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Record Maximum 93 F BURN 1994
Record Minimum 13 F GOOD 1996
Record Rainfall 5.14" FORA 2007

* Mesonet History = since 1994

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[ Consecutive days with less than 0.25" rainfall ] [ Consecutive days with less than 0.10" rainfall ]

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March 15, 2010     March 15, 2010     March 15, 2010     March 15, 2010      


Et tu, March?

Well, the ides of March are upon us and I'm still patiently awaiting my first
80-degree temperature. We did hit 75 degrees at the Waurika Mesonet site on the 
ninth, but I'm neither at Waurika nor is it the ninth. For those wondering 
(i.e., masochists), the low temperature for the month thus far was 18 
degrees at Cookson on the third. 

Temperatures have been fairly close to normal for the most part. Unfortunately 
it's a continuation of the same problem (it's my Ticker, I get to declare it a 
problem!) we've had for much of the winter with high temperatures being below 
normal and the low temperatures being more moderate. For March thus far, the 
statewide average high temperature was 58.3 degrees, 2 degrees below normal, 
while the average low was 2.2 degrees above normal at 36.7 degrees. That 
equals an average high temperature of 47.5 degrees, which is 0.1 degrees above 
normal. 

Now personally I'd prefer those two anomalies to be switched. And while were 
at it, take 5 degrees from petty cash and add it to those highs. But despite 
promises of temperatures in the mid-to-upper 60s in the coming days, the 
longer-range outlooks from the CPC show us with above-normal chances at 
below-normal temperatures for the 6-10 day period:

http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20100315/610temp.new.gif

For brevity's sake, let's just blame the Arctic Oscillation again, since it's
a much more convenient scapegoat than the below normal 500-HPA heights and 
active EL NINO SUB-TROPICAL JET STREAM(!!):

http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20100315/ao.sprd2.gif

At least the chances of normal or above-normal temperatures even out as we 
close out the month, based upon the 8-14 day outlook:

http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20100315/814temp.new.gif

Now if somebody would kindly remove this knife from my back I'll get back to
cleaning my toga and frowning at all those 40s in western Oklahoma. 

Gary McManus
Associate State Climatologist
Oklahoma Climatological Survey
(405) 325-2253