Ticker for June 8, 2015

                
MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ...
June 8, 2015       June 8, 2015       June 8, 2015       June 8, 2015


It rained!



This is going to sound really stupid (consider the source), but it was starting
to get really dry out there. Not really a need to raise the alarm, but some of
those topsoils are starting to really dry out, as evidenced by the Mesonet soil
moisture maps.





You can see all the different levels and descriptions of products on our soil
moisture page here:

http://www.mesonet.org/index.php/weather/category/soil_moisture

But let's face it (put sunscreen on first), the sun has been brutal and so has
the heat after such a cool May. Since May 31, the average high temperature has
been 86.5 degrees, based on the statewide average from the Mesonet. Normal for
that span (May 31-June 7) is 84 degrees. About 2.5 degrees above normal, but
that is even higher over the last few days as 90s have been prevalent across
most of Oklahoma. We even flirted with triple-digits yesterday across NW
and SW OK. And the consecutive days at or above 90 degrees has reached 6 days
across those same areas.




And as I said, we have started to need just a bit of a shower or two since we
are still in our wet season. We don't want to give late-June, July and August
TOO much of a head start. Even with last night's rain, it's been the 5th
driest May 31-June 8 (through this morning) since at least 1921. Driest on
record for the NE, SW and SE with a big goose egg for moisture.





Well luckily, more rain is supposedly on the way. The NWS' WPC is showing a good
1-3 inches across SE through NW OK.



NW OK is probably the area that needs it the most, so that would be good timing
for those folks. This appears to be more of a later-in-the-week deal, but NW OK
will have the greatest chances.







And until that rain arrives, the heat is here to stay.

http://www.mesonet.org/index.php/forecast/air_temperature/

We needed to dry out. But we don't need to take it too far. We will be
susceptible to flash drought with the background deficits we're working with
since October 2010. No worries yet, however. We can go 7-10 days without rain
after that May, at least in most parts of the state. NW OK needs the rain,
however, of they will be back in drought lickety split.

Damn the mosquitoes, full rain ahead!

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