March 2009

Report and Summary

Tyler, Texas
March 2009
by Robert K. Peters, Ph.D.
National Weather Service Cooperating Observer

The month of March 2009 was cooler and wetter than normal. Compared with March 2008, the month was 0.7 deg. Cooler, and 1.09 inches wetter. Year-to-date rainfall through month's end was 1.68 less in 2009 than in 2008. The thirty-day outlook had called for above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation.

The week March 1-7 saw temperatures about a degree above normal, and no rainfall. A dramatic change in air masses occurred on the night of the 3rd. Polar Continental air, which had brought well-below normal temperatures early in the week, was replaced by Tropical Maritime air. A tight pressure gradient produced gusty winds between the 4th and 7th. The week's average temperature was 58.0 deg., which was 1.2 deg. Warmer than the previous week. Compared with the same week in 2008, the week was 1.0 deg. Warmer, and 0.15 inch drier.

The Tropical Maritime air persisted until just after midnight on the 11th, when it was replaced by a shallow Polar Continental air mass, which was overridden by moisture well up the vertical air column. This combined with several disturbances rotating around an upper air low over the Southwestern United States to produce cold temperatures and heavy rainfall. Amounts in the region ranged between 2.5 and 8.0 inches. Strong northeast winds on the 11th, 12th, and much of the 13th lowered the wind chill equivalent values to around 30 with air temperatures holding in the middle to high 30s. The week March 8-14 saw temperatures about 3 degrees below normal, and rainfall about 600 percent of normal. The average temperature was 55.9, 2.1 deg. Cooler than the previous week, and rainfall was 5.45 inches. Compared with the same week in 2008, the week was 4.3 deg. Cooler and 4.72 inches wetter.

The week March 15-21 saw temperatures about a degree below normal, and only 0.02 inch of rainfall. A dry and stable air mass covered the region for most of the week, resulting in mild daytime and cool nighttime temperatures. A weak cold front on the 17th reinforced this air mass. The wet soils left behind by the rains of the previous week resulted in widespread dense fog on the mornings of the 16th, 17th, and 18th. The week's average temperature was 59.7 deg., which was 3.8 deg. Warmer than the previous week. Compared with the same week in 2008, the week was 2.8 deg. Cooler, and 0.88 inch drier.

The week March 22-28 saw temperatures about 4 degrees below normal, and rainfall about 200 percent of normal. A slow-moving storm system crossed the region between the 24th and 28th, bringing rainfall daily between the 24th and 27th. Over the southern counties, these rains were heavy, and severe weather occurred on the 24th, 25th, and 26th. A weak cold front crossed on the 24th, retreated back northward on the 26th, and was succeeded by a strong Arctic front on the evening of the 27th. Strong northwest winds blew on the 28th, resulting in low wind chill values that day. The week's average temperature was 58.5 deg., and rainfall was 1.62 inches. This was 1.2 deg. Cooler than the previous week. Compared with the same week in 2008, the week was 2.0 deg. Cooler, and 1.57 inches wetter.

A storm system crossed early on the morning of the 31st, with reports of severe weather south and east of Tyler and rain and thunderstorms general over the southeastern half of the region. Otherwise, a warming trend commenced on the 29th, reversed by the cold front of the 31st. The area observed its last freeze on the morning of the 29th when the mercury briefly reached 32 deg. In Tyler.

• KEY TO SYMBOLS:
• A = HAIL
• B = BLOWING
• D = DUST
• F = FOG
• H = HAZE
• IP = SLEET
• K = SMOKE
• L = DRIZZLE
• R = RAIN
• S = SNOW
• T = THUNDERSTORM
• Z = GREENWICH MEAN TIME
• ZL = FREEZING DRIZZLE
• ZR = FREEZING RAIN
• - = LIGHT
• + = HEAVY

R FOLLOWING A TEMPERATURE OR PRECIPITATION VALUE = RECORD

The reporting period for temperatures, precipitation, and phenomenon on each day is for the twenty-four hours ending at midnight hours GMT--6 p.m. CST and 7 p.m. CDT. All times are given using the twenty-four hour clock, and are expressed in Greenwich Mean Time.

Observations are from NWS Station 41/9207/4 in Tyler, Texas. The term "normal" refers to averages from the standard climatic period 1971-2000.

