Ticker for February 29, 2024

                
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February 29, 2024  February 29, 2024  February 29, 2024  February 29, 2024


Leap of faith and cold




Darn, I wish I was born on Feb. 29! It's the closest thing we have to true
Fountain of Youth. Ya know, I once went on a pilgrimage to Florida looking for
the "Lost Fountain of Hair," but I ended locked in an abandoned CVS with only a
flat can of Orange Fanta and bag of Funyuns for sustenance. It's okay, I got out
and went to the Walgreen's across the street for some real food (yes, Pop-Tarts).
Alas, still searching for the Fountain of Hair (also, Fountain of Hair was my
band's name in 8th grade!).

Where were we? Oh yes, of course today was the coldest Feb. 29 in the last 4 years,
and also the warmest. And windiest. And so on and so forth. We're still in our
second day of winter's return, and really only our second bout of cold February
weather following a short visit from cold air about 10 days ago.



This afternoon isn't going to see a return just yet of our previous warm/hot
weather, but we'll see a ramp back up to more pleasant conditions after today's
somewhat damper, cooler day.





Another unwelcome visitor...added color on the Drought Monitor map released this
morning. A somewhat prolonged dry spell in SE OK has turned them yellow with
Abnormally Dry conditions (D0). Remember, D0 is not drought but signifies areas
going into or out of drought. In this case, "into" if we don't see more rainfall
there soon.









There will be a chance of rain today with a storm system coming up from the
SW, but sadly this will be the driest Feb. 29 we've seen in the last 4 years,
but luckily it will be the wettest Feb. 29 we've seen in the last 4 years.



Hey, don't blame me for the weirdness of Feb. 29! I didn't make the calendar.
That was some dude named Gregory's fault. I take the jokes given to me (like
my view in the mirror).

We do have some hope for added moisture in the next week-to-10 days.





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