Ticker for March 4, 2004

                
MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ...
March 4, 2004      March 4, 2004      March 4, 2004      March 4, 2004



Severe Weather, Heavy Rains Scour State

Spring's imminence is underscored by today's severe weather outbreak
across much of the state.

Combined with heavy rains from the past 48 hours, this afternoon's
soaking is producing flooding problems in places.  Rainfall totals
approaching half a foot have been recorded at some Mesonet sites over
the last 48 hours.  More rain is forecast by the National Weather
Service as this system pulls rapidly northeastward.

Here are some 48-hour totals as of 2:30 pm.  These amounts will
likely swell in coming hours.

Hinton       5.48"    Okemah       3.75"    Blackwell    3.12"
Spencer      4.67"    Tahlequah    3.72"    Hollis       3.07"
Kingfisher   4.66"    Fort Cobb    3.69"    Chandler     3.03"
Bessie       4.67"    Hobart       3.67"    Minco        3.01"
Watonga      4.22"    Haskell      3.62"    Norman       2.98"
Porter       4.20"    Red Rock     3.41"    Pawnee       2.94"
Weatherford  4.12"    Bixby        3.25"    Erick        2.77"
Marshall     3.98"    Copan        3.23"    Freedom      2.63"
Wynona       3.74"    Hectorville  3.22"    Buffalo      2.58"


Frontal Zone Behavior

Severe weather and potential flooding is certainly the weather story
of the day, but the front associated with much of the rainfall has
produced some interesting data as well.

OCS meteorologist and programmer Brad Stanley pointed out some
interesting meteograms along the frontal zone this morning (roughly
along I-44).

Take a look at the oscillations of temperature, dew point and winds
as the front wobbled in between Ninnekah and Chickasha (these stations
are less than ten miles apart!):




At one time this morning, the temperature at Ninnekah was 66, while
the temperature at Chickasha was 50!

Several sites along the frontal zone saw these multiple regime changes
this morning.  The front made repeated charges at the Apache site
before finally moving to its north:



However, it passed nearby Acme (relatively) cleanly at about 8:00 am:



Here are some other interesting meteograms:

Medicine Park: 

Spencer:       

Stillwater:    

Wynona:        


Finally, check out the frontal hysterics at Tipton in southwest
Oklahoma.  It's exhausting!