Ticker for April 3, 2011

                
MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ...
April 3, 2011      April 3, 2011      April 3, 2011      April 3, 2011


Uncommonly warm weather in a commonly warm part of Oklahoma

Compare today's highs from the Oklahoma Mesonet with the all-time highs from
all April 3rds in our climate record:




The 103 degrees recorded by the Altus Mesonet site was obviously a record for
that location for this day (previous record for April 3 was 97 degrees sat way
back in 1950). In fact, it becomes the highest temperature ever recorded on any
April 3 in Oklahoma's climate record, going back to 1890. The previous record for
the date was 99 degrees at Frederick, Hollis, Tipton and Waurika (again, 1950).

In fact, part two, it's tied for the second-highest temperature ever recorded for
this early in the year (January 1-April 3, all years). Top was 104 degrees at
Frederick on March 27, 1971. Here's a list of the all-time highest temperatures
recorded in Oklahoma between January 1-April 3:

Frederick        104 degrees     March 27, 1971
Altus            103 degrees      April 3, 1971
Altus            103 degrees     March 27, 1971
Tipton           103 degrees     March 27, 1971
Arapaho          103 degrees     March 19, 1907
Erick            103 degrees     March 19, 1907
Weatherford      103 degrees     March 21, 1916

In fact, part 3, the 103-degree reading at Altus today is only 3 degrees off
the all-time April reading anywhere in the state of 106 degrees from Mangum
on April 12, 1972.

By the way, this will not help the state's drought woes (come on, you knew I'd
work drought in there!!). Combine those temperatures with high winds



and low relative humidity



and you have the recipe for some good old-fashioned lip-cracking weather. It's
so dry we've gotten reports of farmers picking ticks off their catfish from farm
ponds in western Oklahoma.

Gary McManus
Associate State Climatologist
Oklahoma Climatological Survey
(405) 325-2253
gmcmanus@mesonet.org