Daily Historical Weather for March 1

A large wildfire greatly affected Lincoln and Stephens Counties on March 1, 2006. Strong winds, coupled with very dry air and record temperatures in the 90s, allowed wildfires to spread quickly, especially around the towns of Duncan and Chandler. Many residents were evacuated and property damage reached $15 million dollars with $250,000 in crop damage. In its wake, several firefighters were injured and unfortunately one firefighter died from extensive burns.

A winter storm commenced on this day in 2002 as an arctic cold front plunged into Oklahoma and north Texas. Precipitation started shortly after the front came through, beginning as freezing rain and sleet, before tapering off to snow across northern and central Oklahoma.

Daily Historical Weather for March 2

An upper-level storm system and associated cold front affected much of northwest Oklahoma on this day back in 2008. Several supercell thunderstorms developed along a dry line ahead of the cold front, while an additional line of storms developed along the cold front. One small tornado, rated F0, touched down in Blaine County and 4.25 inch hail was reported in the town of Buffalo, in Harper County.

On its second day to affect the region, a winter storm continued on this day in 2002. During the early morning hours, freezing rain turned to snow over a large part of Oklahoma. The highest amounts of snow were seen over northern Oklahoma, where the freezing rain changed to snow quicker. Up to 5 inches of snow was reported in the Enid area, with just a couple of inches reported over central Oklahoma, southward to the Red River Valley.

Daily Historical Weather for March 3

The cold front that brought severe weather the previous day, brought much cooler air to the region in 2008. The accompanying upper-level storm system blanketed parts of Oklahoma with as much as 5 inches of snow, with the highest totals reported in Atoka and Bryan counties.

A strong cold front that passed through Oklahoma on March 3rd, 1966, brought very strong winds that lasted through the 5th. Grass fires, aided by the strong winds, burned more than 3,000 acres near McAlester, and destroyed homes at Seminole and near Stillwater. Peak wind gusts included 70 MPH at Stillwater, 63 MPH at Gage, 60 MPH at Oklahoma City, 55 MPH at Ardmore, and 46 MPH at Hobart.

Daily Historical Weather for March 4

A winter storm that started as sleet and freezing rain, and later changed to snow across western north Texas and southeast Oklahoma, occurred on March 4th and 5th, 1989. Near blizzard conditions occurred the morning of the 5th, when strong winds blew and drifted the already deep snow. The axis of heaviest snow extended from Healdton, in south-central Oklahoma, to Pauls Valley and Chandler. Sixteen inches of snow fell in Pauls Valley, and drifts of three to six feet were common. Over western north Texas, a band of snow 9 to 11 inches deep stretched from Coleman to Wichita Falls. The 9.7 inch snowfall on the 5th at Wichita Falls set their record for greatest snowfall for any one day in the month of March. This all occurred after the high temperature at Wichita Falls reached 83 just two days earlier.

Daily Historical Weather for March 5

Near blizzard conditions occurred over northern and central Oklahoma during a winter storm on March 5, 1959. Up to 7 inches of snow accumulated, and winds up to 50 MPH created snow drifts four to eight feet deep. In Edmond, a bus slid off the road into a ditch and overturned, injuring 16 people.

Daily Historical Weather for March 6

Although spring begins in March, the month is known for its infrequent, but significant snowstorms. This often leads to some impressive snow totals for the month. In Oklahoma City, three of the five greatest monthly snowfalls ever recorded were in March. The March 1924 amount of 20.7 inches is the greatest monthly snowfall ever recorded in Oklahoma City.

Daily Historical Weather for March 7

On this day in 2000, a line of severe storms moved out of the Texas panhandle into western Oklahoma and western north Texas during the late afternoon. Widespread structural damage from severe winds, one brief tornado, and large hail accompanied this line of storms. Most of the damage occurred over western Oklahoma and western north Texas before the storms weakened across central Oklahoma during the evening.

Daily Historical Weather for March 8

An early season severe thunderstorm event occurred across Oklahoma and western north Texas on this date in 2010. Although there was some sporadic wind damage across Baylor and Wichita counties in Texas, two tornadoes occurred over far west-central Oklahoma. These tornadoes tracked on the south side of Hammon, in Roger Mills county, and just north of Butler, in Custer county. One tornado destroyed a mobile home just south of Hammon. Two people inside the home escaped injury-free as they sought shelter in an underground storm cellar.

A cold front initiated severe thunderstorms over much of northern Texas, and southern and central Oklahoma, on this date in 1992. Four minor tornadoes occurred, along with widespread large hail. Softball size hail fell just east of Ratliff City in Carter County. High winds and hail destroyed several buildings in the Ardmore area, and across western north Texas, three-inch diameter hail fell just south of Holliday, in Archer County.

