Ticker for June 4, 2002

                
MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ...
June 4, 2002       June 4, 2002       June 4, 2002       June 4, 2002


June-through-May Rainfall Shows Sharp Contrast Across the State

During much of the past twelve months, large portions of western Oklahoma
have been mired in drought conditions.  After a very wet May of 2001,
rainfall deficits accumulated rapidly across northern, western and
southwestern Oklahoma.

The contrast from northwest to southeast is remarkable. Northwestern
Oklahoma and the panhandle are typically drier than the southeast, but
the panhandle's June-through-May rainfall ranks as the 2nd-driest on
record, while southeastern Oklahoma received one of its 25 wettest such
periods on record.  It's common for the southeast to receive more
rainfall than the panhandle over a twelve-month period.  In fact, it's
happened every year for the 107 years on record.  However, this period's
ratio of 5.3 (the southeast received 5.3 times the rainfall of the
panhandle) is the largest ever for the June-through-May period.

The complete details are given in the table below.


PRECIPITATION DATA: JUNE 2001 - MAY 2002 (inches)

Climate    June through May Precipitation  Rank*   Driest   Driest
Division   2001-02   Norm   Depart   Pct  of 107  Since    on Record

Panhandle    10.27   21.10  -10.83   49%    2nd    1956   10.22 (1955-56)
N. Central   18.58   31.65  -13.07   59%    5th    1956   15.47 (1952-53)
Northeast    31.90   41.97  -10.07   76%   18th    1996   22.81 (1910-11)

W. Central   16.07   29.09  -13.02   55%    6th    1981   12.61 (1952-53)
Central      30.16   37.99   -7.83   79%   31st    1996   17.65 (1910-11)
E. Central   42.54   46.09   -3.55   93%   49th    2000   29.13 (1910-11)

Southwest    20.10   30.80  -10.70   65%   11th    1981   14.45 (1910-11)
S. Central   37.27   40.96   -3.69   91%   56th    2000   20.83 (1910-11)
Southeast    54.83   50.94   +2.38  108%   85th    2000   33.01 (1924-25)

* - 1st   = Driest     # - record has since been tied
107th = Wettest        date given is year of first occurrence