Ticker for October 29, 2014

                
MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ...
October 29, 2014   October 29, 2014   October 29, 2014   October 29, 2014


All eyes on next week??

Not much happening this week, other than a cold Halloween coming up.




Looks like we could see the first widespread freezing weather of the season
Saturday morning, and that's after a Halloween night with temperatures in the 50s
and 40s at peak ghoul time. We saw the Mesonet's first 32-or-lower reading for
this season this morning at the Beaver (31 degrees) and Camargo (32) Mesonet
sites.



The NWS COOP sites at Freedom (30 degrees, Oct. 4), Ralston (31 degrees, Oct. 5)
and Sallisaw (30 degrees, Oct. 29) have also reached freezing or below this
month.

As the title says, however, we're all waiting with anticipation for MORE RAIN
next week, and it does look like we could see some significant totals in the
next 7 days.



This moisture would presumably come in early next week and extend out a few
days. There will also be a cold front thrown in there somewhere. This moisture
is critical since it has been awhile since we've seen widespread rains. October
will end with above normal rainfall, but that is highly slanted towards a few
days in the middle of the month over in eastern Oklahoma, as the following maps
for Oct. 1-29 indicate.




NE OK has seen an average of 6.12 inches of rain (2.66 inches above normal)
while the SW has only received an average of 1.34 inches (1.65 below normal).
Quite a disparity.

So we anxiously await next week and more moisture, while NOT anxiously awaiting
the first widespread freeze. I speak for myself on that one. I know you allergy
sufferers will be cheering on the 32-and-belows, so I'll join the team for the
big win.

Bring on the freeze! Ugh.

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