MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... August 22, 2022 August 22, 2022 August 22, 2022 August 22, 2022
BRO!
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20220822/4day-rain-totals.png
Well, at least that's what a Norman NWS forecaster surmised about our wayward axis of heavy rain shifting 200 miles south in the forecast models over the span of about 48 hours. I guess we just have to be thankful that at least part of the state saw significant drought-quenching rains over the last three days. Here are some of the more generous totals over the period. And keep in mind it's still raining down south as I type.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20220822/current-radar.png
-***- Aug. 19-22 Rain Totals ----------------------- Waurika 6.13" Ringling 4.51" Walters 4.49" Madill 3.85" Cloudy 3.81" Tipton 3.37" Grandfield 2.97" Butler 2.70" Cheyenne 2.59" Ardmore 2.52" Altus 2.50" Burneyville 2.50" -****-
The radar estimated rainfall shows a large area of 4-6 inches of rain down across southern Oklahoma, with some totals in very localized areas probably approaching 8+ inches. So a ginormous amount of rain over a short time frame that obviously led to some pretty serious flooding concerns.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20220822/latest.oklahoma.flood.gif
And we also managed to reset these maps that were getting pretty ugly (and I know ugly, Bro!).
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20220822/mesonet.rainfall.tenthinch.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20220822/mesonet.rainfall.quarterinch.png
Heck, the 6.18 inches (and counting) of rain at Waurika is more than they had seen in the previous 87 days combined, dating back to May 25!
Another benefit of all the clouds and rainfall is the much milder (if not much more humid) weather. We even saw some record low maximum temperatures yesterday across western Oklahoma where some sites failed to eclipse the 60s
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20220822/yesterdays-highs.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20220822/aug21-record-low-tmax.png
And while we will bust up into the 90s a couple of times this week across parts of Oklahoma, it does appear that we have transitioned from "hot most of the time but broken up by a day here or there with some cooler weather" to just the opposite. At least for the time being. Now we should see an extended period of seasonable-to-cooler than normal weather, with maybe a few hot days intermixed, at least for another week or two. The heat will be concentrated up in northern Oklahoma where the rain missed, but don't count out some high heat index values to the south. Friday is a good example of what to expect.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20220822/friday-forecast-highs.png
I'll believe we've switched for September when you pry the hot weather from my cold dead hands, however. But, that long-term average high temperature graph starts a pretty sharp downward trend as we get into September. And notice the mostly steady above normal weather we've seen with that persistent heat dome over the area since June 11.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20220822/2022-statewide-highs.png
Dare I show you the latest 7-day rainfall forecast? It does show our next big rain chances coming next weekend (the rain currently falling notwithstanding).
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20220822/7day-rain-forecast.gif
All in all, the weather looks rather BLAH to me, I guess after all the excitement in the run up to the heavy rains. But it does look like we are going to bookend our hot climatological summer with mild rainy periods both at the start of June and then to finish out this month.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20220822/aug29-sept4-temp-outlook.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20220822/aug29-sept4-precip-outlook.png
Beware those mid-level lows though, Bro!
Gary McManus State Climatologist Oklahoma Mesonet Oklahoma Climatological Survey gmcmanus@mesonet.org
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