Agricultural News
Cold Snap Brings Little Rain, No Drought Relief
Thu, 25 Oct 2012 13:48:08 CDT
Temperatures which have been unseasonably warm for late October began plummeting with the passage of a cold front Thursday. Meteorologists expect to see freezing temperatures over a large part of the state by Saturday.
Associate State Climatologist Garry McManus says the cooler temperatures will slow evaporation from topsoil and reservoirs, but will do nothing to alleviate drought conditions.
Over 27% of the state remains in exceptional drought, dominated by those hard-hit areas in northern Oklahoma. Virtually the entire state remains in severe-exceptional drought according to the Drought Monitor. It is a very similar picture to last year at this time, although probably a little better this year than last, McManus says.
This is right around the time last year that our drought relief started full blast, in defiance of a double-dip La Nina, with the state's 12th wettest November-December period on record.
Unfortunately, McManus says, that type of relief is not showing up on the horizon just yet.
In fact, the mid-range outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center still show Oklahoma with increased odds of below normal precipitation into the first weeks of November.
McManus says the state needs to receive six to 12 inches of rainfall to bring it out of the drought. He says this current drought cycle continues to build its reputation as one of the worst of the last 50 years, but like every other drought in Oklahoma history, this too shall pass.
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