Ticker for June 3, 2020

                
MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ...
June 3, 2020       June 3, 2020       June 3, 2020       June 3, 2020


It's A Not So Wonderful Drought




Looks like eastern Oklahoma may dodge a bullet here, with Tropical Storm
Cristobal's path projected to go a little farther to the east than previously
thought. Arkansas might get pounded with flooding rainfall now, and remember
that the heaviest rainfall in these tropical systems tends to be on the right side
of the path, at least in our neck of the woods. The steering winds could take it
just to our east and then see it veer off to the northeast pretty quickly after
that. But while eastern Oklahoma, who DOES NOT need rain, gets lucky, the western
half of the state, who NEEDS rain badly, will go without.

So what this is going to do mostly is kick up our humidity again next week and
leave most of the state high and dry. But we have more important heat and
humidity problems THIS week, so let's worry about those first. You know that
"Days With 100 Degrees" map we have at the Mesonet? No, not THAT one. THIS one!



Just a few days down in the southwest thus far. Yeah, that's gonna change.
Prepare for some of those 2s and 3s all over western and central Oklahoma as
we get into the weekend. The forecast highs are projected into the 90s and
100s, and the heat index values could easily exceed 105 degrees over the next
few days.







Everybody (me) was sort of counting on that tropical system to alleviate the
drought building from western into central Oklahoma. This is the rainiest time
of the year for most of the state...shouldn't need a tropical system.

We need a pattern change, and fast.

Gary McManus
State Climatologist
Oklahoma Mesonet
Oklahoma Climatological Survey
(405) 325-2253