MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... August 16, 2011 August 16, 2011 August 16, 2011 August 16, 2011
To drought, or not to drought
I deal with many questions in my life. Why are there towels in my bathroom that I'm not allowed to use? Why does the "Big Gulp" AND the lesser "Gulp" both cost 49 cents at 7-11 (special promotion, limited time only)? Do you reduce D4 drought levels in the summer after 2-3 inches of rain? The first two questions might never get answered, but the third is what we are pondering at the moment. The improvements in the northeast drought situation are obvious with widespread amounts of 4-6 inches in an area that had just re-emerged into drought a couple of months ago.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110816/rainrfc.168hr.png
The real question is in central through south central Oklahoma, areas that have been in exceptional drought for quite some time. Does 2-3 inches of rainfall make a difference? Well, the obvious answer is "YES!". But how much of a difference? It gave the topsoil a good wetting in those parts, and will probably allow for a brief green-up of the vegetation that hadn't died already. Frankly (Garyly doesn't always work), I expected a better report from the field on topsoil moisture. A six percent improvement is better than nothing, however.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110816/topsoil_moisture.png
That topsoil moisture won't last long with the triple-digit temperatures returning and the sun working its magic. Very little of that rain ran off nor did it percolate into the deeper soil layers. Without reinforcements, it will be a bump in the road. Moistening the soil column to depth and filling up farm ponds and reservoirs is a process. Will 2-3 inches of rain quench areas that were 15+ inches down for the year?
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110816/caldel.png
I don't think we need a Prince of Denmark to answer that one. Or a peasant from Buffalo, for that matter.
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We've already gotten off to a warm start this morning with the low 80s and upper 70s, reaching or besting records in many areas.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110816/today.TAIR.min.grad.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110816/tmin_records.png
Yesterday's 104-degree reading at Grandfield leaves the count at 80 days above 100 degrees this year.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110816/yesterday.TAIR.max.grad.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110816/tmax.ge100.png
That leaves them seven days away from breaking Oklahoma's all-time record of 86 at Hollis in 1956. My feeling is that record will fall in the next couple of weeks. I'd bet someone else's reputation on it.
Now, to "Big Gulp" or "Gulp" ... that is the question.
Gary McManus Associate State Climatologist Oklahoma Climatological Survey (405) 325-2253 gmcmanus@mesonet.org
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