Easterwood Field

College Station, Texas


Monthly Summary for March 1997


	TEMPERATURE      PRECIP.                       TEMPERATURE

  Day   Max  Min  *DEPART   TOTAL         MEANS           ACTUAL        DEPART.

   1    80   67     17      0.01          Maximum           72.7          1.7
   2    69   40     -1	    1.21          Minimum           52.4          2.7
   3    74   37     -2	                  Monthly	    62.6          2.3
   4    70   53      5      0.05                        
   5    69   47      1      0.16          EXTREMES           TEMP         DATE
                                          Highest            88F          28th
   6    66   38     -5                    Lowest             37F          3rd
   7    65   47     -2                       
   8    75   58      8      0.01          DEGREE DAYS       TOTAL        DEPART.
   9    81   64     15                    Heating            132          -65
  10    74   59      7      0.05          Cooling             56            5
                                          
  11    69   56      4      0.06           
  12    69   63      7      1.33          PRECIPITATION      AMOUNT      DEPART.  
  13    80   62     11                    
  14    66   45     -5      0.01          Total Monthly        3.36       0.78
  15    57   43    -10                    Total for 1997      10.20       2.35
                                          Precipitation Days     14          7
  16    56   48     -9      0.23      
  17    77   56      5      0.03          EXTREMES           AMOUNT      DATE 
  18    77   58      6      0.01          24-hour Maximum      1.33      14th
  19    58   44    -10             
  20    72   40     -5                    MAXIMUM WIND GUST    32mph    (14th)

  21    83   44      2                    NUMBER OF DAYS      AMOUNT     DEPART.
  22    83   51      5                    TEMPERATURE
  23    83   51      5                    Maximum 90 or higher    0        0
  24    80   60      8                    Maximum 32 or lower     0        0
  25    70   53     -1      0.16          Minimum 32 or lower     0       -2

  26    71   50     -2                           RECORD BOOK FOR MARCH
  27    72   54      0         T          Highest Temperature     96F    1946
  28    88   65     12                    Lowest Temperature      17F    1943
  29    82   64      9                    Wettest Month         8.03"    1926
  30    71   57      0                    Driest Month          0.29"    1971
  31    67   52     -5      0.04          Wettest 24 hours      4.02"    1934
  


Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit
Precipitation in inches
"T" denotes less than or equal to 0.005"
BOLDFACE indicates extreme values for the month
ITALICS indicate a record was set or tied
* Departure of the daily mean temperature, as calculated from the average
of the maximum and minimum temperatures, from the 1961-1990 normals.













New Records Set

  DAY             PARAMETER                   VALUE    OLD RECORD       YEAR
  1st    Highest Minimum Temperature           67F        66F           1955  



Near Records

  DAY             PARAMETER                   VALUE      RECORD         YEAR
 2nd  Tied 2nd Highest Maximum Temperature     88F        91F           1971

Monthly Review

The month of March began on a warm note in the Brazos Valley. The overnight low on the 1st was a muggy 67F, which broke the previous record of 66F set back in 1955. 1.21" of precipitation fell on the 2nd making temperatures more moderate. The majority of this month's precipitation occurred from the 1st to the 18th, as temperatures remained primarily above normal. Most of this precipitation occurred as a result of overrunning from the Gulf of Mexico or from cold frontal passages. From the 19th through the 31st, only 0.20" of precipitation fell as warmer daytime temperatures persisted. On the 28th, the high temperature for the day (88F), as well as for the month, was reported.

Precipitation days in March were twice the normal with 14 days total. For the month, precipitation was nearly an inch above normal, which added to the surplus of precipitation received in 1997. For the year, College Station has received 10.19" of precipitation, which is 30% above normal. The temperature means for the month of march were all above normal by 2F to 3F. This is the first month of 1997 in which this has occurred. 

April Normals for College Station

                           Temperature
Beginning of the month       75 / 54         Monthly Precipitation:      3.38"
Middle of the month          78 / 58         Precipitation days:            7
End of the month             81 / 62         90F Days                       1


Prepared by:    John F. Griffiths (State Climatologist)
                Karin L. Gleason (Assistant to the State Climatologist)
                Brian N. Belcher (Graduate Assistant in Training)
                kgleason@ariel.tamu.edu