Ticker for May 9, 2005

                
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May 9, 2005        May 9, 2005        May 9, 2005        May 9, 2005



May Has Yet to Rescue Us from Springtime Drought

(korrected for numberous and imbarasing typos)

When we think of spring, we usually think of flowers and showers and
thundering towers and setting clocks toward daylight hours, but in
this most recent spring of ours, we are forced to consider drought.

The statewide-averaged rainfall for the last 30 days was the least
amount of the 85 such periods (April 9 through May 8) since 1921.
Three of the state's climate divisions also recorded their driest
such period:

30-day Rainfall Totals (April 9 through May 8, 2005)

Climate     Precipitation         Driest         Rank since 1921
Division    2005   (vs. Normal)   Since          (85 periods)
Panhandle   1.53"  (-0.69" 69%)   2003 (1.31")   40th driest
N Central   0.73"  (-2.66" 21%)   1996 (0.61")    3rd driest
Northeast   0.94"  (-3.40" 22%)   *                   driest

W Central   1.40"  (-1.77" 44%)   1996 (0.15")   16th driest
Central     0.52"  (-3.52" 13%)   *                   driest
E Central   1.58"  (-3.11" 34%)   1936 (1.10")    2nd driest

Southwest   1.32"  (-1.92" 41%)   1998 (1.24")   16th driest
S Central   1.17"  (-3.03" 28%)   *                   driest
Southeast   1.77"  (-3.16" 36%)   1987 (1.68")    3rd driest

Statewide   1.17"  (-2.64" 31%)   *                   driest