I've shared the most recent forecast for the upcoming winter weather courtesy of the Gary McManus, Oklahoma's Climatologist for the Oklahoma Climatological Survey. It's a funny take on recent weather events as well as a thorough look back at the weather we experienced this past year. Enjoy!
MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET
TICKER ...
December 29, 2014 December 29, 2014 December 29, 2014 December
29, 2014
The excitingly boring weather of 2014
It's hard to
look past the coming arctic blast to end 2014 to look BACK at the
past
weather of 2014, so let's get the future excitement out of the way
first.
Okay, to start off with, since freezing rain has mentioned, we are
officially
moving the BRAUM'S BREAD-AND-MILK DEFCON LEVEL to THREE!!! I
repeat, we are
officially moving the BRAUM'S BREAD-AND-MILK DEFCON LEVEL to
TWO!! (see how
quickly we react here with up-to-the-minute
hysteria??)
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20141229/braums-defcon2.png
Yes,
we've gone to "KNOCK PEOPLE OVER IF YOU HAVE TO" level. Mostly bombastic
and
reactionary, of course, but just our effort to try and keep folks
from
driving on ice (DISCLAIMER: should ice occur).
Here is the setup
as provided in pictures from the local NWS offices.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20141229/nws-amarillo.jpg
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20141229/nws-norman1.jpg
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20141229/nws-norman3.jpg
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20141229/nws-norman4.jpg
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20141229/nws-norman5.jpg
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20141229/nws-norman6.jpg
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20141229/nws-tulsa.png
Remember,
this is winter weather we're talking, so the forecast is going to
change
between now and ICE-MAGEDDON. So keep track of the changing conditions
as we
get closer because the precipitation type is vitally important. However,
the
arctic blast is a certainty.
The beast is poised to our north as we
speak.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20141229/us-windchills.png
So
prepare for this, because it's coming.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20141229/wed-morning-lows.png
I'm
afraid there won't be any melting on the roads with this coming
system.
Okay, enough hysteria. Let's turn back the clock and take a look
back at
2014.
Enjoy.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The
weather of 2014 would probably be considered boring by most, and
rightfully
so. After all, there were no EF-5 twisters ravaging the
countryside, nor was
there a never ending onslaught of days with triple-digit
heat. The blizzards
of the last few years never materialized, nor did that
other unwelcome winter
visitor, the ice storm. What we did have, however, was
drought, the most boring
– if not most damaging – of Oklahoma's weather
hazards. That particular guest
has been plaguing Oklahoma's ecosystem,
agriculture and economy since its
beginning in late fall 2010 to the tune of
several billion dollars in damage.
The spring rainy season was mostly a bust,
although a return of moisture in
late May paved the way for more rain during
June and July. That
uncharacteristically timed relief delayed the
re-intensification of drought
that started earlier in the year, but more dry
stretches from August forward
left over 60 percent of the state in drought at
year's end. The year ended with
a dark, dank and dreary December in which the
sun was mostly a no-show at only
35.4 percent of possible sunshine according
to the Oklahoma Mesonet's solar
radiation sensors.
In the end, 2014
left us with memories of a (mostly) cold and (mostly) dry
year, with a few
bursts of excitement to satisfy most weather enthusiasts. Here
are a few or
the more notable weather highlights (or lowlights) from 2014, as
well as the
top extremes as measured by the Oklahoma Mesonet.
2104 Oklahoma Weather
Highlights
• According to preliminary data from the National Weather Service
(NWS), 2014
ended up with a total of 16 tornadoes, the lowest count since
accurate
records began in 1950. That bests the previous minimum annual
twister count
of 17 back in 1988. That stands in stark contrast to recent
years that ranked
near the top for annual tornado totals. The record of 145
is still held by
1999, but 2011 and 2010 rank with the second- and
fourth-highest totals at
119 and 103, respectively. And 2013 tied for ninth
highest at 82. The annual
average tornado total for Oklahoma is
approximately 56.
o The strongest 2014 tornado listed was an EF-2 that
struck the small
town of Quapaw in Ottawa County, killing one and
heavily damaging as
many as 50 structures.
o A tornado touched
down near Lake Arcadia in central Oklahoma on the
December 14, only the
25th tornado since 1950 for that month.
o Of the 16 confirmed tornadoes,
11 were of the weakest rating of EF-0.
o Although not associated with a
tornado, a thunderstorm near Burneyville
on July 30th produced a wind
gust of 106 mph, tied for the fourth highest
in Mesonet
history.
