DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
243 PM CST MON JAN 5 2009
...SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT TO DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS EAST CENTRAL
AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...
SYNOPSIS...
PRECIPITATION DEFICITS CONTINUE ACROSS EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
OKLAHOMA. HOWEVER...RAINFALL AT THE END OF DECEMBER HAS HELPED TO
IMPROVE THE DROUGHT CONDITIONS BY ONE CATEGORY. ACCORDING TO THE U.S.
DROUGHT MONITOR /USDM/ ISSUED DECEMBER 31 2008...MODERATE /D1/
DROUGHT CONDITIONS NOW EXIST ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN PITTSBURG COUNTY
IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA. ABNORMALLY DRY /D0/ CONDITIONS WERE ALSO
PRESENT ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA INCLUDING PORTIONS OF
OKFUSKEE...OKMULGEE...WAGONER... TULSA...MUSKOGEE...MCINTOSH...
HASKELL ...LATIMER...CHOCTAW AND PUSHMATAHA COUNTIES.
THE USDM IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN SEVERAL GOVERNMENT AND
ACADEMIC PARTNERS. IT IS A WEEKLY NATIONAL PRODUCT ISSUED ON
THURSDAY MORNING USING DATA COLLECTED THROUGH THE PREVIOUS TUESDAY
MORNING...SO IT DOES NOT CONSIDER PRECIPITATION WHICH HAS FALLEN
AFTER THE DATA CUT-OFF TIME.
THERE ARE FIVE LEVELS OF INTENSITY DEPICTED ON THE U.S. DROUGHT
MONITOR. THE USDM LEVELS ARE THE FOLLOWING:
D0 - ABNORMALLY DRY /NOT IN DROUGHT BUT SHOWING DRYNESS/...
D1 - MODERATE DROUGHT...
D2 - SEVERE DROUGHT...
D3 - EXTREME DROUGHT...AND
D4 - EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT.
THE LOCAL DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT IS ISSUED BY THE NWS OFFICE
IN TULSA WHEN NEEDED TO SUPPLEMENT THE NATIONAL USDM PRODUCT. LOCAL
STATEMENTS MAY BE ISSUED BI-WEEKLY DURING TIMES WHEN THE USDM
INDICATES SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS OR AS LOCAL CONDITIONS WARRANT.
SUMMARY OF IMPACTS...
STATE AND LOCAL ACTIONS.
A COUNTY DECLARED BURN BAN IS IN EFFECT FOR PITTSBURG COUNTY.
SOIL MOISTURE IMPACTS.
FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER...THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER /CPC/ SOIL
MOISTURE ANOMALY ANALYSIS INDICATED SOIL MOISTURE DEFICITS OF 2
TO 3 INCHES FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA.
ACCORDING TO THE OKLAHOMA CLIMATOLOGICAL SURVEY /OCS/...THE DAILY
AVERAGED FRACTIONAL WATER INDEX HAS IMPROVED OVER THE PAST 7 DAYS AND
THROUGH JANUARY 4 RANGED FROM 0.5 TO 0.7 AT 25CM BELOW GROUND
ACROSS EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA.
AGRICULTURAL IMPACTS.
ACCORDING TO THE PITTSBURG COUNTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
OFFICE...THERE HAS BEEN NO CHANGE IN THE AGRICULTURAL IMPACTS TO
THE COUNTY. COLD SEASON WHEAT AND FESCUE WERE SLOW OR NOT GROWING...THOUGH
THERE HAVE BEEN NO IMPACTS TO LIVESTOCK...WHICH IS THE PRIMARY
AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITY IN THE COUNTY...REPORTED TO THE EXTENSION
OFFICE.
FIRE IMPACTS.
AS OF JANUARY 5 2009...A COUNTY DECLARED BURN BAN WAS IN EFFECT FOR
PITTSBURG COUNTY. THE BURN BAN HAD BEEN LIFTED FOR ONE WEEK
FOLLOWING RAINFALL AT THE END OF DECEMBER...HOWEVER FIRES BEGAN
AFFECTING PITTSBURG COUNTY A FEW DAYS AFTER THE RAINFALL AND THE
BURN BAN WAS REINSTATED ACCORDING TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
OFFICIALS.
