Ticker for March 1, 2002

                
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March 1, 2002      March 1, 2002      March 1, 2002      March 1, 2002


Dry is About to Get Drier

The (non-)rainfall statistics from western Oklahoma during the last nine
months are about to become a little more dramatic.  That's because OCS
is switching its rainfall products to the "new normals" based on data
collected during the 1971-2000 tri-decadal period, rather than that of
1961-1990.  Because these new normals are wetter than the old for most
of the year, the 2001-02 rainfall totals will fall a little farther
behind "normal" when the change is made over the weekend.

The per-month change across the state is illustrated in the maps at
https://content.mesonet.org/ticker/archive/20020301/monthchange.html
(you can enlarge each map by clicking on the month's name)

Brown colors depict areas where normal rainfall decreased, while green
shades indicate areas where normal rainfall increased.  The images show
that the largest increases in normal rainfall occurred during the spring
and autumn months.

The Oklahoma Rainfall Update also carries data from past years and
seasons.  These values will also be phased into the "new normals"
scenario in coming weeks.  OCS will keep the "old normals" products
offline, and these data will available on request.

The Oklahoma Rainfall Update is available online at:
http://climate.mesonet.org/rainfall-update.html