Ticker for August 17, 1999

                
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August 17, 1999    August 17, 1999    August 17, 1999    August 17, 1999


The Sea Breeze ... in Oklahoma ???

This morning (and during the past several mornings, according to
OCS personnel) a strange boundary was noticed in southeastern Oklahoma.
The boundary pushed westward out of Pushmataha County and was picked
up by the clear-air mode of the Twin Lakes WSR-88D radar.

After reviewing some Mesonet data from late last week, it appears
the boundary may be an inland manifestation of the good-old "sea
breeze" phenomenon.  The sea breeze is the familiar onshore breeze
which results from differential heating along the coastline.

Replace the ocean with moist or saturated land and, in the absence
of large-scale forcing, a very closely related pattern can emerge.
The "inland sea breeze" behaves the same way as its maritime big
brother.  The sea breeze "front" pushes from the moist region (this
is analagous to the ocean) to the "dry" region (the continent).

Last Friday afternoon, significant rainfall was observed in far
southeast Oklahoma, particularly in (you guessed it) Pushmataha
County.  The rest of the immediate region observed no measureable
precipitation.  The co-location of the origin of this morning's
boundary and the well-defined region of rainfall suggest that the
sea breeze was alive and well in southeast Oklahoma today.

For pictures of the set-up and this mornings radar echoes, please
go to: https://content.mesonet.org/ticker/archive/19990817/boundary.html


Today in Mesonet History

Five years ago today, the Mesonet recorded its strongest wind gust
to date: 113 MPH.  The observation was taken within an intensely
severe mesoscale convective complex near Lahoma.  The Lahoma Mesonet
station was destroyed by large hail shortly after the observation.
Several persons in the area were injured and many homes were damaged.
There were even two cases of hypothermia reported, when an automobile
was partially filled with hail.  The hail, rain and high winds led to
exposure for the occupants of the car.