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March 2012: the Warmest March on Record in
Tulsa, Fort Smith, McAlester, Fayetteville, and Bartlesville

March 2012: the Warmest March on Record in
the contiguous U.S., Oklahoma, and Arkansas

 

March 2012 was the hottest March on record for several locations in eastern Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas, including Tulsa, OK and Fort Smith, AR where over 100 years of long term records exist.  Preliminary numbers also indicate that March 2012 is the hottest March ever for the entire states of Oklahoma and Arkansas (plus 23 other states), as well as for the entire contiguous United States!  Across the country, 15,292 warm temperature records were broken (7,775 daytime records, 7,517 nighttime records).  For more information about why March was so warm across much of the country, visit:
www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/csi/events/2012/marchheatwave/

New Hottest March on Record Set:

Tulsa, OK:  March 2012 was 61.5°F, which is 10.2°F above normal.  This is also warmer than 60% of all Aprils on record!  The previous record was 61.3°F in 1910 (records began in 1905).

Fort Smith, AR: March 2012 was 63.6°F, which is 10.7°F above normal.  This is also warmer than 76% of all Aprils on record!  The previous record was 62.6°F in 1907 (records began in 1883).

McAlester, OK: March 2012 was 62.6°F, which is 9.4°F above normal.  The previous record was 60.9°F in 2007 (records began in 1954 with 2 missing years).

Fayetteville, AR: March 2012 was 57.9°F, which is 9.8°F above normal.  The previous record was 56.2°F in 2007 (records began in 1950).

Bartlesville, OK: March 2012 was 59.1°F, which is 10.3°F above normal.  This ties the record in 1921 (records began in 1920 with 3 missing years).

So does having the hottest March mean that we are going to have a hot April and May this year too?  Does this mean a another hot summer too?  The March temperature doesn't tell us anything about what the next month will be like, let alone several months into the future.  The tables below provide the Top 10 Hottest Marches and how the following April, May, and Summer for those years ranked.  Take a look at 1907 for example: 1907 was the 4th warmest March in Tulsa, followed by the coldest April and May on record!  In Fort Smith, March 1907 was the 2nd warmest March, followed by the 2nd coldest April and the Coldest May on record!

Find more information about Tulsa temperatures and Fort Smith temperatures from the Weather Record Book websites.  Additional information, including other cities in eastern Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas, can be found from the NWS Tulsa local climate website.

 

Top 10 Warmest Marches Tulsa
(ave. temp)
Following April Following May Following Summer
1.)  61.5°F  2012

 10th  Warmest

2nd Warmest 6th Warmest
 2.)  61.3°F  1910  45th Coldest 12th Coldest

31st Coldest

 3.)  60.7°F  2007  13th Warmest 32nd Warmest  50th Warmest
 4.)  60.3°F  1907  1st  Coldest 1st   Coldest  35th Coldest
 5.)  59.2°F  1938 50th Warmest  51st Warmest  37th Coldest
 6.)  58.9°F  1936  31st Warmest  4th Warmest  3rd Warmest
 7.)  57.8°F  1935 26th Coldest  11th Coldest  27th Warmest
 8.)  57.7°F  1921  46th Coldest  18th Warmest 45th Warmest
 9.)  57.1°F  1946  13th Warmest  5th   Coldest 44th Coldest
 10.) 56.7°F  1925  1st Warmest 53rd Coldest  6th Warmest
10.) 56.7°F  1905 54th Coldest 47th Coldest  24th Coldest

Tulsa records go back to 1905 (107 years)

Top 10 Warmest Marches Fort Smith (ave. temp) Following April Following May Following Summer
1.)  63.6°F  2012  3rd Warmest  1st Warmest  6th Warmest
2.)  62.6°F  1907  2nd Coldest  1st   Coldest 64th Coldest
3.)  61.9°F  1910 34th Coldest 10th Coldest  40th Coldest
 4.)  60.8°F  1921  39th Coldest  34th Warmest  42nd Warmest
 5.)  60.5°F  2007 10th Coldest 39th Warmest  50th Warmest
6.)  60.2°F  1938  48th Warmest 44th Warmest 17th Warmest
7.)  59.4°F  1908  57th Warmest  62nd Warmest 24th Coldest
 8.)  58.7°F  1905  57th Coldest  53rd Warmest 29th Coldest
 9.)  58.5°F  1945  51st Warmest 34th Coldest 30th Coldest
 10.) 58.3°F  1967  10th Warmest  27th Coldest  14th Coldest

