Ticker for January 6, 2014

                
MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ...
January 6, 2014    January 6, 2014    January 6, 2014    January 6, 2014


Remember February 10, 2011??



As I was driving my kids to school this morning up in Moore, one of my daughters
said "Daddy, how much longer 'til winter is over? I'm tired of winter." You and
me both, sister!! Mother Nature's foolishness this morning puts the icing on that
cake with the coldest weather some parts of the state have seen since the
infamous deep freeze of February 10, 2011. Let's take a look at some of the
maps from this morning to see just how cold it got (and felt!).

The lowest actual air temperature recorded by the Mesonet was -12 degrees,
fittingly in Nowata, since that's the lowest temperature recorded by the Mesonet
since February 10, 2011, as mentioned previously (on that day, Nowata broke the
all-time record low temperature for the state with -31 degrees). We probably saw
a few low temperature records fall this morning across the state as well.




That -12 reading at Nowata tied for the 7th lowest temperature ever recorded on
January 6 for the state, with records going back to the 1880s. From the top-10
list, looks like  1912 and 1971 both had pretty miserable January 6s. Here's
the Top-10 list for lowest temperatures ever recorded in Oklahoma on January 6.

-***-
Rank        Low T       Location               Year
1	     -16	ARNETT 3NE	       1912
1	     -16	HOOKER	               1971
3	     -15	BOISE CITY 2 E	       1912
4	     -14	BEAVER	               1971
5	     -13	GOODWELL RSCH STN      1912
5	     -13  	HOOKER	               1912
7	     -12	NOWATA MESONET	       2013
7	     -12	BEAVER	               1912
7	     -12	KENTON	               1912
10	     -11	KENTON	               1971
10	     -11	WOODWARD	       1912
-****-

For fond memories, here's that low temperature map from February 10, 2011.



Now we look forward to this afternoon and wonder if many record low maximum
temperature records will fall as well. Here's the forecast highs from the NWS
along with the record low highs for the day as well. Most records look safe,
except for maybe up in the far northeast where lots of snow remains on the
ground.




Here are those snow total estimates, at least from the Tulsa and Norman NWS
offices. I think the Panhandle received an inch or two at most.




To heck with the actual air temperatures. If you have to go out in it, the wind
chills (apparent temperature) are no cakewalk either. The lowest wind chill
calculated by the Mesonet this morning was -25 degrees up at Alva, but we
had readings below zero across virtually the entire state (some are not showing
up across eastern Oklahoma due to frozen wind sensors). Here are the lowest
wind chills this morning and what they are now.




To continue with the unwanted benchmarks, that -25 degrees up in Alva is the
lowest wind chill calculated by the Mesonet since ... yep, you guessed it,
February 10, 2011. Here's the lowest wind chill map from that day for
comparison. Nowhere close to the -47 degrees at Medford that day, thank
goodness.



Okay, now let's give you some hope. There IS always hope, after all. Remember
that February 10, 2011, low temperature map? here's the high temperature map a
mere seven days later! I'll even throw in the low temperature map from that day
(February 17, 2011) as well, since we were breaking records for highest minimum
temperatures that morning.




So again, that's how quickly it can change here in the Great Plains. Now I'm not
saying we're going to be seeing any 70s and 80s in seven days, but we are at
least forecast to get back into respectable territory with some 50s by Friday
according to the NWS. That warmth is forecast to last through the weekend as
well.




We'll see how long it lasts. Hopefully until May.

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