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Texas Climate Report: March 2018

 

The month of March saw very warm temperatures across the entire state of Texas. The majority of the state saw temperatures more than four degrees above normal, except for parts of far West Texas, the upper Panhandle, the Low Rolling Plains, and East Texas along the Oklahoma and Louisiana borders, which recorded temperatures between three and four degrees above normal. The upper Panhandle also saw low precipitation accumulations, including the northwest corner, which recorded no rain throughout March. Some station in East Texas recorded above seven inches of rainfall for the month.

In the first week of March, only a quarter of the state was free of drought and abnormal dryness, and over 14 percent of the state was in extreme drought. Like the last few months, the northern Panhandle received less than a quarter-inch of rain in March. Due to the low rain accumulation, it’s no surprise that the northern Panhandle developed exceptional drought at the end of March. In the last week of the month, a front carrying heavy rain through Central Texas allowed the regional severe drought to downgrade to moderate drought and abnormally dry conditions around the Austin area. Overall drought throughout the state decreased in March, and a third of Texas ended the month drought-free. Due to dry conditions in West Texas and the Panhandle, 74 percent of corn, 49 percent of cattle, and 65 percent of winter wheat is located in drought.

Monthly Summary for Selected Cities

  TMAX (°F) TMIN (°F) TAVG (°F) PRCP *Deg. Days
Station Mean *Dep. Max. Mean *Dep. Min. Mean *Dep. Days ≥ 0.01" Mo. Total *Perc. Norm. Gr'st 24 hr. *HDD *CDD
Abilene 72.2 +3.6 88 46.5 +2.4 29 59.4 +3.0 4 1.47 84% 0.81 211 46
Amarillo 68.9 +6.4 91 36.3 +3.0 22 52.6 +4.7 1 0.24 17% 0.24 386 9
Austin 78.0 +5.8 90 56.0 +4.7 41 67.0 +5.3 6 3.74 136% 3.28 56 126
Brownsville 83.4 +4.5 95 65.9 +6.3 55 74.7 +5.4 4 0.49 40% 0.23 0 307
College Station 76.1 +4.4 85 54.8 +3.8 42 65.5 +4.1 8 6.16 194% 4.52 80 102
Corpus Christi 79.4 +3.5 87 61.7 +5.4 47 70.5 +4.4 4 2.01 106% 0.95 25 205
Dallas‑Fort Worth 74.7 +6.5 89 51.9 +4.9 37 63.3 +5.7 5 2.90 83% 1.73 114 70
Del Rio 81.0 +4.8 94 55.7 +3.6 44 68.3 +4.2 2 0.13 11% 0.12 32 144
El Paso 74.6 +4.3 88 48.4 +5.5 34 61.5 +4.9 2 0.21 81% 0.20 137 37
Galveston 75.5 +5.3 89 63.6 +7.0 54 69.5 +6.1 8 1.34 42% 1.02 20 167
Houston 77.7 +4.7 85 57.4 +4.9 44 67.6 +4.9 6 2.97 87% 1.47 58 144
Lubbock 72.2 +5.5 90 40.8 +3.8 22 56.5 +4.6 5 0.87 79% 0.77 285 27
Midland 76.8 +6.6 91 47.6 +6.6 32 62.2 +6.6 3 0.11 18% 0.08 149 68
Port Arthur 75.8 +4.0 87 55.9 +3.7 41 65.8 +3.8 5 1.72 49% 0.91 75 108
San Angelo 77.2 +6.1 94 48.0 +3.6 30 62.6 +4.8 2 1.20 80% 1.19 151 85
San Antonio 77.2 +3.7 89 56.8 +6.0 45 67.0 +4.8 4 4.02 174% 3.51 50 122
Victoria 78.6 +4.4 86 56.9 +4.4 41 67.8 +4.4 7 1.95 70% 0.76 55 150
Waco 75.0 +5.8 87 48.8 +1.7 32 61.9 +3.7 4 2.49 79% 1.50 154 67
Wichita Falls 71.8 +4.8 86 43.3 +2.1 27 57.6 +3.5 6 2.79 127% 1.48 252 28
Shreveport, LA 73.7 +4.2 85 50.5 +4.2 33 62.1 +4.2 8 6.67 161% 3.20 142 62
Bold-italics indicate a value broke or tied the record from a previous year.
*Dep.: Departure of the monthly average temperature from the 1981-2010 monthly normal, which is provided by the National Climatic Data Center.
*Perc. Norm.: Monthly precipitation total divided by 1981-2010 monthly normal, which is provided by the National Climatic Data Center.
*Deg. Days: Computed daily as the departure of the daily average temperature from 65°F and aggregated over the entire month.
*Heating degree day (HDD): Each unit corresponds to a -1°F departure of a daily average temperature from 65°F.
*Cooling degree day (HDD): Each unit corresponds to a +1°F departure of a daily average temperature from 65°F.
mar 2018 average temperatures
mar 2018 average precipitation

