76.5 57.2 .29 T* 0 -SHRA +TSRA GR
18 60.4 51.6 .54 0.0 0 TSRA -DZ
19 65.1 47.1 .67 0.0 0 BKN +TSRA
20 49.5 45.3 .03 0.0 0 -RA OVC
21 62.8 44.2 .00 0.0 0 SCT SCT
22 67.6 38.8 .00 0.0 0 BKN BKN
23 73.0 44.2 .00 0.0 0 SCT SCT
24 77.5 53.2 .05 T* 0 SKC TSRA GR
25 64.4 46.2 T 0.0 0 OVC BKN
26 67.1 37.0 .00 0.0 0 SCT SCT
27 78.4 40.3 .21 0.0 0 BKN +RA
28 48.2 35.8 .48 0.0 0 +RA BKN
29 51.4 31.8 .00 0.0 0 SKC SKC
30 58.6 28.9 .00 0.0 0 BKN SCT
31 76.6 40.5 .00 0.0 0 SCT FEW
KEY TO AM/PM WX: SKC - sky clear, FEW - few clouds, SCT -
partly cloudy, BKN - mostly cloudy, OVC - overcast, RA -
rain, SHRA - rain shower, DZ - drizzle, TS - thunderstorm,
TSRA - thunderstorm with rain, GR - hail.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Means and Totals for March 2003
------------------------------------------------------------------
Average Maximum Temperature: 63.8
Average Minimum Temperature: 38.9
Mean Temperature: 51.3
Maximum Temperature: 79.2 (3-12-03)
Minimum Temperature: 19.0 (3-06-03)
Days with max temperature 90.0F+: 0 Year: 0
Days with max temperature <32.0F: 0 Year: 4
Days with min temperature <32.0F: 9 Year: 50
Days with min temperature <0.0F: 0 Year: 0
Precipitation: 2.66 Year: 4.62
Greatest one-day precipitation: .67 (3-19-03)
Snowfall: T Year: 5.0
Greatest one-day snowfall: T (3-05-03)
Maximum snow depth at midnight: 0
Days with measureable pcpn: 8 Year: 20
Days with pcpn 1.00"+: 0 Year: 0
Days with measureable snowfall: 0 Year: 4
Days with snowfall 1"+: 0 Year: 2
Days with glaze ice: 0 Year: 5
Days with damaging wind: 0 Year: 0
Days with hail: 3 Year: 3
Days with thunderstorms: 6 Year: 6
Days with fog: 0 Year: 8
NOTICE: All temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit and all precipitation values in inches. Snowfall totals denoted by an asterisk indicate hail.
Summary....March 2003 provided numerous examples of how central Oklahoma's weather can change at practically a moment's notice. Several warm, sunny afternoons this month quickly turned thundery, cold, rainy, and even snowy. An exceptionally drastic cold frontal passage occurred on the afternoon and evening of the 4th, with the temperature falling from the upper 60s to mid 30s here in Norman in just one hour. Parts of southwestern Oklahoma and western north Texas went from the upper 70s to the low 20s in eight hours that same day. On the 12th, widespread hail producing thunderstorms developed across the Oklahoma City area following a mostly sunny afternoon with temperatures near 80F. Much of Oklahoma didn't even see a cloud at all during the day on the 24th, then an isolated thunderstorm rapidly developed in southwestern Oklahoma around 8pm and produced hail and copious amounts of lightning as it tracked towards the OKC area. The 27th was another day in which the temperatures reached the upper 70s during the day, then saw temperatures fall into the low 40s by late evening with strong winds and heavy rain. Oklahoma's first confirmed tornadoes of the year occurred on the 17th, as at least three tornadoes occurred in southwestern and southern Oklahoma. Hail as large as quarters was reported within 1/2 mile of my apartment that same day. Turlock CA had its third below average rainfall month in a row with 1.22 inches of rain in March 2003. Turlock was at 9.22 inches of the season at the end of the month - and on April 4 they broke the 10 inch mark for the season in a rather spectacular fashion....more on that next month!