Ticker for July 27, 1999

                
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July 27, 1999      July 27, 1999      July 27, 1999      July 27, 1999


Why's the Panhandle Catching These Breaks?

The past few days, thundershowers dropped some rain on the western
Oklahoma panhandle while the rest of the state baked in 100 degree
temperatures.  Does it seem unusual that the folks out there get
more relief than the rest of the state in July?  Believe it or not,
it isn't all that unusual.

Summer is actually the wettest season of the year for the panhandle,
in terms of normal rainfall.  In fact, July is the wettest month of
the year for Cimarron County.  Only east of the panhandle does the
familiar double-maximum (Mayish and Septemberish, give or take a few
weeks here or there) exist in the normal rainfall tables.

Those of us melting in the heat may grumble a few words of jealousy
and look longingly toward the panhandle as thundershowers skirt the
western edge of our typical summertime high pressure dome, but
that's the way it usually happens.

More county-by-county climate information is available at:
http://www.mesonet.org/ocs/county.map.html


Heat Indices Up

Even in the early afternoon, the heat index is very dangerous over most
of Oklahoma.  As of 12:30 pm, the worst of it seems to be in the Tulsa
and Idabel areas, with values greater than 105 F.

Mesonet Heat Indices are updated every 15 minutes at: