Ticker for May 4, 2000

                
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"Normal" March to Become Significantly Warmer and Wetter

Oklahoma's "normal" March climate will be getting a makeover after
data from the 1991-2000 decade are processed.  The normal monthly
temperatures and precipitation values are based on a 30-year average,
updated every ten years.  In practice, this means that the 1991-2000
decade (the "nineties period") will be replacing the 1961-1970 ("the
sixties period") decade in the 30-year benchmark.

Preliminary data indicate that normal March monthly values will be
significantly warmer throughout the state of Oklahoma.  Precipitation
normals will be somewhat greater for all but southeastern Oklahoma.

When categorized into decade units, temperatures tend to be bimodal
over the century, with five cool decades (10s, 20s, 40s, 50s and 60s)
and five warm decades.  The nineties period was among the least extreme
of the warm decades.  Because the warm nineties values are replacing a
relatively cool set of Marches from the sixties period, the result will
be a significant increase in "normal" Oklahoma March temperatures.

Because the 70s, 80s and 90s were all "warm-mode" decades, the 30-year
normal is significantly warmer than the century average, and the 30-year
period is the warmest such period of the century.

According to the preliminary data, each climate division will see an
increase of about one-half degree Fahrenheit, and the statewide average
will increase by 0.6 F.  The panhandle and northeast climate divisions
will receive the largest increases (0.9 and 0.8F, respectively).

Precipitation totals for the decade were above median for all climate
divisions.  The panhandle division's decadal average of 1.65" was the
greatest such value of the century.  Normal precipitation values for
March will by increase a least one-tenth an inch at all climate
divisions except the southeast, because the relatively wet nineties
period will replace the near-median sixties period.  The largest
increases, percentage-wise, will occur in the panhandle and west-central
divisions.  In the southeast, the sixties period was quite wet, so the
normals will actually decrease by a small amount.

Related data is provided in the tables below.  The first documents
the prospective changes in "normal" March temperature values for each
of Oklahoma's climate divisions.  The second is similar, but for
precipitation.  The third provides a brief look at the apparent
historical standing of the Marches of the 1991-2000 decade.

Disclaimer:  These are preliminary data for the state of Oklahoma
and the month of March only, and have not undergone extensive quality
control processing.  The data are not necessarily indicative of results
outside Oklahoma.  The data are not necessarily indicative of any
long-term trend in Oklahoma's climate, beyond natural interdecadal
variability.


PROSPECTIVE CHANGES IN MEAN MARCH TEMPERATURES (F)
------ Preliminary -----
Climate                           Current            "New"    Change
Division     61-70  71-80  81-90  Normals    91-00   Normals  in Normals

Panhandle     43.7   46.6   46.2    45.5      46.3    46.4    +0.9 F
N. Central    46.5   48.6   48.1    47.7      47.9    48.2    +0.5 F
Northeast     47.1   49.5   50.1    48.9      49.5    49.7    +0.8 F

W. Central    47.0   49.2   48.6    48.3      48.7    48.8    +0.5 F
Central       48.5   50.8   50.5    50.0      50.4    50.6    +0.6 F
E. Central    49.6   51.6   52.0    51.1      51.2    51.6    +0.5 F

Southwest     49.7   51.8   51.5    51.0      51.1    51.5    +0.5 F
S. Central    51.2   53.1   53.1    52.5      52.7    52.9    +0.4 F
Southeast     50.6   52.4   53.3    52.1      52.5    52.8    +0.7 F

Statewide     48.2   50.4   50.3    49.6      50.0    50.2    +0.6 F



PROSPECTIVE CHANGES IN MEAN MARCH PRECIPITATION (in)
---------- Preliminary ---------
Climate                           Current           "New"    Change
Division     61-70  71-80  81-90  Normals   91-00   Normals  in Normals

Panhandle     0.82   1.48   1.60    1.30     1.65    1.58    +0.28" (+21.5%)
N. Central    1.39   2.38   3.12    2.30     2.65    2.72    +0.42" (+18.3%)
Northeast     2.55   3.83   4.25    3.54     3.18    3.75    +0.21" (+ 5.9%)

W. Central    1.29   1.99   2.56    1.95     2.54    2.36    +0.41" (+21.0%)
Central       2.01   2.58   3.82    2.80     2.99    3.13    +0.33" (+11.8%)
E. Central    3.27   4.13   4.41    3.94     3.64    4.06    +0.12" (+ 3.0%)

Southwest     1.60   1.63   2.69    1.97     2.41    2.24    +0.27" (+13.7%)
S. Central    2.78   2.98   3.74    3.17     3.50    3.41    +0.24" (+ 7.6%)
Southeast     4.27   4.53   4.67    4.49     4.02    4.41    -0.08" (- 1.8%)

Statewide     2.19   2.82   3.44    2.82     2.94    3.07    +0.25" (+ 8.9%)



1991-2000'S APPARENT STANDING AMONG THE MOST RECENT TEN DECADES

MEAN MARCH TEMPERATURE (F)        MEAN MARCH PRECIP (in)
Climate      1991- Rank                        1991- Rank
Division     2000  of 10  Warmest  Coolest     2000  of 10 Wettest   Driest

Panhandle    46.3  3rd   46.6-70s  43.0-40s    1.65  1st  *1.60-10s  0.73-00s
N. Central   47.9  5th   48.9-00s  45.2-50s    2.65  2nd   3.12-80s  1.37-10s
Northeast    49.5  3rd   50.1-80s  46.6-50s    3.18  3rd   4.25-80s  2.40-30s

W. Central   48.7  4th   49.7-30s  46.3-40s    2.54  2nd   2.56-80s  1.26-10s
Central      50.4  5th   50.8-70s  47.5-50s    2.99  2nd   3.82-80s  1.94-10s
E. Central   51.2  5th   52.0-80s  48.7-10s    3.64  3rd   4.41-80s  2.95-10s

Southwest    51.1  4th   51.8-70s  48.6-40s    2.41  2nd   2.69-80s  1.38-40s
S. Central   52.7  5th   53.2-00s  50.4-10s    3.50  2nd   3.74-80s  2.51-40s
Southeast    52.5  4th   53.9-00s  50.6-60s    4.02  5th   4.67-80s  3.67-10s

Statewide    50.0  5th   50.5-00s  47.5-50s    2.94  2nd   3.44-80s  2.03-10s

KEY: 1st = warmest or wettest _ of ten decades starting with 1901-1910
10th = coolest or driest                 and ending with 1991-2000

"50s" indicates 1951-1960 decade, etc.
* - previous record