MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... June 22, 2023 June 22, 2023 June 22, 2023 June 22, 2023
Anti-horror
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230622/20230620_ok_trd.png
First off, Oklahoma dodged the proverbial bullet yesterday. The storm complex that barreled down through the center of the state sent out an outflow boundary backed by a mass of colder, denser air (and we all know just how painful that can be) that killed our severe storm chances. At least in the main body of the state. Unfortunately for the Panhandle and the High Plains region, it set up a perfect storm genesis device as the outflow boundary interacted with a dryline that had set up out there. The resulting discrete supercells spawned at least two killer tornadoes in Colorado and Texas.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230622/yesterday-storm-reports.png
There will be a chance of storms again today and tomorrow in the Panhandle and High Plains. Tornado chances are low but not zero, just like yesterday, so it's best to stay weather aware if you live or are traveling through those areas.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230622/OK_swody1.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230622/OK_swody1_TORN.png
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https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230622/OK_swody1_HAIL.png
It's sort of the same setup as yesterday with a complex of storms in KS coming down to the south across Oklahoma, then storms forming later in the afternoon out west.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230622/current-ddc-radar.png
How far they make it and how severe they get needs to be watched throughout the day. It will provide more rain, should they make it down our way (and it looks like they will)...shockingly, across western OK again.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230622/48hour-rain-forecast.png
And that sets us up to talk about drought. Oh, it's still here, and gaining some traction in eastern OK, but it's dwindling with each storm system across western OK. Still holding strong in parts of north central OK, unfortunately. Cimarron County in the far western Panhandle is drought free for the first time since August of 2021! And the rains of the past couple of months are the main reason.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230622/60day-rain-totals.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230622/del60day_rain.current.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20230622/pct60day_rain.current.png Now we all remember last summer and how we were largely out of drought across most of the state at this time last year, and how the heat and drought EXPLODED over the next 6 months. There's really no sign of that happening again, but again that was so extreme (one of the most extreme flash droughts that I've seen in my career) that it's not worth worrying about at this time. Not saying it couldn't happen, not saying it won't happen, I'm saying it PROBABLY won't happen. That's how extremes work.
Okay, stay weather aware today. I'll stay climate aware, which is much MUCH more boring.
Gary McManus State Climatologist Oklahoma Mesonet Oklahoma Climatological Survey gmcmanus@mesonet.org
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