MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... August 23, 2012 August 23, 2012 August 23, 2012 August 23, 2012
Take a good look at this drought map
This might be the last time it looks this bad for a long time. Yes, we did see a bit of improvement in the southeast, and we also saw intensification in the northeast. Exceptional drought now covers 48% of the state, up from 39% last week.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120823/ok_dm.png
That's the highest such percentage since Oct. 25, 2011, when the coverage was at 55%. Back then, the coverage was on its way down, and that appears to be what will occur in the next week as well with a nice fall-like soaker moving across the state this weekend. But first, the reasoning behind the improvement and degradation was centered on where the best rains fell with the last storm system. This map from the Oklahoma Mesonet (including the radar-estimated overlay from the RFC in Tulsa) spells it out. I'll show the 10-day map just to make sure we catch everything.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120823/rainrfc.240hr.png
That glob of yellow and brown down in the southeast, indicative of where 3-4 inches of rain fell, was the area that saw the improvements, backpedaling from extreme drought to severe. Elsewhere, the rainfall amounts of 1-2 inches combined with the much cooler temperatures were enough to keep drought intensification at bay and the status unchanged. The areas in the northeast that missed appreciable moisture from yet another storm system were degraded to exceptional drought. Most of the state is still dealing with significant deficits from the 30-day to 120-day time frame, in addition to lingering effects from last year's drought. The percent of normal rainfall maps from those periods show just how bad we are hurting for moisture.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120823/last30dayspct.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120823/last60dayspct.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120823/last90dayspct.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120823/last120dayspct.png
So now onto the good news. A series of upper-level disturbances will move over the state in the next few days, giving us a great chance for soaking rainfall. From what I've gleaned from our friends at the NWS on the state and federal level, up to 3" can be expected from this storm, especially along the hard-hit northern tier of counties (NOTE: in the event of failed forecasts, I was never here).
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120823/5-day-rain.gif http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120823/nws-norman-rain.jpg http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120823/nws-norman-7day.jpg
However, also please remember that until that rain gets here, the wind it will kick up will also elevate the fire danger, as our friends at the Tulsa NWS office remind us. Parts of northeastern Oklahoma are in a Red Flag Fire Warning today with relative humidities of 20-25% and winds gusting to 30 mph.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120823/nws-tulsa-firedanger.gif
As I type this, rain continues to fall in western Oklahoma. As good old Fred Norman used to say, "A preview of coming attractions!"
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120823/rainfall-since-midnight.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20120823/state-radar.png
Gary McManus Associate State Climatologist Oklahoma Climatological Survey (405) 325-2253 gmcmanus@mesonet.org
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