Ticker for May 24, 2021

                
MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ...
May 24, 2021       May 24, 2021       May 24, 2021       May 24, 2021


40 days...




Okay okay, I KNOW that some folks still need rain. Looking at the rainfall map
from the last 10 days, there are definitely weak spots up in the northwest corner
of the state, but other than that, everybody has had a good dose of rain over
that period, and about the same for the last 30 days.









So we do need some rain in the NW half or so of the state, but IT'S BEEN A ROUGH
LAST 14 MONTHS OR SO! I want those areas to get rain, but can't we have a good
2-4 days of sunshine first? Just a quick break from the gray we've had over the
last 2 weeks? Maybe you've had a bit of sun, but where I'm at here in central
OK, it's been unending gray skies with rain mixed in with even longer periods
of drizzle. Check out this graph of statewide average percent of possible
sunshine for May thus far vs. the long-term average (2006-2020).



To paraphrase Pvt. Hudson from "Aliens": EXPRESS ELEVATOR TO DREARY! GOING DOWN!
So yeah, we need some sun. We still have plenty of rainy season left to make
up those deficits. And in fact, it won't be long until the wheat folks need
some dry weather to cure that wheat properly and dry it out so they can start
harvest down south.



And rain is what is expected for the next week or so, on and off with a few
chances of severe weather thrown in starting today out west and then again
across parts of the state on Thursday. But (and that's a big but and I cannot
lie), those risks could change so remember to check with your favorite weather
source for updates. CREDIBLE weather source. Your Uncle's knee trick knee
doesn't count. Well, I guess the Ticker doesn't either, but we won't talk
about that here on the, uhhhhh, Ticker.





It's a little bit worrisome to see any color on the SPC severe risk map in that
4-8 day period, but nothing is set in stone right now. So here we go, another
wet week in store and another few days of gray. I'm hoping for some blue mixed
in (and maybe I can mow my lawn!).

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