MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... November 17, 2016 November 17, 2016 November 17, 2016 November 17, 2016
Drought for the Holidays, COME ON DOWN!
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/Dec-Feb-drought.outlook.png
That new U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook from CPC paints a really nasty picture for the SE U.S. through Oklahoma into the High Plains. Where drought exists in Oklahoma, it's expected to persist (brown). And then drought development is considered likely across much of the rest of Oklahoma (yellow). This builds off of the new U.S. Drought Monitor map released this morning showing more intensification across SE through NW OK.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/20161115_OK_trd.png
A very unwelcome visitor, Extreme (D3) drought has made an appearance in the state for the first time since Oct. 20, 2015. Granted, it's but a small sliver across far southern McCurtain County, but this connects to the area in the SE U.S. where bigtime drought is going strong, becoming one of their worst drought's in history.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/20161115_usdm_home.png
Our drought is fueled by rainfall deficits that date back to summer, but again, we can just show you the last 30 days to 180 days to get the gist of what's going on.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/last30days-totals.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/last30dayspct.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/last30days-stats.png
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/last180days-totals.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/last180daysdepart.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/last180days-stats.png
Now the poor outlook for winter, at least as far as drought goes, is being driven by the La Nina-fueled December-February outlooks, where increased odds of above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation are the rule.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/dec-feb-temp-outlook.gif http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/dec-feb-precip-outlook.gif
Now I'm going to give you the same caution that I've given many times during these types of outlooks. Even if we DO have a warmer- and drier-than-normal winter, and intensifying drought, that does not mean no snow. What it means is that at the end of February when we average up all the highs and lows and weather events, over that three months we were warmer and drier than normal.
No duh, right? So it's an amalgam of all the separate weather events over that three month time frame. So you might have warmer days on average more often than not, but that overwhelms a few mighty cold and mighty snowy weather systems. And THAT doesn't have to happen either. It's just a possibility despite the outlooks.
Well the types of days we had yesterday don't help the drought situation. We set records all over the place, with Buffalo's 90 degrees on the Mesonet being the highest temperature EVER recorded on a Nov. 16 in Oklahoma, beating Ft. Reno's 89 degrees wayyyyyy back on Nov. 16, 1894. Oakwood also reached 89 degrees back in 1921. Then there was the wind. All of that saps moisture from the soil, desiccates crops and evaporates flagging farm ponds.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/yesterdays-highs.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/nov16-record-highs.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/yesterday.gust.gif
And we'll see more of the same today, with more high fire danger (and drought intensification). Maybe no temperature records, but well above normal nonetheless. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/todays-forecast-highs.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/nov17-record-highs.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/today.gust.gif
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/todays-forecast-highs.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/nov17-record-highs.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/today.gust.gif http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/latest.oklahoma.winds.gif http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/latest.oklahoma.fire.gif
As for drought relieving rains? No.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/7day-rain-forecast.gif
No.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/nov24-30-precip-outlook.gif
No.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20161117/chances-accum-inch-thru-dec2.gif
Hey, you want a Yes Man, give me a different forecast, no?
Gary McManus State Climatologist Oklahoma Mesonet Oklahoma Climatological Survey (405) 325-2253
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