Mesonet Ticker for October 22, 2026

                
MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ...
October 22, 2026   October 22, 2026   October 22, 2026   October 22, 2026


It's just a drought!




The drought is definitely taking body shots left and right with a reduction in
coverage and intensity for four straight weeks. Based on my own history, I'd say
it's faced with further trouble soon because that's what I said about my hair
a few decades ago, too.

Now you may be asking yourself "How do I work this?"

And you may ask yourself "Where is that large automobile?"

Once in a Lifetime, folks (google it, kids).

Once you're done with that earworm, you may also be asking yourself why the
drought didn't get reduced even more in the face of those flooding rainfalls last
week? Well, as we've explained before, the U.S. Drought Monitor has sort of an
unwritten rule to not show more than a one-category intensification OR
de-intensification in a week to preserve the integrity of the Drought Monitor
process. The explanation is that the drought hazard process itself, or its life
cycle, is generally much slower than other weather hazards. In fact, that's
why it's a climate hazard.

Okay, that out of the way, we can actually see the result of those last two
big rains in the state if we look at the four-week change map, which shows
the results of the rains over that time frame.





So some of those benefits of the rain we've seen are a replenishment of
soil moisture down to 24-36 inches, and also helping to fill some of those
lakes and ponds.







Obviously, there are still soil moisture shortages in parts of the state, and
some of those lakes are still woefully low, which makes them lowfully woe.



As we (the royal we) showed last time, there IS still drought in Oklahoma. Or,
if you're in the mood for emphasis change, there is STILL drought in Oklahoma.









Not much rain for the main body of the state over the next week or so. Most
of that is reserved for our new wetlands in the western Panhandle.



Might have to wait a bit longer for the rest of us.



Maybe more drought change after the time change. We'll see.

Gary McManus
State Climatologist
Oklahoma Mesonet
Oklahoma Climate Survey
gmcmanus@ou.edu
                

---