Ticker for October 21, 2024

                
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Septober?




I'm pressed for time, so read this quickly! I know it's been warm, and some people
love that (I ADMIT NOTHING!). The problem is the same pattern giving us this
warmth--the upper-level ridge over the western U.S.--is also giving us DRY, and
if you've ever had somebody give you DRY, you know just how painful that can be.
It's not only a drought spreader, but also an intensifier, and that's exactly what
we're seeing as many folks have gone 0-fer October (and then some).







And obviously, if you're going 0-fer a period, you're at least tying the record
dry mark for said period, as we're seeing in north central and northeast OK (and
darned close in other parts of the state).



As luck would have it, SOME folks have gotten rain, and heck, it's raining right
now for crying out loud!





That's simply not enough to battle our current dry spell. Nor complex enough, I
guess. Work with me...I switched to Sanka.





So lows in the 60s and highs in the 80s and 90s...yeah, that's pretty ridiculous
for this time of year. Now with those storms going on in NW OK, there will be
a chance of severe weather, which has thankfully been in short supply this fall.
Unfortunately, that's due to drought. Large hail and severe winds are the
primary threat this afternoon into tonight.







Rain will still be in short supply, with most of this falling today up in NW
OK.



There will be a front on Friday-ish, then maybe another in the middle of next
week. It doesn't look like one of our classic frozen Halloweens, however.

As we worry about November...odds are favoring...Novtober?



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