Ticker for January 18, 2017

                
MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ...
January 18, 2017   January 18, 2017   January 18, 2017   January 18, 2017


Is it safe to come out yet?







Today's image, courtesy of the Mesonet's OK-FIRE Manager Dr. J.D. Carlson, shows
what a bit of ice in Stillwater will do to some loblolly pine trees. The next two
pics show what a BUNCH of ice will do to trees and the power infrastructure (as
well as limbs falling ON structures) in Buffalo (first pic courtesy of Kayla
Williams, "Buffalo Weekly News," second pic courtesy of Karen Ives, Buffalo
resident).

NW OK into the eastern Panhandle received from 1-1.5 inches of radial ice, which
is crippling. Electric COOP folks say it could be more than a week to get
power restored to all their customers. And on top of that, the Panhandle got
snow as well!





The Ticker has been hiding until everything melts (not really, just moving), but
I'm going to simply call that storm "Ice Storm 2017," because surely Mother Nature
wouldn't give us another one before Jan. 1, 2018, would she?

Now while the ice was terrible, it was beneficial for drought relief. Call it
Mother Nature's drip irrigation system since as it melts, it's going to a great
job of percolating into the soil. And looking at the Mesonet rain maps for the
past 5 days, it's easy to see why NW OK got hammered, and also where the best
moisture fell.



It's not a drought-ender by any means, but it's a drought denter, as you'll see
in tomorrow's Drought Monitor map.

More serene weather for the rest of the week. A chance of light rain here or
there, a cold front or two. Nothing as exciting as ICE STORM 2017, however.

Thank goodness!

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