Drought

[ou48A]

[ou48A]

[windowphobe]

Well, yeah. OKC finished with under 30 inches of rain this year -- normal is about 36 --and more than half of that fell between January and May. So it's fairly parched around here. And it's worse to the west.

[PennyQuilts]

My home weather station (located between Mustang and the airport) had us at just over 33 inches last year. I am starting to get worried about another year of no rain. Hope we get a better spring.

My friend who ranches up north of Ponca City is having to buy water for her cattle because her farm tanks are all but dry. That is, as you might imagine, very pricey. She is also afraid the water she has will freeze.

[Snowman]

At least we have been exiting the La Nina pattern we were in for the last couple years, which tends to be dryer than either normal or El Neno patern

[Bunty]

Well, yeah. OKC finished with under 30 inches of rain this year -- normal is about 36 --and more than half of that fell between January and May. So it's fairly parched around here. And it's worse to the west.

It's also worse up north where Stillwater had around 22 in. of rain for 2012 with average being 36.71". If the drought doesn't subside for the spring, I bet there will be stories about small towns having to truck their water in or jack up their water rates to try to force conservation as this story suggests: Lone Chimney Lake in danger of drying up » Local News » Stillwater NewsPress

[Plutonic Panda]

OKC Can Sell Norman Water, Depending On Amount - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

[Anonymous.]

Honestly we need another tropical storm/depression to park over OK like they did in the "old days". That is the only way we are going to recover.

[LocoAko]

The ENSO state could help, but the persistent drought could force the dryline further east than normal this spring, which would of course prevent the most drought-ridden areas from getting rain during the usual spring storms. Not good. I'd have to imagine the ridge this summer will be as oppressive as ever if the drought doesn't break. Hard to imagine we'd get close to or beat the 113F at OKC last summer...

[ou48A]

The ENSO state could help, but the persistent drought could force the dryline further east than normal this spring, which would of course prevent the most drought-ridden areas from getting rain during the usual spring storms. Not good. I'd have to imagine the ridge this summer will be as oppressive as ever if the drought doesn't break. Hard to imagine we'd get close to or beat the 113F at OKC last summer...

Under the conditions you describe it’s not hard for me to imagine similar heat.

Without good moisture we had probably start getting ready for 1930’s style dirt storms this spring.

[venture]

The ENSO state could help, but the persistent drought could force the dryline further east than normal this spring, which would of course prevent the most drought-ridden areas from getting rain during the usual spring storms. Not good. I'd have to imagine the ridge this summer will be as oppressive as ever if the drought doesn't break. Hard to imagine we'd get close to or beat the 113F at OKC last summer...

If we get stuck with another record hot summer, it'll probably be my last here. :-P Which may or may not please people. haha

[ou48A]

My guess is that the odds are that it will be very hot summer again….
Historic heat usually is usually followed by more heat.
We need a series of tropical systems or massive snows or this could go on for a few more years. That's my guess!

[ou48A]

If we get stuck with another record hot summer, it'll probably be my last here. :-P Which may or may not please people. haha

Remember what doesn’t kill us makes us tougher.
Even though we are pretty soft now, some of Oklahomans past weather problems have helped make us a little more resilient people than some.

[venture]

Remember what doesn’t kill us makes us tougher.
Even though we are pretty soft now, some of Oklahomans past weather problems have helped make us a little more resilient people than some.

Eh, I'm not worried about that. I'm just over hot, boring weather. I like seasons and the variety of events that come with them. If I want dry and hot, I would have moved to Arizona.

At this point returning to my yankee roots is getting higher on my things to do.

[venture]

I love Seattle and it is on one of my potential move to destinations, but more likely going back up around the Great Lakes. Just something about getting in a good lake effect snow band in the winter and a summer derecho knocking trees over.

Oh...and having green grass. Real grass. Not the weed they pull off as grass down here. LOL

[ou48A]

If you don’t like boring WX some of the most changeable extreme WX is on the high plains of western Kansas.
They should see some the worst dirt storms since the dust bowl this spring.
But I never liked dirt blowing into my teeth

[BG918]

The Front Range of Colorado, in my experience, has crazier weather swings than Oklahoma. It can be 70 degrees and a blizzard in the same day. And the area gets some intense pop up storms in the spring and summer that literally come out of nowhere.

Anyways, back to Oklahoma. It looks like another system will be moving in early next week..

[venture]

If you don’t like boring WX some of the most changeable extreme WX is on the high plains of western Kansas.
They should see some the worst dirt storms since the dust bowl this spring.
But I never liked dirt blowing into my teeth

Yeah not so much. LOL I miss being around water as well, which is why Pac NW or Great Lakes is where i'll probably end up.

The Front Range of Colorado, in my experience, has crazier weather swings than Oklahoma. It can be 70 degrees and a blizzard in the same day. And the area gets some intense pop up storms in the spring and summer that literally come out of nowhere.

That it does! I was looking the DEN area, but eh...not sure.

Anyways, back to Oklahoma. It looks like another system will be moving in early next week..

We'll probably want to keep the more specific wx talk in the actual wx thread. LOL - http://www.okctalk.com/current-event...ry-2013-a.html

Granted this has been well derailed from the drought discussion. Probably should just merge them at this point.