MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... June 17, 2011 June 17, 2011 June 17, 2011 June 17, 2011
Southwest OK's bad fortune
You would think Mother Nature would show a bit of mercy on southwestern Oklahoma by now. If she's going to whip up a thunderstorm that produces severe winds of up to 80 mph last night for a couple of hours, she could at least throw in some hefty rain totals too.
Station Wind Gusts Date Time Medicine Park 80 mph 9:00 PM Grandfield 71 mph 9:40 PM Altus 64 mph 8:15 PM Altus 61 mph 8:05 PM Medicine Park 60 mph 8:55 PM Altus 60 mph 8:25 PM Altus 60 mph 8:20 PM Altus 59 mph 8:10 PM Altus 59 mph 8:00 PM Medicine Park 58 mph 9:05 PM Medicine Park 58 mph 8:50 PM
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110617/rainrfc.24hr.png
From the radar estimates, it appears there were totals of up to an inch or so in very localized areas. I think I can speak for those areas down there in saying "we'll take it!", however. More widespread rains in the northeast were very much welcomed as well.
The story today will be the heat and fire danger once again. This is getting old (aren't we all?), but seemingly like every day, the low temperatures across much of Oklahoma neared or exceeded their record warmest levels this morning:
records: http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110617/today.hitmin.png actuals: http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110617/today.TAIR.min.grad.png
Altus was rewarded for missing the rain and getting pounded with severe winds for over an hour with a low of ... 82 degrees? COME ON!
Keep track on the Mesonet today ... some of these record highs are bound to fall.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110617/today.hitmax.png
Speaking of Altus, Altus Lake is in sorry shape. As of this morning, its elevation is 1539.75 feet, which is 33.36% of the conservation pool. It is going to be a very bad summer down there if they don't get a bunch of rainfall in Lake Altus' watershed. Here's a graphic of the somewhat graphic situation down there from the Tulsa Corps of Engineers.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110617/images_lakes_ALTU.lakepage.gif
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Here's an interesting tidbit from a U.S. Drought Monitor discussion:
"105?F on June 15 in Tallahassee, FL. Prior to June 15, 2011, Tallahassee?s temperature had never been above 104?F. June 29, 1931, was the date of Florida?s highest verified temperature on record: 109?F in Monticello, about 25 miles east-northeast of Tallahassee. Florida is only one of ten states (along with Alaska, Hawaii, and eight Northeastern States ? CT, ME, MD, MA, NH, NY, RI, and VT) to have never hit 110?F."
This exemplifies the power of living next to an ocean and its modifying moisture. We don't want to compare heat indices, I'm betting. But, it's hot all over. Heck, I'll bet somewhere in Oklahoma hits 110 degrees today. It's all relative, I reckon.
My advice, find a nice pool to jump in. Or a pond ... pond be good for you.
Gary McManus Associate State Climatologist Oklahoma Climatological Survey (405) 325-2253 gmcmanus@mesonet.org
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