Fort Smith records go back to 1883 (129 years)

 

 Daily "warmest" Temperature Records Set or Tied in March 2012:

 

Tulsa, OK New Record Date Previous Record
Minimum Temperature 63°F March 14 58°F  1944
Minimum Temperature 65°F March 15 64°F  1905
Minimum Temperature 65°F March 16 58°F  1982
Minimum Temperature 68°F March 17 65°F  2011
Minimum Temperature 67°F March 18 63°F  1933
Mean Temperature 69°F (tied) March 14 69°F  1977
Mean Temperature 73°F March 15 71°F  1921
Mean Temperature 72°F March 16 70°F  1982
Mean Temperature 73°F (tied) March 30 73°F  1967
Tulsa records go back to 1905 (107 years)

 

Fort Smith, AR New Record Date Previous Record
Maximum Temperature 87°F (tied) March 17 87°F  1921
Maximum Temperature 85°F (tied) March 26 85°F  1925
Minimum Temperature 63°F (tied) March   7 63°F  1974
Minimum Temperature 61°F March 14 59°F  1921
Minimum Temperature 65°F (tied) March 15 65°F  1919
Minimum Temperature 62°F March 16 60°F  1921
Minimum Temperature 66°F March 17 60°F  1908
Minimum Temperature 66°F (tied) March 18 66°F  1921
Mean Temperature 72°F March 14 70°F  1938
Mean Temperature 73°F March 15 72°F  1921
Mean Temperature 73°F March 16 71°F  1982
Mean Temperature 77°F March 17 72°F  1921
Fort Smith records go back to 1883 (129 years)
Fayetteville, AR New Record Date Previous Record
Maximum Temperature 78°F (tied) March 16 78°F  1982
Maximum Temperature 79°F (tied) March 18 79°F  2009
Maximum Temperature 78°F (tied) March 25 78°F  2007, 1991, 1989
Maximum Temperature 80°F (tied) March 26 80°F  1991
Maximum Temperature 78°F (tied) March 27 78°F  2008, 1956
Minimum Temperature 56°F (tied) March 14 56°F  2002, 1989
Minimum Temperature 60°F March 15 57°F  1987
Minimum Temperature 60°F March 16 56°F  1987
Minimum Temperature 63°F March 17 57°F  1966
Minimum Temperature 64°F March 18 61°F  1979
Mean Temperature 67°F March 14 66°F  2002
Mean Temperature 68°F March 15 66°F  1983
Mean Temperature 69°F March 16 65°F  1982
Mean Temperature 72°F March 17 66°F  1966
Mean Temperature 72°F March 18 66°F  1982, 1963
Fayetteville records to back to 1950 (62 years)

 

McAlester, OK New Record Date Previous Record
Maximum Temperature 82°F March 25 81°F  2000, 1963
Maximum Temperature 84°F March 26 81°F  2000
Minimum Temperature 66°F March 14 61°F  1996
Minimum Temperature 67°F March 15 57°F  1961
Minimum Temperature 66°F March 16 61°F  1987
Minimum Temperature 67°F March 17 58°F  1982
Mean Temperature 73°F March 14 70°F  2002
Mean Temperature 73°F March 15 70°F  1961
Mean Temperature 72°F March 16 70°F  1982
Mean Temperature 73°F March 17 71°F  2011
Mean Temperature 72°F (tied) March 18 72°F  1974
Mean Temperature 72°F (tied) March 27 72°F  1956
McAlester records go back to 1954 with 2 years missing (58 years)

 

March 2012 state temperature ranking March 2012 state rain ranking
State temperature rankings for March 2012 State precipitation rankings for March 2012
March 2012 state temperature departure
March 2012 temperature departure from normal

 

Updated: March 15, 2013