04.13.11
Not To Sound Like A Broken Record…
…but with another chance for severe storms in eastern Oklahoma tomorrow, it’s hard to not get frustrated at the lack of rain in the rest of Oklahoma and Texas.
This drought seems similar to the one in 2006, in which there were many fires and not a great season for storm chasers. It’s a vicious cycle, as the lack of rain contributes to our inability to retain higher moisture content in the air, which prevents more thunderstorms from forming.
U.S. Drought Monitor and drought outlook, from the Climate Prediction Center. Note that dark brown (“drought to persist or intensify”) and the “persistence” label for much of the South for the next few months!
Parts of Oklahoma and Texas have already had problems with fires this year, and it doesn’t look like that is going to let up any time soon.
Large wildfires reported to the National Interagency Fire Center
Smoke from wildfires visible on a visible satellite image yesterday.