Ticker for December 6, 2011

                
MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ...
December 6, 2011   December 6, 2011   December 6, 2011   December 6, 2011


Record cold in the Panhandle

I may have to re-think my "the Panhandle is the greatest place in the universe"
mantra if this keeps up. Low temperatures in the Panhandle dropped below zero
last night. The Oklahoma Mesonet sites at Kenton and Boise City reached -6 and
-4 degrees, respectively. Goodwell plunged to 2 degrees and Hooker and Beaver
were also in single digits.



Thanks to cloud cover and gusty winds, the temperatures across the rest of the
state managed to stay in the 20s for the most part. The clouds help trap heat in
the boundary layer before it can be radiated to space and the winds keep the
boundary layer mixed so more of the heat remains near the surface. The opposite
occurred in the Panhandle. Crystal clear skies and light winds allowed for the
sharply contrasting temperatures. There was enough wind to drop the wind chills
down into brutally cold territory, however.



Yesterday I told you that the 11 degrees at Boise City on Sunday was the coldest
the Mesonet had recorded since February 12. The -6 degrees this morning is now
the coldest we've seen since February 11 when Pryor dipped to -6 degrees.

The -6 degrees also ties for the lowest temperature ever recorded in Oklahoma
on December 6 dating back to the late 1800s. As you can see from today's record
low map of NWS (COOP)erative data, there must have been quite a cold snap back
in December of 1972.



That's also one of the coldest readings we've seen in the state this early in
the season, but it is hard to top Kenton's -15 degrees recorded back on Nov.
28, 1976.

What WON'T we be seeing? The widespread highs in the 70s and 80s that occurred
on Dec. 6, 1939.



Now who wouldn't love that??

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