Ticker for August 31, 2023

                
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West central for the win!




Holy Moly (definitely better than a Moly Holy), but did west central Oklahoma
come back strong from drought during the climatological summer of 2023 (which ends
today)? Not only did their 15.82" for climatological summer (June 1-Aug. 31)
beat their previous record of 15.4" set in 2007, they also beat the SECOND
highest total of 15.39" from back in 1996. Wait, they also beat the third
highest total. Now I'm being told they also beat the fourth highest total? I'm
sensing a pattern here!

Ummmmm...okay, I was told there would be no math. Anyway, many of you will
remember that summer of 2007 as the summer of Erin...as in Tropical Storm Erin
that also helped give us our wettest summer statewide at 17.19".

You remember, Erin, right...the moron that visited us on Aug. 19 that year and
overstayed her welcome with massive flooding, tornadoes, and a general bad
disposition? A strengthening tropical system OVER LAND??



Yeah, THAT Erin, that helped give us this summer rainfall.



ZOUNDS! For west central OK to beat THAT record (and all those others...don't
get me started again) is a monumental achievement!

Looking at statewide this summer, we're gonna finish at a little more benign
12.28", which is good for the 30th wettest on record and about 1.59" above
normal.





Barring any rain chances today (LOL!! I know, right??), that's where we're gonna
finish up. Speaking of rain...well, no. At least not with our old friend the
heat dome moving back over us. This is setting up nicely for another State
Fair miracle rain though, no?





Well, we'll have more of that tomorrow when we release our August and Summer
summary when we'll talk more about how this summer was often not summery, but
when it was summery it was definitely summer!

Gary McManus
State Climatologist
Oklahoma Mesonet
Oklahoma Climatological Survey
gmcmanus@mesonet.org