MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... May 11, 2015 May 11, 2015 May 11, 2015 May 11, 2015
Biblical proportions
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20150511/wet-people.jpg
I'm not even going to ask you this time. Yes, we've had enough. Even for those folks out west with lakes that were down around 10% of capacity ("were" being the key word there), they're probably waving the white flag, at least for a couple of days. I don't even know where to begin describing this rain, but obviously it has been a drought ender and/or denter, depending on where you're at. Just take a look at the Mesonet rainfall maps for the last 7, 14 and 30 days.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20150511/7day-rainfall.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20150511/14-day-rainfall.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20150511/30day-rainfall.png
At 30 days, poor Cheyenne out in Roger Mills County, once so proud of their 14+ inches of rainfall in a couple of weeks, has been surpassed by several locations across central and south central Oklahoma. Looks like Durant has taken the lead at 30 days with 17.22 inches, but Minco is a close second at 16.42 inches. Now we also have to recognize that some areas have not been so fortunate. Far NE OK as well as some parts of NW and the Panhandle have ONLY received 5-6 inches (2-3 inches for the Panhandle).
Now let's look at how some of this rain stacks up historically. And remember, with these maps, we're just using the Mesonet gauge data...the radar-gauge estimated data isn't included. Let's start with April 1 through this morning, since that's really when all this drought relief of some sort or another started in earnest. Actually it started in Cheyenne, but you know what I mean.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20150511/apr1-may11-totals.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20150511/apr1-may11-depart.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20150511/apr1-may11-pct.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20150511/apr1-may11-stats.png So the statewide average since April 1 is 9.96", 5.1 inches above normal and the 2nd wettest such period since at least 1921. And that is significant since it is occurring during the west season. You get the 2nd wettest winter Jan. 1-Feb. 11 on record and that would also be significant, but THIS is the time of year when that really matters. This is the time of year when we need that rainfall and can get ahead of the demands and still eradicate drought.
Now that we're into May, the REAL wet season (basically our wettest part of the year runs from early May through about mid-June), high-ranking rainfalls matter even more (again).
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20150511/may1-11-totals.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20150511/may1-11-depart.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20150511/may1-11-pct.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20150511/may1-11-stats.png
WOW again! The statewide average for May 1-11 is 5.13 inches, 3.5 inches above normal and the 3rd wettest such period since at least 1921. And for the SW, SC and SE part of the state, THE wettest such period since 1921. That's how you end (or put a heckuva dent) in drought.
Short-term impacts are over, basically. No more fire danger, no more dry topsoils, medium-depth soils are saturated. Even the lower depths are mostly saturated, so there we start alleviating the long-term impacts.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20150511/2in-fwi.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20150511/10inc-fwi.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20150511/24inch-fwi.png
The western OK lakes have responded:
Altus-Lugert: 32% and still rising Tom Steed: 42% and still rising (this is the Altus drinking water supply) Foss: 43% and still rising Waurika: 41% and rising fast Canton: 30% and rising incrementally
Canton is a bit disappointing, but it has a smaller watershed and also it hasn't rained across it to the NW as much, so less water flowing in. But it is rising in fits and spurts nevertheless. Skiatook Lake up in Osage County is finally responding to precip and has come up a couple of feet to 58% of capacity. Still a long way to go on some of those lakes, but the fact that they are responding to the rains is what matters. You can completely eradicate drought and still have a lake at 50% of capacity as long as it is responding to rain.
And the rain ain't over yet. There is still the chance for bigtime rains coming up on Wednesday and then into the weekend. I'm not sure southern Oklahoma needs another 3-4 inches of rain, but it's painted on the map!
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20150511/7day-rain-forecast.gif
Last and worst, it was cold this morning for it being May 11th! COLD! Check out the minimum wind chill map from the Mesonet.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20150511/todays-min-windchills.png
20sk 30s and 40s? ARE YOU KIDDING ME PRIVATE PYLE? That's ridiculous. The morning lows weren't much better. These aren't too far off of record lows for the day.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20150511/morning-lows.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20150511/record-lows.png
A month ago, I never thought I would have been saying this, but enjoy these rain-free days today and tomorrow. We really need a break!
Gary McManus State Climatologist Oklahoma Mesonet Oklahoma Climatological Survey (405) 325-2253 gmcmanus@mesonet.org
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