How Much Water?

U.S. Snow Maps

Snow Water Equivalent Map – February 25, 2013

Source: National Snow Analyses/NOHRSC

 Snow Depth – February 25, 2013

Source: National Snow Analyses/NOHRSC

Snow Melt – February 25, 2013

Source: National Snow Analyses/NOHRSC

 

Wildfires Destroy Oklahoma Town

Raging wildfires burning small Oklahoman towns

Extreme drought and 19 days of triple-digit temperatures have sparked at least 15 large wildfires throughout Oklahoma, devastating communities, destroying scores of homes, shutting down highways and forcing thousands to evacuate.

• Wildfires have left the small town of Luther (pop: ~ 600) smoldering.
• The blazes have destroyed at least 130 structures in Creek County, west of Tulsa.
• Authorities ordered evacuations in the towns of Mannford (pop: ~3,000) and Glencoe (pop: ~ 600).
• Thousands of others are voluntarily abandoning their homes in Creek County as out-of-control wildfires continue spreading.
• The temperature was expected to soar to 113 degrees (45°C), said the National Weather Service.
• Oklahoma City tied its all-time record temperature of 113 degrees set in 1936 on Friday.
• The worsening drought and soaring heat are responsible for numerous devastating wildfires  in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Utah, Wyoming and elsewhere in the past couple of months.

Oklahoma Drought Map, July 31, 2012. Source: U.S. Drought Monitor

“Heartbreaking.”

Gov. Fallin, who toured the smoldering town of Luther on Saturday, called the devastation “heartbreaking.”

“A lot of people were at work and didn’t realize how quickly the fire was moving,” she told Reuters. “It’s emotional. For the children, it’s very emotional to lose their possessions.”

State of Emergency Declared

Gov. Fallin declared a state of emergency on Monday for all of Oklahoma’s 77 counties due to the threats caused by extreme heat and dry conditions that continue to affect the entire state.

Contiguous United States Precipitation- Week Ending August 3, 2012. Source: HPRCC

About 80 percent of Continental United States was Abnormally Dry or in Drought Condition (D0 – D4) during the week ending August 3, 2012.

Related Posts – Latest

• Extreme and Exceptional Drought Spread Across Midwest, South Posted August 2, 2012

• U.S. Disaster Areas Expand as Drought Deepens Posted August 1, 2012
• Half U.S. Corn in Very Poor or Poor Condition Posted July 30, 2012
• Severe to Exceptional Drought Grows in U.S. Posted July 26, 2012
• U.S. Drought Continues to Spread, Intensify Posted July 19, 2012
• Another Heat Wave Grips America’s Heartland Posted July 18, 2012
• Drought Continues to Plague Two-Thirds of Continental U.S.  Posted July 17, 2012
• Drought and deluge 

Drought Disaster – Recent

• U.S. Disaster Areas Expand as Drought Deepens  Posted August 1, 2012
• USDA Disaster List Grows to 1,369 Counties Across 31 States Posted  July 26, 2012
• Wildfires Consume 120,000 Acres in Nebraska Posted  July 25, 2012
• Deadly Drought Worsens Corn, Soybean, Pasture and Range Conditions Posted July 24, 2012
• Watching Events Unfold, Frame by Frame, Exactly as Forecast Posted July 20, 2012
• Deadly Heat Continues to Devour U.S. Crops Posted July 19, 2012

• Drought Continues to Plague Two-Thirds of Continental U.S. Posted July 17, 2012
• Largest Ever U.S. Disaster Continues Unfolding July 14, 2012
• Drought 2012 Posted on January 8, 2012

U.S. Climate June: Extremes of Temp and Precipitation

Oppressive heat wave and worsening  drought conditions smashed temperature records in the South and Southwest: NOAA

The average U.S. temperature in June climbed by1.4ºF above the long-term (1901-2000) average to 70.7ºF, while the average precipitation fell to 2.48 inches, 0.41 inch below the long-term average—the average was subject to wide variations across the country.

June 2011 temperature “divisional rank” maps. Source: NOAA. Click image to enlarge.

Summary of U.S. Climate Highlights – June

• All-time high temperature records:
• Amarillo, Texas, 111ºF,  June 26 (previous record: 109ºF set two days earlier!)
• Tallahassee, Fla., 105ºF, June 15.
• 42 U.S. locations tied or broke all-time maximum high temperatures.
• Texas recorded average temperature of 85.2ºF, 5.6ºF above normal (1953 was previously the warmest June in 117-year recorded history).  Texas experienced the fourth consecutive June with temperatures at least 2ºF above the long-term average.
• Both Louisiana and Oklahoma (tied) had their second warmest June.

Drought

• Parts of the Southwest through much of the Southern Plains and Gulf Coast experienced ongoing intense drought.
• New Mexico had its driest June on record.
• According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 63 percent of the Southeast was in moderate-to-exceptional drought at the end of June, compared to 51 percent at the end of May.
• The worst category of drought, exceptional drought, rose from 28 percent to 47 percent area in the South.

Wildfires

• Above average wildfire activity continued across the Southern tier of the United States broke all time records in June.
• Arizona and Mexico experienced their largest wildfire in recorded history.

For an accurate record of wildfires Jan – Jun 2011 see: US Wildfires Consume 7.7 Million Acres in 6 Months

US Precipitation Map – June 2011

June 2011 precipitation “divisional rank” map. Source: NOAA. Click image to enlarge.

FIRE-EARTH Forecast for 2011 – 2012: FEWW Models show  the extremes of temperature and precipitation/drought intensifying over the next 12 to 18 months.

Related Links

• Los Alamos Fire Breaks NM Record
• The Wildfire that Broke Texas’s Back