Daily Historical Weather for March 9

Large temperature contrasts across Oklahoma are not too unusual in the early spring. This can result in part of the state experiencing severe winter weather, while the rest of the state has to deal with hail and high winds from severe thunderstorms. This was the case on March 8th and 9th, 1994, as central and northern parts of Oklahoma were covered with heavy snow, while southern Oklahoma had severe thunderstorms. Snow accumulations of 6 to 10 inches were common across the northern half of the state.

Daily Historical Weather for March 10

The 8.1 inch snowfall in Oklahoma City on March 10, 1948, was the eighth greatest 24 hour snowfall total for the city.

Daily Historical Weather for March 11

March 11, 1948, was a nippy day across the Southern Plains. Both Oklahoma City and Wichita Falls set new record lows for the month of March, with 1 degree at Oklahoma City and 6 degrees at Wichita Falls. The high of only 16 degrees at Oklahoma City was also the coldest daily maximum temperature ever recorded in March.

Daily Historical Weather for March 12

A late season snowstorm affected most of Oklahoma on March 11th and 12th, 1968. Snow accumulations from southwest to central Oklahoma averaged 4 to 8 inches, while 12 to 16 inch amounts covered the northeast part of the state. The heavy snow was blown into 4-foot drifts by winds gusting 30 to 50 MPH.

Daily Historical Weather for March 13

Hail and wind damage was extensive across parts of western north Texas, beginning just before midnight on March 13, 1982. Several million dollars in damage occurred from Electra to Burkburnett. Golf ball-size hail fell for 15 minutes in Electra, completely covering the ground.

Tornado season started early in 1990. Sixty tornadoes occurred across the central and southern plains states on March 14th that year. Ten of the tornadoes were in Oklahoma, along with widespread large hail and high winds. One tornado touched down near Bradley, then struck the Noble area, just south of Norman. The stadiums press box at Noble High School was destroyed, as was the scoreboard. A second tornado overturned a five ton crane near Ratliff City, in Carter County.

Daily Historical Weather for March 14

On this date back in 1999, much of northern Oklahoma dug out of one of the more significant snowstorms in recent Oklahoma history. Snow accumulations of over a foot were recorded across much of north-central and northeast Oklahoma, with a maximum storm total of 20 inches in Pond Creek, north of Enid. A snow burst, accompanied by lightning and thunder, may have contributed to a 30 car pileup on the Turner Turnpike in Lincoln County.

Daily Historical Weather for March 15

An F3 tornado hit the city of Ada on March 15, 1982, killing one person and injuring 36 at a mobile home park. Sixty-eight trailers were damaged or destroyed, with damages totaling $2 million.

Daily Historical Weather for March 16

On March 16, 1965, a fast moving tornado touched down several times across Grant and Kay counties in northern Oklahoma, causing widespread damage. The tornado first touched down southwest of Nash, destroying a church, a parsonage, and a steel grainery. Five farmsteads were heavily damaged and one person was injured near Medford. In the Deer Creek area, six farmsteads were destroyed, and a 262 foot microwave tower was downed north of Braman.

Daily Historical Weather for March 17

Winter was not quite over yet on March 16th and 17th, 1988. A snowstorm left more than 4 inches of wet snow across much of northwest and north-central Oklahoma. A few locations in northwest Oklahoma received as much as 15 inches of snow.

Daily Historical Weather for March 18

March 1907 was quite warm in Oklahoma City. Nine daily records remain, including three daily high temperature records and six daily records for warmest low temperature. March 1907 also holds the records for the hottest temperature ever recorded in March, 97 degrees, and the warmest low temperature ever recorded in March, 68 degrees. Overall, the month ranked as the second warmest March ever, with an average temperature of 59.5 degrees, slightly more than nine degrees above average.

Daily Historical Weather for March 19

March 19th is known both for record heat and record snowfall. On March 19, 1907, the highest March temperature in Oklahoma City was set when the temperature soared to 97 degrees, while March 19, 1924, brought the third highest daily snowfall total to Oklahoma City with 11.3 inches.

Daily Historical Weather for March 20

A powerful tornado struck Tinker Air Force Base on March 20, 1948. The storm destroyed 54 aircraft, including 17 transport planes valued at $500,000 a piece. Total damage amounted to more than $10 million, a record for the state that stood until the massive tornado outbreak of May 3, 1999. The tornado prompted the first attempt at tornado forecasting. Five days later, forecasters at Tinker believed conditions were again favorable for tornadoes, and issued the first recorded tornado forecast. A tornado did in fact strike the base later that day.

A late winter storm tracked along the Red River on this date in 2010. Widespread snow fell, with the greatest accumulations across north-central into northeast Oklahoma, where four to seven inches accumulated. Farther south though the Oklahoma City metro and portions of south-central Oklahoma, most snow accumulation averages ranged from two to four slushy inches.

