Ticker for March 14, 2003

                
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Record Multi-Day Rain Events Tabulated

Associate State Climatologist Howard Johnson recently compiled a list
of the record one- to seven-day rainfall at each cooperative station
in the state's observational record.  The following are the
statewide "champs", so to speak.

Duration  Ppt Total    Ending Date      Location
1-day      15.68"     Oct 11, 1973     Enid
2-day      18.02"     Oct 14, 1981     Tishomingo
3-day      18.68"     Oct 14, 1981     Kingston
4-day      22.47"     Oct 16, 1981     Tishomingo
5-day      23.12"     Oct 17, 1981     Tishomingo
6-day      23.95"     Oct 18, 1981     Coalgate
7-day      24.95"     Oct 18, 1981     Coalgate

It's pretty easy to spot the trend in this data set.  Each of these
events occurred during October, the month which shows the strongest
"all-or-nothing" rainfall tendency in Oklahoma.  Nearly every
conceivable statewide rainfall record occurred in October, and
these values are no different.

The last six listings were all spawned by the same event.
In mid-October 1981, the remnants of Pacific Hurricane Norma dumped
tremendous amounts of rain on much of south-central, southeast and
eastern Oklahoma (as well as much of north Texas).  In Oklahoma,
a swath stretching from around Lake Eufaula to the Lake Texoma region
saw more than a foot of rain, with local values exceeding 15 inches.