CLIMATE SUMMARY...
ACCORDING TO THE NWS PRECIPITATION ANALYSIS...A LARGE PORTION OF
EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA HAS RECEIVED 50 PERCENT OR
LESS OF THE NORMAL RAINFALL DURING THE MONTH OF DECEMBER...WITH
SOME AREAS RECEIVING LESS THAN 25 PERCENT OF NORMAL RAINFALL.
WHILE DRIER THAN NORMAL CONDITIONS CONTINUE...PRECIPITATION
DEFICITS HAVE IMPROVED SOME OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS. BELOW ARE
SOME SUMMARY STATISTICS FROM THE OKLAHOMA CLIMATOLOGICAL SURVEY
/OCS/ SHOWING PRECIPITATION DEPARTURES THROUGH VARIOUS TIME
PERIODS ENDING ON JANUARY 4 2009.
FOR THE NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA CLIMATOLOGICAL DISTRICT:
DEPARTURE PERCENT OF NORMAL RANK SINCE 1921
PAST 30 DAYS -0.38 82 42ND WETTEST
PAST 60 DAYS -2.96 46 12TH DRIEST
PAST 90 DAYS -3.39 63 24TH DRIEST
PAST 360 DAYS +13.17 131 3RD WETTEST
FOR THE EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA CLIMATOLOGICAL DISTRICT:
DEPARTURE PERCENT OF NORMAL RANK SINCE 1921
PAST 30 DAYS -1.32 52 25TH DRIEST
PAST 60 DAYS -4.41 36 6TH DRIEST
PAST 90 DAYS -7.49 32 7TH DRIEST
PAST 360 DAYS +3.22 107 19TH WETTEST
FOR THE SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA CLIMATOLOGICAL DISTRICT:
DEPARTURE PERCENT OF NORMAL RANK SINCE 1921
PAST 30 DAYS -1.59 58 25TH DRIEST
PAST 60 DAYS -4.32 50 16TH DRIEST
PAST 90 DAYS -8.09 40 8TH DRIEST
PAST 360 DAYS +3.18 106 25TH WETTEST
PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK...
FROM JANUARY 5 THROUGH JANUARY 12...THE TULSA NWS OFFICE IS
FORECASTING LOW RAIN CHANCES ON JANUARY 5 AND 6 AS WARM AND MOIST AIR
ALOFT OVERRUNS A STATIONARY FRONT ALONG THE GULF COAST. ADDITIONAL
LOW PRECIPITATION CHANCES ARE FORECAST ON JANUARY 9 AND 12 AS COLD
FRONTS MOVE THROUGH THE REGION. AT THE START OF THIS
PERIOD...TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO BE NEAR NORMAL FOR
THIS TIME OF YEAR...WITH A WARMING TREND BRINGING ABOVE NORMAL
TEMPERATURES TO THE AREA ON THE 7TH THROUGH 9TH. NORMAL LOW
TEMPERATURES DURING THIS TIME ARE IN THE MID TO UPPER 20S AND
NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURES RANGE FROM THE MID TO UPPER 40S ACROSS
THE TULSA HSA.
BEYOND THIS PERIOD...THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER /CPC/ OUTLOOK FOR
JANUARY 12 THROUGH 18 CALLS FOR AN ENHANCED CHANCE FOR ABOVE
NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION ACROSS EASTERN
OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
THE CPC OUTLOOK FOR JANUARY 2009 INDICATES A SLIGHTLY ENHANCED
CHANCE FOR ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION ACROSS NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS...WITH AN EQUAL CHANCE FOR ABOVE...NEAR...OR BELOW NORMAL
PRECIPITATION ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA. THERE IS A SLIGHTLY
ENHANCED CHANCE FOR ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE TULSA
HSA. THE CPC 90-DAY OUTLOOK FOR THE JANUARY-FEBRUARY-MARCH 2009
PERIOD INDICATES A SLIGHTLY ENHANCED CHANCE FOR ABOVE NORMAL
PRECIPITATION AND AN ENHANCED CHANCE FOR ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES.
