Ticker for December 2, 1999

                
MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ...
December 2, 1999   December 2, 1999   December 2, 1999   December 2, 1999


Ticker, Breakfast Edition

Welcome to a rare a.m. version of the Ticker.  There's a bunch on
the breakfast menu today.


November 1999 Quite Dry

Last month ended up very near the low-precip end of the rainfall
spectrum, according to Oklahoma Mesonet data.  Climatologically,
November is a relatively dry month anyway for most of the state, and
1999's edition of the month was much drier than normal.  Each of
Oklahoma's nine climate divisions observed less than half of its
normal November rainfall, while the west-central and panhandle
divisions measured less than five percentof normal.  A comprehensive
table is appended to this message.


Congratulations, NWS OUN

The U.S. Dept. of Commerce has recognized the Norman National Weather
Service Forecast Office for its performance during the May 3rd tornado
outbreak.  The DoC awarded its Gold Medal, its highest honor, to the
Norman office for "exemplary, life-saving performance during the
devastating May 3rd, 1999 tornadoes".  The Ticker offers thanks and
congratulations.


What month is this, anyway?

Oklahoma kicked off the last month of the 1900s (let's avoid that whole
2000 vs. 2001 "millennium" argument) with characteristic zaniness.  The
first day of December was marked by high temperatures in the 60s and 70s,
and winds gusting over 40 mph ... from the *south*.



NOVEMBER 1999 PRECIPITATION DATA

Climate      November Monthly Rainfall    Rank*  Driest  Driest
Division     1999   Norm   Depart  Pct   of 105  Since   on Record

Panhandle    0.01"  0.99"  -0.98"   1%   t-6th   1989   #1897 (0.00")
N. Central   0.51"  1.85"  -1.34"  28%  t-30th   1995   #1910 (0.00")
Northeast    1.28"  3.22"  -1.94"  40%  t-25th   1957   #1904 (0.00")

W. Central   0.49"  1.61"  -1.12"  31%    30th   1995   #1897 (0.00")
Central      0.36"  2.32"  -1.96"  15%    14th   1989   #1910 (0.00")
E. Central   1.65"  3.55"  -1.90"  47%    28th   1995    1914 (0.20")

Southwest    0.06"  1.51"  -1.45"   4%   t-9th   1989   #1897 (0.00")
S. Central   0.55"  2.52"  -1.97"  22%    14th   1989    1903 (0.00")
Southeast    1.65"  4.12"  -2.38"  42%     6th   1989    1903 (0.00")

Statewide    0.71"  2.42"  -1.71"  29%    21st   1995   #1910 (0.14")

* - 1st   = Driest     # - record has since been tied
105th = Wettest        date given is year of first occurrence