Ticker for June 1, 2004

                
MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ...
June 1, 2004       June 1, 2004       June 1, 2004       June 1, 2004



May 2004 Likely To Be State's Driest

May 2004 will probably go down as the state's driest May since modern
record-keeping began in 1895.  Preliminary data from the Oklahoma
Mesonet shows a statewide average of 1.08" rain fell last month, which
would break the previous low-water mark of 1.30", set in 1988.

Each of Oklahoma's nine climate divisions observed less than half of
its normal May precipitation.  These values ranged from 4% in the
panhandle to 45% in the northeast.  Only the central climate division
set a new mark for May, with 0.88" (previous record: 0.96", also 1988).
However, with seven climate divisions reporting May precipitation
among their five driest, the statewide average fell (un-)comfortably
below the previous mark.

Climatologically, May is the calendar's wettest month for the vast
majority of Oklahoma.  This makes May departures more significant
than, say, January for most interests in Oklahoma.

Complete statistics and maps are available here:

https://content.mesonet.org/ticker/archive/20040601/may2004rain.html


Ticker to Celebrate 6th Birthday Tomorrow

Six years ago tomorrow, in the midst of an early-summer drought not
unlike that seen today, the Ticker was born.  Like a nasty, uncontained
viral outbreak, the Ticker has grown across state borders and now
infests hundreds of e-mail boxes on a near daily basis.

The Ticker Staff will celebrate by conjuring up some inane viewpoint
and waxing prosaic in some nearly incomprehensible abuse of the English
language.