THE CPC U.S. SEASONAL DROUGHT OUTLOOK INDICATES SOME IMPROVEMENT
TO THE DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA FROM DECEMBER 31
THROUGH THE END OF MARCH 2009.
HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK...
PITTSBURG COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS REPORT THAT THE
WATER LEVELS HAVE BEEN DOWN IN AREA LAKES AND FARM PONDS.
ACCORDING TO THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS /COE/...MOST MAJOR
RESERVOIRS IN EASTERN OKLAHOMA WERE NEAR 100 PERCENT OF THEIR
NORMAL POOL...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF OOLOGAH LAKE WHICH WAS AT 83
PERCENT AS OF JANUARY 5.
ACCORDING THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY /USGS/...STREAMFLOWS IN THE
LOWER ARKANSAS AND LOWER RED BASINS OF EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
OKLAHOMA WERE GENERALLY NEAR NORMAL WITH A FEW STREAMS AND RIVERS
WITH STREAMFLOWS BELOW NORMAL AS OF JANUARY 5. STREAMFLOWS IN THE
VERDIGRIS AND GRAND-NEOSHO BASINS ACROSS NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA WERE
PRIMARILY NEAR NORMAL TO ABOVE NORMAL.
NEXT ISSUANCE DATE...
THIS PRODUCT WILL BE UPDATED ON JANUARY 30 2009 OR SOONER IF
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE DROUGHT CONDITIONS OCCUR.
RELATED WEBSITES...
PLEASE CONSULT THE LINKS BELOW TO THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR AND TO
OTHER INFORMATIVE SOURCES FOR ADDITIONAL OR UPDATED INFORMATION...
U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR
HTTP://WWW DROUGHT.UNL.EDU/DM/MONITOR.HTML
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA/DROUGHT_INFO.HTM
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA
ARKANSAS-RED BASIN RIVER FORECAST CENTER
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/ABRFC/DROUGHT.SHMTL
NWS EXPERIMENTAL PRECIPITATION ANALYSIS
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/RFCSHARE/PRECIP_ANALYSIS_NEW.PHP
OKLAHOMA CLIMATOLOGICAL SURVEY DROUGHT TOOLS
HTTP://CLIMATE.OCS.OU.EDU/RAINFALL_UPDATE.HTML
ARKANSAS FORESTRY COMMISSION
HTTP://WWW.FORESTRY.STATE.AR.US/INDEX.HTML
OKLAHOMA FORESTRY COMMISSION
HTTP://WWW.ODA.STATE.OK.US/FORESTRY-HOME.HTML
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TULSA DISTRICT
HTTP://WWW.SWT-WC.USACE.ARMY.MIL
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY REALTIME DATA
HTTP://WATERDATA.USGS.GOV/NWIS/RT
CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER
HTTP://WWW.CPC.NOAA.GOV/PRODUCTS/PREDICTIONS/MONTHLY_CLIMATE
HTTP://WWW.CPC.NOAA.GOV/PRODUCTS/PREDICTIONS/MULTI_SEASON
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...
THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN
SEVERAL GOVERNMENT AND ACADEMIC PARTNERS INCLUDING THE NWS...THE
NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER...THE USDA...STATE AND REGIONAL
CLIMATOLOGISTS...AND THE NATIONAL DROUGHT MITIGATION CENTER.
INFORMATION FOR THIS STATEMENT HAS BEEN GATHERED FROM NWS AND FAA
OBSERVATION SITES...PITTSBURG COUNTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
SERVICES...PITTSBURG COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS...THE
OKLAHOMA CLIMATOLOGICAL SURVEY...THE USACE AND THE USGS.
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS...
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS DROUGHT
INFORMATION STATEMENT...PLEASE CONTACT...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA
10159 E. 11TH ST. SUITE 300
TULSA OKLAHOMA 74128
PHONE 918-838-7838
EMAIL SR-TSA.WEBMASTER AT NOAA.GOV
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