Ticker for April 3, 2017

                
MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ...
April 3, 2017      April 3, 2017      April 3, 2017      April 3, 2017


What happend to summer?


Remember earlier this month, this year, and last fall when it used to be sunny
and warm? You know, 2nd-, 3rd- and 4th-summer. Then came the last week or so
and March reared it's ugly head again. More London than Oklahoma (except with
Chicken Fried Steak instead of Fish and Chips). At least the grey (London
spelling) skies brought some much needed rainfall. If we look at the past 7 days
or so, we see the impetus for some nice improvements on the next U.S. Drought
Monitor map.



I'm still not sure what the southeastern half of the state did to Mother Nature,
but at least some bigger totals showed up across south central Oklahoma. And,
the 1.5+ inches across portions of the southeast are welcomed, of course.

It's actually still raining across the northeast, slowly pulling away as the
big upper-level low responsible for our rain/storms and also the big nasties
down in Louisiana moves slowly northeast.



We now look towards tomorrow as our next chance for snow. SNOW??? Yes, there
will be a pretty decent chance of snow across the western Panhandle. Were
not talking a blizzard here, but snow in April is SNOW IN APRIL!



For the rest of us, possible rain and cool again following a short warm up.




The track of this storm appears to rake the northern edge of the state with the
best moisture this time.



Now let's talk March. Remember March when it...wait, I already did that.

On with the show this is it!

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March More Lion Than Lamb

Although drought, severe storms and flooding rainfall all made their presence
known during the month, March?s weather story was dominated by fire. Several
months of elevated fire danger came to a head March 6 with the ignition of four
large wildfires across far northwestern Oklahoma and southern Kansas. The group
of fires was labeled the ?Northwest Oklahoma Complex.?



The wildfires, pressed by winds gusting to more than 60 mph, scorched a total
of 779,292 acres. Approximately 472,000 acres of that total were in Kansas. The
cost of the fires, both to property and lives, was tremendous. The Oklahoma
Cooperative Extension Service estimates the economic impact of the fires at more
than $16 million, including the loss of livestock, habitat and infrastructure.
Losses to cattle operations alone were $14.6 million. The Extension totals did
not include estimates for equipment or other losses. At least eight homes were
destroyed by the fires in Oklahoma. Two Oklahomans died in the wildfires. A
39-year-old semitrailer truck driver from Enid died from smoke inhalation in
the southern Kansas portion of the wildfires, and a 63-year-old woman suffered
a fatal heart attack while fighting the fire on her farm near Buffalo.

The year?s first confirmed tornado touched down near Bunch in Adair County on
March 6. Another possible tornado was reported by a trained spotter east of Ada
the evening of the 26th. A straight-line wind gust of 95 mph was reported by the
Oklahoma Mesonet site at El Reno during a severe thunderstorm the evening of
the 28th.



Rain totals were highly variable, as is the custom with springtime
thunderstorms. The western third of the state was the beneficiary of a moisture
surplus with some spots reporting totals 1-2 inches above normal.  Southeastern
Oklahoma saw the biggest deficits, which reached 3-4 inches below normal in
localized areas. The statewide average rainfall total was 2.54 inches, a
half-inch below normal and the 54th wettest March on record.





West central Oklahoma?s average total of 3.04 inches was the 17th wettest March
on record for that area while south central Oklahoma?s 1.26 inches was their
20th driest. The Mesonet site at Acme led the state with 5.1 inches while Kenton
and Fittstown brought up the rear at 0.7 inches.

Despite a relatively cooler final week, March finished decidedly warm. According
to preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, the statewide average temperature
was 55.1 degrees, 4.7 degrees above normal and the 10th warmest March since
records began in 1895. The lowest temperature of the month, 14 degrees, was
recorded at both Buffalo and Kenton. The award for highest reading during March
went to Butler, which reached 98 degrees on the 20th. The first three months of
2017 rank as the second warmest on record at 5.2 degrees above normal.

The drought situation was significantly improved across the northwestern half
of the state by the end of March, even if it was not reflected in the month?s
final Drought Monitor report. While 73 percent of the state was considered in
drought of at least moderate intensify at the end of February, that number had
increased to 81 percent by March 21. The amount of severe-extreme drought
increased from 29 percent to 46 percent during that period.




Thanks to some hefty rains, that total had decreased to 36 percent on the last
March report, with more improvements expected on the first April report. At the
end of March, 78 percent of the state was considered in drought.



The Climate Prediction Center?s (CPC) April temperature outlook sees increased
odds for above normal temperatures across all of Oklahoma. The precipitation
outlook shows slightly increased odds of above normal moisture in far
southeastern Oklahoma, but is indeterminate for the rest of Oklahoma.
Accordingly, using those outlooks as well as climatological normals, drought is
expected to persist or intensify across northwestern Oklahoma during April, but
improve across the eastern half of the state.






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