000
CXUS53 KICT 011513
CLMCNU


CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1007 AM CDT MON APR 1 2013

...................................

...THE CHANUTE KS CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH 2013...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1894 TO 2013

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH              95   MM
 LOW               13   03/01/2009
HIGHEST            78   03/15                         83  03/31
LOWEST             17   03/26                         24  03/05
AVG. MAXIMUM     52.2              58.1    -5.9     70.3
AVG. MINIMUM     31.5              36.1    -4.6     46.7
MEAN             41.9              47.1    -5.2     58.5
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32      1               0.6     0.4        0
DAYS MIN <= 32     17              10.6     6.4        8
DAYS MIN <= 0       0               0.0     0.0        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM        12.08   1973
 MINIMUM           MM   MM
TOTALS           1.45              3.04   -1.59     5.14
DAILY AVG.       0.05              0.10   -0.05     0.17
DAYS >= .01         9               8.7     0.3        9
DAYS >= .10         3               5.0    -2.0        7
DAYS >= .50         1               1.8    -0.8        5
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.7    -0.7        1
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.51   03/30 TO 03/30

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL     706               559     147      244
 SINCE 7/1       3798              4131    -333     3363
COOLING TOTAL       0                 4      -4       51
.................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              9.8
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    31/330    DATE  03/05
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    40/310    DATE  03/31

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.40
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR           15
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             10
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          6

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     68

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                3     RAIN                       5
LIGHT RAIN               11     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          1     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       1
LIGHT SNOW                3     SLEET                      0
FOG                      11     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      3
HAZE                      4

-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.

&&

           ...NOT MUCH METEOROLOGICAL MADNESS THIS MARCH...

AFTER EXPERIENCING A FURIOUS `FLURRY` OF ACTIVITY IN FEBRUARY...DURING
WHICH 2 MAJOR (AND WE DO MEAN MAJOR) WINTER STORMS BURIED MOST OF THE
NEIGHBORHOOD WITH HISTORIC SNOWFALLS...MOST OF MARCH WAS FAIRLY QUIET.
HOWEVER...WINTER DIDN`T LEAVE WITH A WHIMPER FOR ON THE WEEKEND OF THE
23RD AND 24TH...YET ANOTHER WINTER STORM INVADED THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

THAT WEEKEND...A STRENGTHENING disturbance IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE
HAD SPREAD SOME HEAVY WET SNOW ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF
KANSAS...WHERE 4 TO 8 INCH ACCUMULATIONS OCCURRED. NORTHERLY 30 TO
45 MPH WINDS NO DOUBT WORSENED THE SITUATION CONSIDERABLY AS
VISIBILITIES LESS THAN 1/4 MILE RESULTED. A TOTAL OF 5.3 INCHES WAS
MEASURED AT MID-CONTINENT AIRPORT. THE CALENDAR DAY TOTALS OF 1.4
INCHES ON THE 23RD AND 3.9 INCHES ON THE 24TH WEREN`T RECORDS FOR
EITHER DATE...BUT IT IS INTERESTING THAT THE SNOWFALL RECORDS FOR
BOTH DATES WERE SET IN 1912 WHEN A WINTER STORM PRODUCED 5.5 INCHES
ON BOTH DAYS. THE GREATEST REPORTED ACCUMULATION FROM THE WINTER
STORM OF THE 23RD AND 24TH WAS 8.0 INCHES MEASURED AT MORAN IN ALLEN
COUNTY WHILE 7.0 INCHES WERE MEASURED IN YATES CENTER.

IN THE MORNING ON THE 10TH...A STRANGE LOCALIZED BLIZZARD DEVELOPED IN
RUSSELL AND BARTON COUNTIES WHERE NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS REACHING
50 MPH TEAMED up WITH 2 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW TO PRODUCE NEAR ZERO
VISIBILITIES. THE EVENT WAS SO LOCALIZED THE IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDING
AREAS RECEIVED NO MORE THAN A HALF INCH OF SNOW. FORTUNATELY...THE
LOCAL SCALE BLIZZARD ONLY LASTED A COUPLE HOURS.

THANKS TO FOUR POWERFUL COLD FRONTS THAT INVADED KANSAS...MOST OF MARCH
WAS CHILLY. THE MOST POWERFUL OF THE QUARTET PRODUCED THE NASTY WINTER
STORM THAT STRUCK THE WEEKEND OF THE 23RD AND 24TH. NO RECORDS WERE SET
OR TIED...BUT DAILY AVERAGES WERE 15 TO 20 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL FROM THE
23RD TO THE 26TH. DESPITE MONTHLY AVERAGES THAT WERE 3.5 TO 5.5 DEGREES
BELOW NORMAL...2013 FAILED TO CRACK THE TOP 10 COLDEST MARCHES ON RECORD
FOR ANY OF THE 3 PRIMARY CLIMATE SITES.

THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED the last weekend of
march.  EARLY IN THE MORNING OF THE 30TH...SEVERAL THUNDERSTORMS
SPREAD SOUTHEAST ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTH-CENTRAL KANSAS. THOUGH NOT
SEVERE...THE THUNDERSTORMS DID PRODUCE NICKEL-SIZED HAIL AND
LIGHTNING SO FREQUENT THAT SKIES WERE LIT PROFUSELY. THAT
AFTERNOON...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DID PRODUCE HALF DOLLAR-SIZED HAIL
3 MILES NORTH OF MORAN IN ALLEN COUNTY.

$$