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June 26, 2011 June 26, 2011 June 26, 2011 June 26, 2011
Sensible heat run amok!
The Oklahoma Mesonet sites at Hollis and Erick reached 115 degrees today, the
highest temperature recorded in Oklahoma since Buffalo and Freedom did it on
July 9 and 10, 2009, respectively. Those two at least had the luxury of doing
it during JULY, however.
Here are the top-15 temperatures (degrees F) recorded today by the Oklahoma
Mesonet. Hopefully the highs have been reached for the day.
1 - Hollis 115
2 - Erick 115
3 - Buffalo 113
4 - Beaver 113
5 - Freedom 113
6 - Hooker 113
7 - Slapout 113
8 - Altus 112
9 - Arnett 112
10 - May Ranch 112
11 - Cheyenne 112
12 - Camargo 111
13 - Woodward 111
14 - Goodwell 111
15 - Retrop 110
Many records fell in western Oklahoma today. Here are the historical records
from the NWS' cooperative observer sites.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110626/historical.hitmax.png
The 115 degrees falls two degrees short of the all-time June record in Oklahoma
of 117 degrees, also set at Hollis back on June 14, 1953. It ties the record
for the day set previously at Mangum and Hammon back in 1980. Erick does not
have a long-term climate record, but it did break the all-time record high
recorded by the Mesonet site there of 111 degrees. That record has stood for
all of ONE day, with the 111-degree mark occurring yesterday.
Oklahoma City reached 100 degrees again today, placing them on the verge of at
least a couple of records for June at that location. Today marks the eighth
day the high at OKC reached 100 degrees, one short of the record of 9 set back
in 1933. Tomorrow could be the tie with three days left to break the record.
Additionally, reaching 90 degrees today places OKC one behind their previous
record of 27 days from back in 1911. That record is a virtual LOCK to be
broken.
The high temperature map for today shows something interesting ... check out
the area up in northwestern Oklahoma of 106-108 degree high temperatures
surrounded by temperatures in the 110s.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110626/today.TAIR.max.grad.png
Now take a look at the Mesonet soil moisture maps from 2- and 10-inches for
today.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110626/2-inch_fwi.png
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110626/10-inch_fwi.png
That tongue of moisture extending into Major County and the surrounding area
just happens to also be the center of this seemingly diminished temperatures.
Coincidence? I think it's a matter of sensible heat vs. latent heat.
In other words, most of the downwelling solar radiation in the areas with
extremely low soil moisture goes towards heating the surface (sensible heat).
Where the soil moisture appears to be a bit more substantial, a bit more of
that solar radiation goes towards evaporating moisture (latent heat). Simply
put, more of the sun's energy goes towards heating the area where there is
less soil moisture, so the temperatures can really skyrocket.
Very compelling!
Gary McManus
Associate State Climatologist
Oklahoma Climatological Survey
(405) 325-2253
gmcmanus@mesonet.org
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