Ticker for May 31, 2005

                
MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ...
May 31, 2005       May 31, 2005       May 31, 2005       May 31, 2005



Just Where Do They Keep This Book, Anyway?

Tonight at midnight, when climatologists close the book on Oklahoma's
spring, don't be surprised if sand falls out of the jacket. Barring
widespread heavy rains in the next 15 hours, the state will record
its lowest March-May precipitation since record-keeping began in 1895.
Three climate divisions (north-central, central and south-central)
are on course to do the same.

South-central Oklahoma will not only break its record, it will shatter
it. The climate division's 2005 precip stands at 4.06", a far cry from
its all-time record of 5.07", set in 1896 - and an even farther cry
from its modern record of 6.63", set in 1956.  The "modern record"
begins in 1921, and represents a more robust era of precipitation
record-keeping.