Ticker for April 5, 2000

                
MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ...
April 5, 2000      April 5, 2000      April 5, 2000      April 5, 2000


Break Out the Sun Screen and Put the Top Down!

The upper atmosphere over the central plains has taken a very zonal
(east-west) pattern:

(winds are parallel to the blue lines, or "isoheights")

This has encouraged strong westerly winds to plunge eastward from the
Rocky Mountains.  Upon descent, this air will warm.  This process
shows up in today's Mesonet observations as hot, dry air in the
Oklahoma panhandle and extreme northwestern Oklahoma.

We've even seen some heat index values register during the afternoon:


Finally, here are some afternoon highs (as of 4:30) that smell like
hot dogs on the grill:

Camargo    94 F
Alva       94 F
Woodward   93 F
Arnett     93 F
Beaver     92 F


Just a Pretty Picture

Here's a picture of snow-capped Rocky mountains for those who don't
welcome 90-degree temps with open arms:



With today's crystal clear skies, any visible satellite image in the
region is just a picture of the surface.  Look up and say "cheese"!