Go back to the Ticker Home Page!

. . . Other Tickers . . .
Previous Ticker: November 30, 2017	Following Ticker: December 4, 2017
. . . Tell Others . . .
Share     Tweet
. . . Ticker for December 1, 2017 . . .
MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... December 1, 2017 December 1, 2017 December 1, 2017 December 1, 2017 November another doozy! http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/november.png What can I say? Here we are dealing with drought again, and also the approach of more winter (temperature, not precipitation). We need a mighty good rain or snow, but that doesn't look likely at this time. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/7day-rain-forecast.gif The cold air DOES look likely, however. Too bad there's not going to be much moisture to mix it with. Here are some graphics from our NWS friends to help paint the mostly dry/cold picture. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/nws-norman-7day-temps.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/nws-tulsa-next.week.png Even with that front next week and a possible pattern change, we're not talking a plunge into the arctic. Just closer to where we should actually be this time of year, if not a bit below. The difference this time is it will probably stick around a bit longer. Again, the unfortunate news is...so will the dry weather. HEY, speaking of dry weather, how about that November? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Drought Expands During Dry November Dec. 1, 2017 Drought flourished across Oklahoma over the past month, fed by one of the state?s driest and warmest Novembers on record. Six of the Oklahoma Mesonet?s 120 stations recorded no precipitation for the month, and another 77 recorded a quarter of an inch or less. High temperatures rose into the 70s and 80s with regularity. The temperature at the Altus and Mangum Mesonet sites soared to 94 degrees on the 17th, the second highest November temperature on record in Oklahoma, dating back to 1892. It was also the highest temperature ever recorded in the state that late in the calendar year. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/nov17-temperature-records.png The warm, dry weather took its toll. Reports of winter wheat stressed by the dry conditions were common, especially in the wheat belt of western Oklahoma. According to USDA officials, 75 percent of the state?s topsoil moisture was rated as ?short to very short? by the end of November. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/USDA-nov26-topsoil.png Reservoirs across southeastern Oklahoma were several feet below normal. Broken Bow Lake fell 8 feet below its normal capacity. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/OWRB.Reservoir.Storage.png Only a minor storm system late in the month prevented November from entering the record books as the direst in state history. According to preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, the statewide average precipitation total was 0.25 inches, 2.26 inches below normal and ranked as the fifth driest since records began in 1895. The southeast experienced its driest November on record at more than 4 inches below normal. Jay recorded 2.34 inches to lead the Mesonet. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/nov-precip-totals.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/nov-precip-depart.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/nov-precip-pct.png The climatological fall (August-November) precipitation pattern varied wildly across the state, from the 13th wettest on record in the southwest to the 30th driest in the southeast. The statewide average was 6.1 inches to rank as the 31st driest fall on record, nearly 3.5 inches below normal. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/fall-precip-totals.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/fall-precip-depart.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/fall-precip-pct.png The January-November period was the 18th wettest on record, however, nearly 3 inches above normal. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/jan-nov.precip.totals.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/jan-nov.precip.depart.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/jan-nov.precip.pct.png November finished as the 13th warmest on record with a statewide average temperature of 52.5 degrees, 3.2 degrees above normal. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/nov-avg-temps.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/nov-temps-depart.png Outside of the Panhandle, freezing weather was uncommon. Many stations across the southern half of the state spent less than 20 hours below freezing for the month. Newport, located in Carter County, spent 3 hours at or below freezing. Eva in northern Texas County led the state at 86 hours. Beaver recorded the lowest November temperature with a reading of 16 degrees on the 19th. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/nov.hours.below-freezing.png The fall season finished decidedly warm with a statewide average of 62.6 degrees, 1.8 degrees above normal to rank as the 29th warmest on record. The first 11 months of the year were the 11th warmest such period on record, nearly 2 degrees above normal. Drought increased dramatically across Oklahoma through the month. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the area of the state in drought increased from 3 percent at the end of October to 40 percent at the end of November. Another 32 percent of the state was considered abnormally dry, a drought precursor. More than 19 percent of the state?s drought coverage was considered moderate in intensity, while another 20 percent was labeled as severe. About 1 percent was in the extreme category. The Drought Monitor?s intensity scale slides from moderate-severe-extreme-exceptional, with exceptional being the worst classification. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/oct31-drought.monitor.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/nov28-drought.monitor.png The December precipitation outlook from the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) indicated a clear bullseye of increased odds for below normal precipitation located directly over Oklahoma. There was no definite indication in the temperature outlook. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/dec-precip-outlook.gif http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/dec-temp-outlook.gif CPC?s December Drought Outlook showed drought persisting based on November?s final Drought Monitor map, and developing across the western half of Oklahoma. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20171201/december-drought-outlook.png Gary McManus State Climatologist Oklahoma Mesonet Oklahoma Climatological Survey (405) 325-2253 gmcmanus@mesonet.org ================================================== The OCS/Mesonet Ticker https://ticker.mesonet.org/ To subscribe or unsubscribe from the Ticker or for questions about the Ticker or its content Phone or Email the Ticker Manager at OCS Phone: 405-325-2253 Email: ticker@mesonet.org --------------------------------------------------- -C- Copyright 2024 Oklahoma Climatological Survey ===================================================