Agricultural News
Drought Conditions Worsen, Possible Winter Precip Promises Minor Relief
Thu, 30 Jan 2014 14:31:13 CST
Dry conditions are increasing across Oklahoma according the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map. Associate State Climatologist Gary McManus says January will go down in the record books as one of the state's ten driest on record.
He says the same basic pattern we've seen for the last three-plus years continues to hold with severe to exceptional (D2-D4) drought covering the western third of the state and moderate drought across north central Oklahoma down to I-40 also increasing.
The statistics table shows the percentage of the state in at least moderate (D1) drought went from 38 percent last week to 48 percent this week, and the percentage covered by at least severe (D2) drought rose from 19 percent to 29 percent. That might not seem like much, McManus says, but it is still fairly significant for the cool season. Dry, windy days over the last month have speeded the drought intensification and put 23 Oklahoma counties under burn bans.
McManus says the best we can hope for right now is some quick relief from this weekend's and
next week's storms.
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