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MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... August 9, 2012 August 9, 2012 August 9, 2012 August 9, 2012 Extreme-to-exceptional drought now covers Oklahoma Spurred by rapidly intensifying flash drought and its impacts, including the extreme fire danger realized in the state over the last week, the U.S. Drought Monitor has now designated virtually all of Oklahoma in extreme-to-exceptional drought. Nearly 97 percent of the state is now depicted by the Drought Monitor in those worst two drought intensities, the highest such coverage for the state since the Drought Monitor effort began in 2000. A narrow swath of exceptional drought extends from Cleveland and McClain counties in central Oklahoma to the northwest where it broadens and covers much of western Kansas. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/ok_dm.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/drmon.gif The next highest percentage of extreme-to-exceptional drought designation was 93 percent from the same week last year on August 9, 2011. The percentage of exceptional drought alone is only 16 percent, while the August 9 map from 2011 had 65 percent of the state designated in the worst drought category. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/OK_dm_110809.png Over 103,000 acres have burned due to wildfire across the state since Aug. 3. One fatality has been attributed to the fire east of Norman. Nearby Lake Thunderbird, Norman's primary source of drinking water, is now at 76 percent of capacity. The lake sat at 88 percent of capacity on June 4. Its lowest level during the drought last year was 73 percent on October 7. It has now been 63 days since the Oklahoma Mesonet site at Norman recorded at least a tenth of an inch of rain in a single calendar day, with other areas enduring that same period with less than a quarter inch of rain in any single day. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/mesonet.rainfall.tenthinch.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/mesonet.rainfall.quarterinch.png According to data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, the statewide average rainfall total since May 1 through this morning was 5.87 inches, 7.03 inches below normal and the second driest such period since 1921. Only the same period in 1934 was drier with 5.69 inches. North central Oklahoma has received an average of 3.95 inches, 8.67 inches below normal. That is the driest such period since 1921 for that region of the state. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/may1-aug9-totals.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/may1-aug9-departure.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/may1-aug9-percent.png The National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)ranked the May-July period as the third driest on record, dating back to 1895. The April-July period was the fifth driest on record. Adding to the impact of the precipitation deficits, the heat has been extraordinary as well. The May-July period was the fourth warmest on record according to the NCDC, and the April-July period was the second warmest. Extending further back, the last 5-month through 12-month periods were all the warmest on record for Oklahoma, again dating back to 1895. That includes the first seven months of the year as Oklahoma continues towards possibly its warmest year on record. The current record holder for warmest year is 1954 with a statewide average of 62.8 degrees. The 2012 January-July statewide average was 63.7 degrees. The percent of the contiguous United States in drought fell this week to 62 percent, down from a peak of 64 percent on July 24. Within that 62 percent, however, the percentage of the county in severe-to-exceptional drought rose from 38.1 percent to 38.5 percent. Important agricultural areas, including those in Oklahoma, continued to be impacted by drought, as indicated by the USDA. ** Although U.S. corn in drought fell to 87%, down from a peak of 89% two weeks ago, corn in D3 to D4 coverage has nearly quadrupled in the last three weeks from 14 to 53%. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/corn.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/corn2.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/corn3.png ** Although U.S. soybeans is drought fell to 85%, down from a peak of 88% two weeks ago, soybeans in D3 to D4 coverage have more than tripled in the last three weeks from 16 to 50%. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/soybeans.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/soybeans2.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/soybeans3.png ** U.S. hay in drought has fallen 3 percentage points from a peak of 66% on July 17 and 24, but hay in D3 to D4 coverage continues to rise ? and currently stands at 31%. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/hay.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/hay2.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/hay3.png ** Domestic cattle inventory in drought has fallen a percentage point from a peak of 73% on July 17 and 24, but cattle in D3 to D4 coverage continues to rise ? and currently stands at 37%. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/cattle.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/cattle2.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/cattle3.png The latest U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook from the CPC has drought persisting and/or intensifying across much of the United States, including Oklahoma, though the rest of August and into early fall. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/season_drought.gif Rain chances are somewhat limited for the next five days, other than the chance for isolated storms. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/5-day-rain.gif A little further out, the CPC outlooks for precipitation and temperature show increased odds of below normal precipitation and above normal temperatures though the middle of August. Aug. 14-18 Outlooks http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/610prcp.new.gif http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/610temp.new.gif Aug. 16-22 Outlooks http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/814prcp.new.gif http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120809/814temp.new.gif Gary McManus Associate State Climatologist 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 ===================================================