March 2017 Climate and Hydrology Summary

March 2017

Tulsa: March 2017 was the 12th warmest (56.6°F; since 1905) and the 45th driest (1.77"; since 1888) March on record. No snow fell in March 2017, which tied 37 other years with no snow in March.

Fort Smith: March 2017 was the 14th warmest (57.4°F; since 1883) and the 52nd wettest (3.75", tied 1904; since 1883) March on record. No snow fell in March, which tied 75 other years with no snow in March.

Fort Smith: Daily records set or tied this month include a record warm maximum temperature.

Fayetteville: March 2017 was the 4th warmest (52.7°F, tied 1974; since 1950), the 13th wettest (5.95"; since 1950), and the 21st snowiest (0.2", tied 1994; since 1950 March on record.

Using the radar-derived estimated observed precipitation from the RFCs, rainfall totals for March 2017 ranged from around 0.50” to around 6”. The highest totals were northwest of I-44 and along and east of the OK/AR state line. This corresponds from around 25% to around 150% of the normal March rainfall

Overall March 2017 was 4°-5° above normal, and despite some rain throughout the month, most of eastern OK and northwest AR had below normal precipitation for the month.

Two tornadoes occurred on March 6, 2017. Information about this event can be found at https://arcg.is/2oNlC7g

According to the Drought Monitor from April 4, 2017, D2 (Severe Drought) encompassed portions of Tulsa, Rogers, Wagoner, Mayes, Delaware, Cherokee, Muskogee, Okmulgee, McIntosh, Pittsburg, Haskell, Latimer, Le Flore, Choctaw, and Pushmataha Counties in eastern OK, and Sebastian, Crawford, and Franklin Counties in west central AR. D1 (Moderate Drought) conditions existed over portions of Osage, Pawnee, Washington, Tulsa, Rogers, Mayes, Craig, Ottawa, Delaware, Cherokee, Adair, Sequoyah, Creek, Okmulgee, Okfuskee, McIntosh, Pittsburg, Latimer, Le Flore, Choctaw, and Pushmataha Counties in eastern OK and Sebastian, Franklin, Crawford, Madison, Washington, Benton, and Carroll Counties in northwest AR. D0 (abnormally dry conditions but not in drought) were present across portions of Osage, Pawnee, Creek, Washington, Nowata, and Le Flore Counties in eastern OK, and Benton and Carroll Counties in northwest AR.

According to the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, March 2017 was the 46th driest for northeast Oklahoma, the 31st driest for east central Oklahoma, and the 35th driest for southeast Oklahoma. Records go back to 1921. For the Year-to-Date period Jan. 1-Mar. 31, 2017, northeast Oklahoma ranked as the 34th wettest, east central Oklahoma was the 39th driest, and southeast Oklahoma was the 35th driest period.