Daily Historical Weather for March 21

Severe thunderstorms produced 11 tornadoes across central and eastern Oklahoma on March 21, 1991. The city of Ada was hardest hit when two tornadoes struck within five minutes. Six homes were destroyed, 131 were damaged, and three mobile homes were destroyed. Despite the destruction, only two people were slightly injured. A third tornado occurred near the town of Caney, in Atoka County. A freight train was derailed, with 31 of its cars overturned.

Daily Historical Weather for March 22

The first tornado to be recorded in Oklahoma City came on March 22, 1893. It destroyed 14 buildings and injured four people as it passed through the center of town. There was minor damage to the Weather Bureau office, then located at Grand and Robinson in south Oklahoma City. The Weather Bureau was a precursor to the National Weather Service.

Daily Historical Weather for March 23

Up until the year 2006, March 23rd had stood as the only day in March that Oklahoma City had not seen measurable snowfall. In 2006, 1.6 inches of snow was measured.

Daily Historical Weather for March 24

On this day in 2002, several supercell thunderstorms developed during the evening hours, along and just behind a strong cold front. Very large hail and damaging wind gusts accompanied the storms, with some hail the size of baseballs. The hardest it areas were central parts of Oklahoma, especially the towns of Tuttle and Shawnee.

Daily Historical Weather for March 25

On March 25, 1995, severe thunderstorms developed over western portions of Oklahoma during the morning hours. Hail, equal to or larger than golf balls, was reported from Laverne, down to near Altus.

Daily Historical Weather for March 26

On March 26, 1991, severe thunderstorms across much of north-central and northwest Oklahoma produced a total of five tornadoes. Four of the tornadoes were weak, but the fifth was much stronger. That tornado traversed a 67-mile long path from just northeast of Nash, in Grant County, northeastward into southern Kansas.

Daily Historical Weather for March 27

Record setting snow accumulations were seen on this day in 2009 across parts of northwest Oklahoma as a late season snow storm hit. A powerful cold front swept through the area dropping temperatures in the 20s and 30s, with winds gusting over 40 MPH. Snowfall rates were impressive, with areas across northwest Oklahoma receiving 2 inches of accumulating snow per hour. The snow ended on the 28th with a record 26 inches of snow in Woodward and Freedom, with a foot of snow more common. Roads were impassable and businesses were shutdown as roofs collapsed from the weight of the snow.

On March 26, 2004, a widespread severe weather outbreak occurred across western and central Oklahoma. Baseball-size hail was reported on highway 183 near Clinton, and a few tornadoes occurred near Sharon, in Woodward County, where a car was blown off of the road and some livestock was killed. Several structures across the affected areas were damaged from severe hail and strong winds. When the event ended just before 10 PM, the Norman Forecast Office had issued a total of 66 severe weather warnings.

On March 27, 1971, the temperature climbed to 100 degrees at Wichita Falls. This set the records for earliest occurrence in the year of 100 degrees, and the warmest day ever in March.

Daily Historical Weather for March 28

Grapefruit size hail fell on the southern part of Oklahoma City during the late afternoon of March 28, 1988. The hail, along with winds gusting to 70 MPH, destroyed 1,500 new cars at the General Motors plant. Total damage around the city came to about $35 million. Other severe thunderstorms that day produced three weak tornadoes and baseball-size hail over other parts of central and southern Oklahoma. Hail damage in Stephens County exceeded $18 million.

Daily Historical Weather for March 29

Widespread severe weather across Oklahoma and western north Texas caused extensive damage on March 29th and 30th, 1993. In Oklahoma, baseball-size hail, flash flooding, and high winds caused $1 million to $2 million in damage in Waurika. Several weak tornadoes also caused damage in Lincoln and McClain Counties. Over western north Texas, hail larger than baseballs fell at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, and baseball-size hail fell in Crowell.

Daily Historical Weather for March 30

Back in 1991, the month of March was historic, with respect to tornadoes. Seventeen tornadoes occurred during the month, setting an all-time record. Oklahoma experiences about 4 tornadoes during an average month of March.

Daily Historical Weather for March 31

On March 31, 2008, a powerful low pressure system developed over northwest Oklahoma, with a dry line extending south from the low. As a result, numerous severe thunderstorms developed across western Oklahoma during the late afternoon hours and moved into central Oklahoma during the evening. Hail larger than the size of baseballs and winds gusting to 60 MPH were frequently reported as the storms advanced eastward. A few tornadoes were also reported, one of which affected the Oklahoma City area, with several homes and businesses damaged.

A round of severe storms on March 31, 1959, caused damage across much of Oklahoma. In Noble and Pawnee Counties, tornadoes caused damage to farms, while in Shawnee, a golf ball-sized hailstone knocked one person unconscious. Baseball-size hail fell in Thackerville, with some stones as large as 11 to 12 inches in circumference. This created holes in roofs, windshields, and even produced craters in the ground.