Record Warmth, Tornadoes Highlight Historic March

Oklahoma seemingly took a detour from February straight into July during what became the warmest March on record for the state. The unusual heat arrived on the heels of both the warmest winter and February on record. The records didn’t stop there, as the state also experienced its highest March temperature on record and a record number of tornadoes. The heat combined with dry and windy conditions to intensify the state’s ongoing drought and elevate wildfire danger. 

Record warmth shatters March temperature marks 

Oklahoma’s statewide average temperature finished at 60.3 degrees in March, 9.1 degrees above normal and the warmest March since records began in 1895. The previous record of 59.6 degrees was set in 2012. March also helped drive the warmest first three months of the year on record, with a January–March average of 49.5 degrees, 5.5 degrees above normal. The sustained warmth extends even further back, with the July 2025–March 2026 period ranking as the warmest on record at 4.1 degrees above normal, part of a broader stretch of record warmth over the past nine months. Oklahoma’s first triple-digit temperatures of 2026 arrived early, on March 20, when Altus, Elk City, Hollis and Mangum reached at least 100 degrees. The heat peaked on March 26 when the Oklahoma Mesonet site at Beaver reached 106 degrees, the highest temperature ever recorded in Oklahoma during March, surpassing the previous record of 104 degrees set at Frederick on March 27, 1971. In all, there were 478 readings of at least 90 degrees across the 120 Mesonet sites during March, including 14 readings at or above 100 degrees.

March tornado count sets record

Oklahoma recorded a preliminary total of 20 tornadoes during March, according to the National Weather Service, surpassing the previous record of 17 set in 1991. That brings the year-to-date total to 25 tornadoes, well above the long-term averages of 4 for March and 5.2 for January through March (1950–2025). Eighteen of the 20 tornadoes occurred during a concentrated outbreak on March 5–6. The most significant storm was an EF3 tornado that struck near Beggs in Okmulgee County on the evening of March 6, heavily damaging the middle and high school complexes and destroying multiple homes and businesses. The tornado killed two people and injured two others as it tracked 6.8 miles with a maximum width of 950 yards. Another deadly tornado occurred on March 5 near Fairview, where an EF2 tornado struck a vehicle along U.S. Highway 60, killing two occupants. An additional EF2 tornado near Glover in McCurtain County destroyed a residence and injured one person. Two other EF2 tornadoes were also confirmed during the month. 

Drought coverage eases slightly as severity surges

Below-normal rainfall during March helped drive worsening drought conditions across Oklahoma. The statewide average precipitation totaled 1.32 inches, 1.46 inches below normal. The good news is the total amount of drought in the state decreased slightly during the month, by about 3%, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The bad news is that drought intensity increased sharply, with the amount of the state in at least severe (D2) drought rising from 32% to 62%. Reports from across Oklahoma detailed damage to an already ailing wheat crop, partial liquidation of cattle herds requiring supplemental feed and water, and the drying of farm ponds. Lake Lugert-Altus fell to 22 feet below normal by the end of March, while multiple major reservoirs across the state reported levels 3–7 feet below normal.

March by the numbers

• Statewide average temperature: 60.3°F, 9.1°F above normal — the warmest March since records began in 1895
• Temperature extremes: High of 106°F at Beaver on March 26; low of 5°F at Eva on March 16; lowest wind chill, –6°F at Eva on March 16
• Temperatures of 90 degrees or above: 478 instances recorded at the 120 Oklahoma Mesonet sites, including 14 at or above 100°F
• Warmest and coolest locations: Highest monthly average, 64.3°F at Waurika; lowest, 54.2°F at Kenton
• Statewide average precipitation: 1.32 inches, 1.46 inches below normal — the 29th-driest March since 1895
• Rainfall extremes: High of 5.18 inches at Pryor; no precipitation recorded at six Mesonet sites
• Highest Mesonet wind gusts (mph): Medicine Park, March 15: 67; Vinita, March 6: 65 ; Alva, March 6: 65; Altus, Goodwell, and Mangum, March 15: 64

April outlook shows east-west divide

The Climate Prediction Center’s (CPC) April outlook indicates increased odds of above-normal precipitation across all but far northwest Oklahoma, with the greatest odds across the eastern half of the state. The outlook also shows increased odds of above-normal temperatures statewide. The CPC’s April drought outlook calls for drought to persist across the western one-third of Oklahoma, but improvement, with possible drought removal, across other sections of the state.