Agricultural News
Over Sixty Percent of Oklahoma Back Under Drought Designation
Thu, 05 Jul 2012 13:40:46 CDT
Drought continued to expand and intensify across Oklahoma over this past week as the heat continues unabated for now. Associate State Climatologist Gary McManus does indicate that there could be some relief by early next week- with the arrival of cooler air and even some rain.
The latest Oklahoma Drought Monitor map- as seen above- shows the the state jumped from 48% drought coverage to 61%, although the entire state is classified as being at least abnormally dry.
In particular, coverage increased across eastern and western Oklahoma while the center corridor of the state managed to hold onto the D0 designation. The reasons are obvious, of course, with the relentless heat, wind, sunshine and lack of rainfall continuing to leech moisture from the soil and surface reservoirs. The statewide average rainfall total over the last 30 days was 1.78", 2.26" below normal (or about 44% of normal). That's the seventh driest such June 5-July 4 period since 1921.
The deficits continue to mount from the beginning of our max rainy season. The average since April 1 is 8.23", 4.9" below normal (or about 63% of normal). Now that includes some big rains across the northern edge of the state and down in south central Oklahoma. But the bigtime deficits remain in the southeastern corner where departures are now up to a foot of rainfall in some places (or 20-60% of normal). Their average total is 8.77", 8.85" below normal. Our Mesonet site at Cloudy has had 3.9 inches since April 1. That's less than most of Oklahoma's Panhandle Mesonet stations.
McManus points out that in 2011- we had no relief from June through early Setpember- no breaks in the weather across much of the state. However, a significant break may be coming early next week. McManus says "a frontal system should screech through the area next Sunday, bringing much cooler weather (maybe even some below-normal readings) and the possibility of rain. The rainfall is just now beginning to show up on the HPC 5-day rainfall forecasts.
"Expect highs in the mid-80s to lower 90s from Monday-Wednesday at least. That will put a halt to the acceleration of the drought and any rain that falls will add to the slowing. The NWS' Climate Prediction Center still feels that drought will persist or intensify where it already exists in Oklahoma through the "normally" dry summer months. "
Nationally- there continues to be an incredible amount of drought painted onto the U.S. Drought Monitor map. The newest version, released this morning, shows the damage. Over 51% of the lower 48 is now designated with drought to some degree of intensity. That's up from 37% three months ago, a testament to the heat wave over that span. The National Drough Index Map can be seen below.
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