Ticker for May 8, 2011

                
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May 8, 2011        May 8, 2011        May 8, 2011        May 8, 2011


Altus temperature highest ever recorded this early in the year

(insert obligatory "it was in the 40s last week" opening paragraph here)

The Oklahoma Mesonet site at Altus has now reached a high temperature of 108
degrees today. A quick search by the entire Ticker staff through the OCS data
mine (where it's always a pleasant 56 degrees)finds that is the highest
temperature ever recorded in Oklahoma this early in the year. The OCS
archives date back to the early 1890s. The 108-degree reading tops Buffalo's
107 degrees reported back on May 2, 1992. It obviously tops the record high
temperature for May 8 anywhere in Oklahoma as well. The previous record was
106 degrees at Hollis in 1952.

While it's not the highest temperature ever recorded in Oklahoma during May,
it has reached top-20 status. A look at the dates of those other temperatures
shows what an outlier the Altus reading is. The previous record for the earliest
date reaching 108 degrees in Oklahoma was May 22.

Top-20 Highest May Maximum Temperatures in Oklahoma (1890-present)
1	114	WEATHERFORD	        5/25/2000
2	112	ALTUS	                5/24/2000
3	111	CHATTANOOGA 3 NE	5/24/2000
4	111	WEATHERFORD	        5/24/2000
5	111	CHATTANOOGA 3 NE	5/25/2000
6	110	HOLLIS	                5/23/1953
7	110	HOLLIS	                5/23/2000
8	110	ALTUS DAM	        5/24/2000
9	110	FREDERICK	        5/24/2000
10	109	HOLLIS	                5/22/1939
11	109	HOLLIS	                5/24/2000
12	109	WALTERS	                5/24/2000
13	109	ALTUS	                5/25/2000
14	109	ALTUS DAM	        5/25/2000
15	109	FREEDOM	                5/26/1953
16	109	MANGUM	                5/29/1985
17	109	MANGUM	                5/30/1985
18	108	ALTUS	                5/8/2011
19	108	FREDERICK	        5/22/1966
20	108	BUFFALO	                5/23/1996
21	108	WAURIKA	                5/23/2000

In fact, triple-digit temperatures are rampant throughout drought-ravaged
western Oklahoma. Here are the maximum temperatures as of 4:55 pm.



And the top-15 of those maximum temperatures:

Oklahoma Mesonet -- Warmest Maximum Temperatures
1 - Altus  	108
2 - Mangum 	106
3 - Hollis 	106
4 - Bessie 	106
5 - Retrop 	105
6 - Cherokee 	105
7 - Erick 	105
8 - Grandfield 	105
9 - Butler 	104
10 - Fairview 	104
11 - Alva 	104
12 - Seiling 	104
13 - Hobart 	104
14 - Freedom 	104
15 - Camargo 	103

Obviously, today's heat has broken numerous records, as you can see from
today's historical maximum temperature record map:



As I've mentioned many times before, as long as the drought is in place from
the Panhandle down through south Texas, no high temperature record will be
safe. There is just too much of the sun's energy being converted to sensible
heat though the entire Southern Plains to think otherwise.

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