Special Weather Statement
Dept Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences UCLA
7:45 AM PDT Wednesday, 04 April 2012

This March was a little drier than normal. The total for the month was 2.27 inches.
Normal is 2.84 inches(last year 6.27 inches fell...9th wettest March in campus
history). This was the fifth out of the last six Marches to be drier than normal
(under an inch in each year 2007-2010). There were four measurable rain days this
month(one less day than normal). The first event didn't begin till the 16th. Very
light drizzle fell during the mid-morning hours. More significant showers began mid-
evening of that day. Occasional rain fell for most of the next calendar day. There were
brief bursts of intense rain between 7:09 AM and 9:04 AM. For the one minute, 8:58-8:59,
the maximum rainfall rate reached 1.8 inches per hour. Based on recordings in Greenwich
Mean Time, the daily totals between the 16th and 18th were Trace, 0.73 inch, and 0.12
inch, respectively. Early morning mist was observed on the 23rd, but the ground hardly
became wet(no "trace" amount recorded). Rain began in the pre-dawn hours of the 25th.
Much of the calendar day had wet weather. Occasional intense rain fell between 10:06 AM
and 1:58 PM. Also, occasional intense rain from showers occurred between 8:03 PM and
9:55 PM. A maximum rainfall rate of 1.8 inches per hour occurred for a minute between
1:47 - 1:48 PM. The final showers ended before 3 AM on the 26th. The recorded totals for
the 25th and 26th were 0.98 inch and 0.44 inch, respectively. On the last day of the
month(31st), light drizzle was probable early in the morning. There may also have been
brief showers late in the morning. Measurable rain fell early to mid-evening of the local
calendar day(the storm total of 0.07 inch, however, was recorded on 1 April). No rainfall
records were set or tied this month.

This month was cooler than normal. The average temperature of 57.8 degrees was the lowest
since 2006(54.1 degrees that year). It ranked tied for 24th coolest average temperature
in March(2002). Normal is 59.3 degrees. The average maximum temperature of 65.5 degrees
was 1.9 degrees below normal(tied with year 1990 for 24th coolest in this category). The
average minimum temperature of 50.0 degrees was 1.2 degrees below normal(tied with years
1932,1957, and 1979 for 28th coolest in the category). There were three days(4th,5th,9th)
reaching at least 80 degrees(one day more than normal). There were also five days(16th-
19th,25th) where the maximum temperature failed to reach 60 degrees(two days more than 
normal). Looking at daily minimums this month, four days fell to 45 degrees or lower(8th,
18th-20th). Normal would be three days. The highest temperature of the month was 85 degrees
on the 4th. Record high temperatures included 82 degrees on the 5th(tied with 2007) and
a record high minimum of 65 degrees also on the 5th(old record was 61 degrees in 2007).
The lowest temperature of the month was 42 degrees on the 19th. The only cool temperature
record was a tie for record low maximum on the 18th. The maximum that day was only 55 degrees
(first occurrence in 1982).

There was only one day this month where visibility may have fallen to a mile or less. Light
fog may have reached the campus during the midnight hour(only for a short time) on the 6th.
The visibility may have briefly fallen to 1 mile.

Significant wind(at least 25 mph gusts) occurred on eight days this month. The month began
with brisk northwest to north-northwest winds in the late evening hours. The peak wind
gust on the 1st was a northwest wind to 38 mph(11:07 PM). Breezy weather continued till
1:23 AM on the 2nd. Breezy weather resumed for much of the afternoon hours. The peak gust
on the 2nd was northwest to 28 mph(3:17 PM). The sea breeze blew briskly mid-afternoon on
the 6th, but it was windier that evening. The highest wind gust of the month occurred at
9:25 PM on the 6th with a reading of 42 mph(north-northwest). The breezy weather continued
for much of the 7th(dying down for good late afternoon). The maximum gust that day was
29 mph(north at 4:38 AM, north-northwest at 4:49 AM, and northwest at 9:53 AM). Occasionally
brisk southwest winds blew late afternoon on the 9th. The maximum wind gust was 25 mph(4:50 PM).
Periodic breezy weather prevailed on the 17th from early morning till late afternoon. The
direction started as south-southeast, but it veered to southwest by mid-morning. A maximum
sustained southwest wind to 26 mph occurred at 2:44 PM(gusted to 34 mph). The peak gust
that day was southwest to 35 mph(3:16, 3:35 PM). Brisk southwest winds occurred on the 18th
from late morning till early evening. The day's maximum sustained wind was 25 mph(3:02 PM),
and the maximum gust was 34 mph(12:47 PM). The final significant wind day was on the 25th.
Occasionlly brisk southeast winds started mid-morning. The wind veered to southwest by 2:38 PM.
The wind died down after 3:18 PM. The peak sustained wind of the month occurred on this day.
A southwest wind to 27 mph occurred at 3:07 PM. A maximum wind gust of 36 mph occurred at that
time as as well as at 2:41 PM.
[Note: Sustained wind refers to a one minute average while gust is instantaneous.]

J. Murakami

Rainfall in inches
24 hour rainfall measured from Midnight to Midnight, Greenwich Mean Time
Normals are defined using a 30 year mean from 1981-2010
UCLA records date back to 1932
All times given in Pacific Standard Time