According to the National Weather Service, there are three cities that had record or close to record extreme temperatures in March of this year – Death Valley, Denver and of course, the Big D. Since we don’t live in Death Valley or Denver, let’s talk about the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex instead. I actually thought this article would address the extreme fluctuations in temperature for March…but it didn’t. And on second thought, it’s pretty common for us to go from the forties to eighties in no time. And that’s just fine with me as variety is the spice of life. However, it is a little disconcerting to know that last month, it was literally “bone dry” in the Metroplex. Although the lack of rain wasn’t at a record low, all we had was 0.07 inches, making it the second-lowest total in history for March here. The record-breaker was in 1925, with a total of just 0.02 inches. From October 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011, the Metroplex has received about 9.1 inches of rain, which is only 44% of our average precipitation total. So we are literally now in a “moderate to severe drought.” This phenomenon has pretty much hit all of Texas as well. Lakes are at low levels, grass isn’t as green, we have to water our lawns more, and the potential for fires is much greater. I’m sure you share my sentiments when I say I truly hope that April showers bring May flowers!