Ticker for April 4, 2000

                
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April 4, 2000      April 4, 2000      April 4, 2000      April 4, 2000


More Freeze Data

April freezes are a concern to many who grow plants commercially and
recreationally.

Here's a map of frost/freeze durations from last night and this
morning:  


The blue numbers indicate time (in hours) below freezing, and the
offset red numbers represent time at or below 28 F.

Conspicuous in their absence are Woodward, Cheyenne and Medicine Park.
All of these stations are located on ridges, relative to the surrounding
terrain.  Therefore, all else being equal, the coldest air would drain
away from stations into lower terrain.

Take a look at the Woodward and Camargo meteograms:



Again, Woodward is located on a modest ridge, while Camargo lies in
the Canadian River valley.  The meteograms look roughly the same, except
for slightly warmer overnight temps and slightly stronger overnight
winds at the higher Woodward station.

So, even though the Oklahoma Mesonet offers quality automated data
of unparalleled resolution, it's still important to remember that
local terrain is important, especially in regard to minimum
temperatures.