Ticker for August 22, 2024

                
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Radiative transfer




Not much time to Tick today, but we gotta Tock about summer. SOME of us have had
it relatively easy the last few days.

(Everybody staring at northeast Oklahoma).

And some have had it a lot tougher.

(Everybody casting a sympathetic glance at southwest Oklahoma).



85? Really, NE OK??

For most of us though, it's just been "not nearly as hot" as what we have
previously, and a nice break. But obviously from the top graphic, that's all about
to change, at least for another week or so.





Heck, even the national folks are giving us a warning about this weekend.



But for SW OK, it's just bidness as usual.





Don't get too comfy though, because those heat alerts will be spreading east
in the next couple of days, at least until we see the weakening of THE DEATH
RIDGE HEAT DOME (brought to you by Gary Busey, because crazy weather...that's
why!).



Some more rain would help, especially for those folks that have gone without
the longest. I swear (%#@!&) we seem to take one step forward against drought,
but two steps back each week. Like this week, we reduced our total drought
footprint in the state by a tiny bit, from 39.66% to 40.41%, but the amount of
severe drought actually INCREASED from 8.61% to 10.24%, thanks to drought
spreading east and intensifying along the Red River.





Pretty simple fix...those folks need rain. Heck (no, it's NOT raining right
now, for crying out loud!), MOST of us need rain.

What do we get?



Listen, life's not fair. I'm reminded of that every time I look in a mirror.
But danged if SW OK couldn't use a cloud or two sometime soon.

Gary McManus
State Climatologist
Oklahoma Mesonet
Oklahoma Climate Survey
gmcmanus@ou.edu