Ticker for December 11, 2013

                
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December 11, 2013  December 11, 2013  December 11, 2013  December 11, 2013


158 or 5 billion ... take your pick

A funny thing happened on our way to above-freezing territory yesterday ... not
everybody made it. So maybe not so funny to those folks that missed out on some
good melt weather? All of the Mesonet stations except Hobart, Miami and Vinita
made it to at least 32 degrees yesterday. For Miami and Vinita, they continue with
three digits in the "consecutive hours below freezing" map. I believe Hobart is
still somewhat up in that range as well, although a data problem keeps them off
the map at the moment. I don't think Hobart has been above freezing since 7 p.m.
on December 4th.




Officially, 158 hours and counting at or below 32 degrees for Vinita with Miami
right behind by a few minutes at 157,and the rest of the state got a reset.
Strangely enough, Vinita and Miami hold the top two spots in the all-time
consecutive hours below freezing record for the Mesonet (temperature data goes
back to 1997) at 282.3 and 260.6 hours, respectively. Those records were set
between Dec. 23, 2000-Jan. 4, 2001 (January 3rd for Miami).

If we go back to the beginning of December, Buffalo leads the state with 175
hours below freezing (that should have been obvious since Buffalo leads the
state in all matters concerning coolness! Nice try, Alva!).



Those highs yesterday looked really sweet, but in yet another idiotic move, Mother
Nature swept another cold front through, so watch for highs to remain at or near
freezing through most of the NW half of the state. The SE gets the front later so
they warm up a bit more. You can see the front's progress in the Mesonet's wind
field. Combine those winds with the cooler air behind the front, and you're
back in the arctic-style wind chills. GRRR!!!





I don't know what else to say except keep looking forward to Sunday!


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5 billion and counting



Move over McDonald's, there's another player in town serving up billions and we
ain't talking delicious meaty hamburgers (well, in that case, we ain't
talking McDonald's either, but that's a whole other discussion, right Braum's?).
The Oklahoma Mesonet, on the eve of it's 20th anniversary, served up its 5
billionth observation yesterday!

Let me put that into perspective: if you were going to count to 5 billion one
at a time, it would take you 5 billion times. Yes, I am good with analogies!

Here's hoping for 5 billion more. Mother Nature has to cooperate ... no
volcanoes, please. That's about all we have left to be hit with, seems like.

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