MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... April 13, 2023 April 13, 2023 April 13, 2023 April 13, 2023
Hatfields and McRains
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230413/year-to-date.png
I've used this Monopoly theme before, and for awhile it looked like the areas to the southeast of I-44 were playing with Monopoly rain, buying rain hotels and putting them on Boardwalk and Park Place.
ARGH! Boardwalk and Park Place with hotels...how they've sent a Monopoly board flying a time or two in my house growing up. And you just know the person appointed as the banker was sliding some $500s into their pile on the sly.
Anyway, that's for my therapist to worry about. Well don't look now but even the SE half of the state is starting to work on a dry spell of nearly 2 weeks.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230413/mesonet.rainfall.tenthinch.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230413/mesonet.rainfall.quarterinch.png
WELL I TOLD YA NOT TO LOOK! Here's the deal...I've heard quite a bit from that area of wanting to "dry out," but as the NW half of the state can tell you...be careful what you wish for, because there's always a chance that "drying out" can become "dried up."
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230413/7day-rain-forecast.gif
The last thing I'm gonna do is say "I told you I was sick!" But the next to the last thing I'm gonna do is predict SE OK will go back into drought. The NW half seems to have hotels built on that commodity. But it should serve as a cautionary tale. And there does seem to be some chances for moisture coming up next week, maybe? Very iffy, to be honest.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230413/apr18-22-outlooks.png
Regardless of any current dry spell, we are dealing with the dichotomy (English to Okie dictionary: contrast of opposites) between the NW half of the state vs. the SE half where we see top-10 driest vs. top-10 wettest year-to-date periods since records began in 1895. And to be honest, the last 30 days are no picnic either.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230413/30day-totals.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230413/pct30day_rain.current.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230413/30day-stats.png
That leaves us with this current drought map, which once again saw a bit of an increase in that D4 exceptional drought up in far NW OK.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230413/20230411_ok_trd.png
The rain chances we see over the next couple of days hinge on the ability of thunderstorms to form with that aforementioned cap in place in the atmosphere. You've already seen from the forecast rain map that hopes aren't high, but here are the risks for the next couple of days. Note that IF storms can form tomorrow, large hail will be the biggest threat.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230413/thursday-svr-risk.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230413/OK_swody2.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230413/OK_swody2_TORN.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230413/OK_swody2_WIND.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230413/OK_swody2_HAIL.png
We've seen this act before. We can't stop these storm systems from coming through with their drylines and hot SW winds behind those drylines, nor can we force them to rain. So what we're left with is lots and lots of fire danger. And blowing dust. And drought. And scorching sun. And a lip-cracking lack of humidity.
All will be plentiful over the next week or so.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230413/nws-norman-7day-fire.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230413/burnbans.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230413/friday-forecast-highs.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230413/latest.oklahoma.fire.gif
Sorry, this is how droughts work. It's in the manual.
Gary McManus State Climatologist Oklahoma Mesonet Oklahoma Climatological Survey gmcmanus@mesonet.org
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