000
CXUS53 KICT 011513
CLMICT


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

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

...THE WICHITA MID CONTINENT KS CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH 2013...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1888 TO 2013

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH              92   03/21/1916
                        03/22/1907
 LOW               -3   03/11/1948
                        03/07/1943
HIGHEST            80   03/15                         81  03/31
                                                          03/29
LOWEST             16   03/26                         26  03/03
AVG. MAXIMUM     54.2              57.9    -3.7     69.5
AVG. MINIMUM     32.4              35.0    -2.6     46.4
MEAN             43.3              46.5    -3.2     57.9
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32      0               0.7    -0.7        0
DAYS MIN <= 32     16              11.3     4.7        5
DAYS MIN <= 0       0               0.0     0.0        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM         9.17   1973
 MINIMUM         0.00   1936
                        1910
TOTALS           2.11              2.69   -0.58     4.03
DAILY AVG.       0.07              0.09   -0.02     0.13
DAYS >= .01         7               8.2    -1.2        9
DAYS >= .10         4               4.6    -0.6        7
DAYS >= .50         1               1.7    -0.7        3
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.8    -0.8        1
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.77   03/09 TO 03/09

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL           16.8   1912
TOTALS            5.3               2.3     3.0      0.4
SINCE 7/1        29.8              14.7    15.1      3.0
SNOWDEPTH AVG.      1                MM      MM        0
DAYS >= 1.0         2               0.6     1.4        0
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH         5   03/24                          0  MM
 24 HR TOTAL      3.9   MM                           0.4

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL     666               577      89      250
 SINCE 7/1       3937              4217    -280     3473
COOLING TOTAL       0                 2      -2       40
 SINCE 1/1          0                 2      -2       40
.................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              11.8
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    36/340    DATE  03/31
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    46/340    DATE  03/10

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.60
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            7
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             16
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          8

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     65

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                1     RAIN                       2
LIGHT RAIN               10     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       1
HEAVY SNOW                1     SNOW                       2
LIGHT SNOW                2     SLEET                      0
FOG                      12     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      1
HAZE                      6

-  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.


$$