MARCH 2009

• 01 53 27 48
• 02 59 29 53
• 03 62 36 58 H
• 04 76 47 70 H
• 05 82 58 78
• 06 81 62 77
• 07 77 63 74
• 08 82 68 78 0.01 PCPN 1500-1600, MN 0000-1200 69
• 09 79 64 76 0.01 H
• 10 83 66 79 H
• 11 69 37 42 2.15R T, F, PCPN 1300-2400 MN 0000-1200 48, MX 1200-2400 48
• 12 40 36 38 1.57 F, PCPN 0000-1300
• 13 38 35 37 1.55R T, F, PCPN 0900-2400
• 14 47 38 0.16 F, PCPN 0000-1300
• 15 51 45 50 0.02 F, PCPN 1900-2000
• 16 75 45 71 F
• 17 71 50 67 +F
• 18 77 46 72 F
• 19 78 45 H
• 20 75 49 71
• 21 79 50 75
• 22 78 53 74
• 23 77 63 74 tr. H
• 24 68 54 64 0.58 T, +F, PCPN 1700-2400 MN 0000-1200 67
• 25 66 52 52 0.57 T, +F, A, PCPN 2200-2400
• 26 68 50 67 0.12 +F, PCPN 0000-1200
• 27 69 37 57 0.35 T, F, PCPN 1900-2000, 2300-2400 MN 0000-1200 56
• 28 54 33 50
• 29 70 32 66
• 30 70 49 67
• 31 66 41 61 0.67 T, F., PCPN 0700-0900 MN 0000-1200 50

MARCH 2009, RECORDS AND SUMMARY:

• 08, CHANGED TO DAYLIGHT-SAVING TIME 0800Z;
• 08 RECORD HIGH MINIMUM 68 EQUALED, FIRST SET IN 1974;
• 11TH, RECORD RAINFALL 2.15 INCHES, REPLACES 1.84 FROM 1968;
• 13TH, RECORD RAINFALL 1.55 IN., PREVIOUS RECORD 1.44 IN 1999;
• 13TH RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE 38, EQUALED 38 FROM 1975;
• 20TH, ASTRONOMICAL ONSET OF SPRING 1144Z;
• 29TH LAST FREEZE, GROWING SEASON BEGINS;
• HIGHEST TEMPERATURE 83 ON THE 10TH,
• LOWEST TEMPERATURE 27 ON THE 1ST;
• AVERAGE MAXIMUM 68.4 F.,
• AVERAGE MINIMUM 47.0 F.,
• AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 57.7 F.,
• 2.6 DEG. COOLER THAN NORMAL.
• 269 HEATING DEGREE DAYS,
• 152.0 PERCENT OF NORMAL HEATING DEGREE DAYS.
• 50 COOLING DEGREE DAYS,
• 161.3 PERCENT OF NORMAL COOLING DEGREE-DAYS;
• TOTAL PRECIPITATION 7.76 IN.,
• 3.80 IN. GREATER THAN MONTHLY NORMAL.
• 196.0 PERCENT OF NORMAL MONTHLY PRECIPITATION.
• YEAR-TO-DATE PRECIPITATION 11.03 IN.,
• EQUALS NORMAL YEAR-TO-DATE PRECIPITATION,
• 100.0 PERCENT OF NORMAL YEAR-TO-DATE PRECIPITATION;
• 6 DAYS ON WHICH THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED;
• 14 DAYS ON WHICH THE VISIBILITY WAS RESTRICTED BY FOG, SMOKE, OR HAZE;
• 4 DAYS ON WHICH THE VISIBILITY WAS RESTRICTED TO UNDER 1 MILE BY FOG;
• 0 DAYS ON WHICH THE VISIBILITY WAS RESTRICTED BY DUST OR BLOWING DUST;
• 1 DAYS ON WHICH FROZEN PRECIPITATION WAS OBSERVED;
• 0 IN. TOTAL SNOWFALL.
• 12 DAYS ON WHICH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION OCCURRED.
• 0 DAYS ON WHICH THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE REACHED OR EXCEEDED 90 DEG.;
• 0 DAYS ON WHICH THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE REACHED OR EXCEEDED 100 DEG.;
• 0 DAYS ON WHICH THE TEMPERATURE FAILED TO RISE ABOVE 32 DEG.
• 3 DAYS ON WHICH THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE REACHED OR FELL BELOW 32 DEG.
• 2105 SEASON-TO-DATE HEATING DEGREE DAYS,
• PERCENTAGE OF NORMAL SEASON-TO-DATE HEATING DEGREE DAYS: 111.0,
• 70 YEAR-TO-DATE COOLING DEGREE DAYS.
• PERCENTAGE OF NORMAL YEAR-TO-DATE COOLING DEGREE DAYS: 148.9,
• PRECIPITATION DURING THE PREVIOUS TWELVE MONTHS 55.97 IN.,
• TWELVE-MONTH PRECIPITATION PERCENTAGE 123.6.

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