Monthly Extremes

Least Precipitation Overall for the Month (inches)
Station County Value
BIG BEND RCH SP PRESIDIO 0.00
BOYS RANCH OLDHAM 0.00
CASTOLON BREWSTER 0.00
CHISOS BASIN BREWSTER 0.00
DALHART DALLAM 0.00
DALHART MUNI AP DALLAM 0.00
GRUVER HANSFORD 0.00
LAKE AMENT BREWSTER 0.00
LANGTRY VAL VERDE 0.00
PANTHER JUNCTION BREWSTER 0.00
SNYDER WINSTON FLD AP SCURRY 0.00
TERLINGUA BREWSTER 0.00
Greatest Precipitation Overall for the Month (inches)
Station County Value
TOWN BLUFF DAM TYLER 9.12
TOWN BLUFF DAM TYLER 9.12
Greatest Precipitation in 24 Hours (inches)
Station County Value
TOWN BLUFF DAM TYLER 7.60
TOWN BLUFF DAM TYLER 7.60
Lowest Average Daily Temperature (°F)
Station County Value
HARTLEY HARTLEY 48.4
Highest Average Daily Temperature (°F)
Station County Value
MCALLEN MILLER INTL AP HIDALGO 76.8
Lowest Average Daily Maximum Temperature (°F)
Station County Value
HARTLEY HARTLEY 66.1
Highest Average Daily Maximum Temperature (°F)
Station County Value
MCALLEN MILLER INTL AP HIDALGO 87.2
Highest Maximum Temperature  (°F)
Station County Value
MCALLEN MILLER INTL AP HIDALGO 101
Lowest Maximum Temperature  (°F)
Station County Value
FRIONA PARMER 41
Lowest Average Daily Minimum Temperature (°F)
Station County Value
HARTLEY HARTLEY 30.7
Highest Average Daily Minimum Temperature (°F)
Station County Value
PORT ISABEL CAMERON AP CAMERON 66.6
Highest Minimum Temperature (°F)
Station County Value
MCALLEN MILLER INTL AP HIDALGO 76
Lowest Minimum Temperature (°F)
Station County Value
BOYS RANCH OLDHAM 14
LEFORS GRAY 14
MULESHOE #1 BAILEY 14

