MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... December 10, 2015 December 10, 2015 December 10, 2015 December 10, 2015
DOWN GOES 1957! DOWN GOES 1957!
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20151210/buffer.jpg
What a monumental year for precipitation in Oklahoma! The official numbers released yesterday by NCEI indicate that November finished as the second wettest on record for Oklahoma (dating back to 1895) with a statewide average of 5.91 inches, just on the heels of November 2004's 5.97 inches. That brought the January-November statewide average to an official total of 48 inches on the dot, 13.56 inches above normal. Not only is that the wettest January-November on record, the 48 inches tops 1957's January-December record annual total of 47.88 inches, with 3 weeks to spare! That, ladies and gentlemen, is a TKO!
Just looking at the monthly graph, you can see which months propelled us to the record. Obviously May, which ended not only as the wettest May on record but the wettest MONTH on record (for any month), topping October 1941's 10.75 inches with a whopping 14.44 inches.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20151210/2015-rainfall-graph.png
And of course the wet April and July played their part, and November finished 1957 off. The April-July statewide average of 29.53 inches was also the wettest such period on record for the state. Odd also to see that 6 of the 11 months thus far were below normal, first when drought was going strong from January through March (mid-April really) and later when the flash drought struck from August through October (mid-October really). Here's an official accounting for each month versus the 1981-2010 normals, as calculated by NCEI (the National Centers for Environmental Information), formerly known as NCDC (the National Climatic Data Center).
-***- Month Statewide Average Departure from Normal Rank ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- January 1.21" -0.35" 56th Driest February 1.18" -0.65" 48th Driest March 2.41" -0.63" 67th Driest April 4.85" +1.59" 17th Wettest May 14.44" +9.62" 1st Wettest June 4.81" +0.29" 35th Wettest July 5.43" +2.55" 8th Wettest August 2.45" -0.50" 51st Driest September 2.05" -1.48" 31st Driest October 3.26" -0.28" 43rd Wettest November 5.91" +3.40" 2nd Wettest December ???? ????? ??????????? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And if we take a look at the Mesonet maps for the year thus far, we can tell what part of the state propelled us to this record. Obviously, at 24" to more than 35" above normal at places like Tishomingo (77.1 inches for the year thus far), south central through east central Oklahoma buoyed the record total.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20151210/caltot.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20151210/calpct.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20151210/caldel.png
With another system coming in this weekend, and heavy rainfall possible once again across the eastern half of the state
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20151210/7day-rainfall-forecast.gif
and more wet weather possible later next week
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20151210/dec17-23-precip-outlook.gif
we can still grow this record. Right now, it's still considered preliminary since NCEI will continue to get records dribbling in not only for November but also October as well, and then again for December. But the chances of that number dropping below the magical 1957 mark of 47.88 inches are slim to none, as they say. And the additional rainfall we see this weekend should obliterate any chances of that occurring at any rate.
To nobody's surprise, and timed perfectly with the record breakage, the latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows the state once again free of drought or abnormally dry conditions!
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20151210/20151208_OK_trd.png
In fact, that flash drought that plagued much of the Southern Plains and the Southeast U.S. has now all but vanished. We just need El Nino to work its magic on the West and the whole country will be in tip-top shape.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20151210/20151208_conus_text.png
Now as you go out and celebrate the big record this weekend (come on, surely I'm not the only one??), remember there will be a chance of severe weather across central and eastern Oklahoma, and maybe a bit of snow in the far northwest.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20151210/nws-amarillo-snow.gif http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20151210/nws-tulsa-svr.png http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20151210/nws-norman-svr.jpg
No big whoop (just like 1957 now).
Gary McManus State Climatologist Oklahoma Mesonet Oklahoma Climatological Survey (405) 325-2253 gmcmanus@mesonet.org
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