New Monthly Records

Least Precipitation Overall for the Month (inches)
Station County Value Previous Record Yrs. Data
BIG BEND RCH SP PRESIDIO 0.00 0.00 (2013) 23
BOYS RANCH OLDHAM 0.00 0.00 (2011) 37
CASTOLON BREWSTER 0.00 0.00 (2011) 37
CHISOS BASIN BREWSTER 0.00 0.00 (2014) 70
DALHART MUNI AP DALLAM 0.00 0.00 (1972) 69
GRUVER HANSFORD 0.00 0.00 (1997) 70
HARTLEY HARTLEY 0.02 0.04 (2013) 12
LANGTRY VAL VERDE 0.00 0.00 (2011) 64
PANTHER JUNCTION BREWSTER 0.00 0.00 (2013) 59
TERLINGUA BREWSTER 0.00 0.00 (2014) 12
Greatest Precipitation in 24 Hours Ever in the Month (inches)
Station County Value Previous Record Yrs. Data
AUSTIN BERGSTROM AP TRAVIS 5.99 2.69 (2012) 63
BEAUMONT RSCH CTR JEFFERSON 6.28 5.53 (2016) 55
COLLEGE STN BRAZOS 4.52 4.20 (1980) 66
CONROE MONTGOMERY CO AP MONTGOMERY 3.85 3.33 (2016) 19
ELGIN BASTROP 5.30 2.90 (1999) 56
HONDO MEDINA 3.44 3.30 (1921) 91
HOUSTON HOOKS MEM AP HARRIS 3.73 2.77 (2007) 20
LUFKIN ANGELINA CO AP ANGELINA 4.50 4.40 (2002) 108
MONTGOMERY MONTGOMERY 4.60 3.06 (1985) 57
NEW BRAUNFELS MUNI AP GUADALUPE 4.88 4.20 (2007) 17
SAN ANTONIO STINSON AP BEXAR 4.01 2.62 (2007) 19
SCOTLAND ARCHER 3.38 2.66 (1998) 19
TAYLOR 1 NW WILLIAMSON 3.03 2.77 (2001) 18
Highest Average Daily Temperature (°F)
Station County Value Previous Record Yrs. Data
HOUSTON SUGARLAND MEM FORT BEND 68.9 68.8 (2017) 17
MCALLEN MILLER INTL AP HIDALGO 76.8 76.3 (2017) 56
PERSIMMON GAP BREWSTER 65.9 65.4 (2016) 31
SAN ANTONIO STINSON AP BEXAR 69.7 69.4 (2017) 19
Highest Average Daily Maximum Temperature (°F)
Station County Value Previous Record Yrs. Data
BURNET MUNI AP BURNET 75.6 75.5 (2017) 17
HOUSTON SUGARLAND MEM FORT BEND 78.8 77.8 (2017) 17
Highest Maximum Temperature Ever in the Month (°F)
Station County Value Previous Record Yrs. Data
FT MCKAVETT MENARD 92 92 (2012) 23
GALVESTON SCHOLES FLD GALVESTON 89 87 (2008) 37
LEFORS GRAY 95 93 (2011) 11
PERSIMMON GAP BREWSTER 98 97 (1995) 31
PLAINVIEW WATER PRODUCTION HALE 90 90 (2017) 18
SANFORD DAM HUTCHINSON 92 92 (2017) 24
SAN ANGELO WFO TOM GREEN 95 95 (2017) 17
VIGO PARK SWISHER 93 93 (2017) 16
Highest Average Daily Minimum Temperature (°F)
Station County Value Previous Record Yrs. Data
TERLINGUA BREWSTER 50.6 49.8 (2011) 10
Highest Minimum Temperature Ever in the Month (°F)
Station County Value Previous Record Yrs. Data
CHEAPSIDE GONZALES 70 70 (2007) 14
CHILDRESS 2 CHILDRESS 65 64 (2004) 21
CHOKE CANYON DAM LIVE OAK 71 71 (2008) 35
CONROE MONTGOMERY CO AP MONTGOMERY 71 71 (2012) 20
CORPUS CHRISTI INTL AP NUECES 73 73 (2017) 76
CRANE 2E CRANE 67 67 (1963) 47
FREEPORT 2 NW BRAZORIA 72 72 (2017) 52
HOUSTON INTERCONT AP HARRIS 73 73 (2012) 49
K‑BAR RCH ECTOR 64 63 (2012) 11
LANGTRY VAL VERDE 69 69 (1988) 40
MCALLEN MILLER INTL AP HIDALGO 76 76 (2016) 56
MIDLAND INTL AP MIDLAND 66 64 (2012) 86
MULESHOE #1 BAILEY 54 53 (2004) 84
ODESSA SCHLEMEYER FLD ECTOR 65 65 (2004) 15
TERLINGUA BREWSTER 66 63 (2012) 10
WINKLER CO AP WINKLER 64 64 (1982) 69

Climatic Averages for April

  TMAX (°F) TMIN (°F) PRCP (inches) No. Days in Month Deg. Days
Station Avg. Record Avg. Record Avg. Gr'st Mo. Gr'st 24 hr. ≥ 90°F ≤ 32°F PRCP ≥ 0.01" HDD CDD
Abilene 77.3 104 (2012) 51.9 25 (1973) 1.64 9.80 (1890) 4.63 (1914) 2.1 0.3 5.0 111 99
Amarillo 71.1 99 (2012) 41.6 13 (1920) 1.40 6.45 (1997) 2.68 (1911) 0.8 3.6 5.6 279 19
Austin 79.8 99 (2006) 58.6 30 (1926) 2.09 19.82 (1915) 10.00 (1915) 1.7 0.0 7.1 38 164
Brownsville 83.7 104 (2017) 65.9 37 (1903) 1.54 10.35 (1991) 9.37 (1991) 3.4 0.0 4.0 8 302
College Station 78.9 98 (1893) 58.1 28 (1973) 2.66 12.50 (1957) 5.30 (1953) 0.7 0.0 6.5 47 152
Corpus Christi 81.7 103 (2014) 63.0 33 (1987) 1.84 9.21 (2004) 7.19 (1956) 2.1 0.0 5.3 17 237
Dallas‑Fort Worth 76.3 101 (2006) 54.8 29 (1989) 3.07 17.64 (1922) 8.81 (1922) 0.7 0.1 6.6 83 99
Del Rio 83.6 106 (1984) 59.6 33 (1987) 1.65 7.51 (1981) 5.07 (2017) 6.8 0.0 5.2 25 223
El Paso 78.6 98 (1989) 50.7 23 (1983) 0.23 2.24 (1931) 1.08 (1966) 1.5 0.4 1.9 92 82
Galveston 75.9 95 (2011) 64.4 38 (1938) 3.05 11.04 (1904) 9.23 (1904) 0.0 0.0 4.9 18 173
Houston 79.6 95 (1987) 59.4 31 (1987) 3.31 14.39 (2016) 9.92 (2016) 0.7 0.0 6.8 37 172
Lubbock 75.4 104 (2012) 45.7 18 (1920) 1.41 6.18 (1915) 3.55 (2010) 1.3 1.3 4.8 183 49
Midland 79.2 104 (2012) 49.3 20 (1973) 0.65 3.59 (1931) 2.00 (1931) 3.7 0.6 2.9 112 90
Port Arthur 78.1 94 (1987) 59.0 32 (1987) 3.21 15.30 (1973) 10.09 (1973) 0.2 0.0 6.2 39 146
San Angelo 80.1 107 (1925) 51.9 23 (1926) 1.42 5.10 (2016) 3.32 (1971) 4.1 0.6 4.5 88 118
San Antonio 80.5 101 (1996) 58.1 31 (1987) 2.10 11.64 (1915) 6.78 (1915) 2.1 0.1 6.4 39 168
Victoria 80.5 100 (1920) 59.3 33 (1987) 2.82 11.70 (1997) 9.87 (1991) 0.8 0.0 6.1 30 177
Waco 77.6 101 (1963) 54.6 26 (2009) 2.69 13.37 (1957) 5.09 (1957) 1.2 0.2 6.3 78 111
Wichita Falls 75.8 103 (2011) 49.4 24 (1975) 2.61 8.50 (1957) 5.33 (2009) 1.6 0.5 6.2 142 70
Shreveport, LA 76.9 96 (1887) 53.6 31 (1989) 4.19 21.84 (1991) 10.44 (1991) 0.3 0.1 7.6 86 94
Climatic averages are based on 1981-2010 monthly normals, which are provided by the National Climatic Data Center.
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