• According to preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet
through December 28,
the statewide average precipitation total for the year
thus far was 28.56
inches, 7.74 inches below normal. Depending on what
possible precipitation
falls in year's final three days, it is estimated
that 2014 will rank
somewhere from 25th to 30th driest since 1895 (note:
the rankings in the
statistics table below are since 1921).
o The
Mesonet site at Kenton recorded 13.2 inches of precipitation during
2014, the lowest such total in the state. Broken Bow and Clayton led the
state with 50.8 inches each.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20141229/2014-total-precip.png
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20141229/2014-depart-normal-precip.png
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20141229/2014-precip-stats.png
o The spring (March-May) rainy season was the 11th driest on record with
a
statewide average of 6.57 inches, more than 5 inches below
normal.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20141229/mar-may-totals.png
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20141229/mar-may-depart-normal.png
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20141229/mar-may-pct-normal.png
o The January-May statewide average was 7.39 inches, the 3rd driest
first
five months of the year on record.
o June and July combined
were the 15th wettest on record across Oklahoma
with an average of 10.28
inches, nearly 3.5 inches above normal.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20141229/jun-july-depart-normal.png
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20141229/jun-july-pct-normal.png
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20141229/jun-july-totals.png
•
A no-show summer and a frigid first few months of the year guaranteed a
cool
2014, and the statistics back that up. Preliminary data from the
Oklahoma
Mesonet place the statewide average temperature for 2014 at 58.9
degrees,
about a degree below normal. Depending on what occurs the last few
days of
the year, that would rank 2014's temperature somewhere in the
20-30th coolest
on record range. Interestingly, 2013's final statewide
temperature also
finished at 58.9 degrees.
o Summer itself was the
24th coolest on record with a statewide average of
78.6 degrees, 1.1
degrees below normal.
o July was the fifth coolest on record and 4.3
degrees below normal.
o A brush with frigid weather in the middle of
November proved to be one of
the most significant early-season winter
outbreaks on record for Oklahoma.
The cold snap began with a cold front
on the 11th that dropped
temperatures from the 70s and 80s into the 30s
and 40s. The Oklahoma
Mesonet station at Boise City struggled to a high
of 15 degrees on the
12th just two days after reaching a high of 81
degrees. Most of the state
had spent from 100 to more than 150 hours
below freezing. The event also
came with a statewide blanket of snow.
Amounts of 3-4 inches were common
across parts of western, northern and
central Oklahoma.
o December finished the year off with one last warm
month, but not in the
way one would normally think. There were very few
pleasantly warm
afternoons, as daytime highs were actually a bit below
normal. The morning
lows, however, were another story. Through the 29th,
the statewide average
low temperature was 35.2 degrees, 7.7 degrees
above normal. Overall, the
statewide average through the 29th was 3.4
degrees above normal. The last
two days of December promised to be quite
chilly, however, which could
bring that average down just a
bit.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The
2014 Oklahoma Mesonet
extremes
----------------------------------
Temperature
----------------------------------
Maximum
Air Temperature
FREEDOM 106.9 F 07/26/2014
Minimum Air
Temperature
NOWATA -12.1 F 01/06/2014
Maximum Heat
Index
LANE 112.6 F 08/08/2014
Minimum Wind Chill
ALVA
-25.0 F 01/06/2014
Greatest 1-hour Temperature Change
KENTON 32.9
F (80.6 F 11/10/2014 21:55 to 47.7 F 11/10/2014 22:50)
Greatest 24-hour
Temperature Change
SLAPOUT 66.2 F (84.6 F 11/10/2014 20:40 to 18.3 F
11/11/2014
13:15)
----------------------------------
Humidity
----------------------------------
Highest
Dew Point Temperature
BROKEN BOW 81.3 F 07/27/2014
Lowest Dew
Point Temperature
MIAMI -18.8 F
01/06/2014
----------------------------------
Rainfall
----------------------------------
Greatest
1-hour Rainfall
HINTON 3.07" 06/19/2014
Greatest 24-hour
Rainfall
CLAYTON 6.60" (07/30/2014 -
07/31/2014)
----------------------------------
Wind
Speed
----------------------------------
Maximum Wind Speed (5-minute
average)
BEAVER 59.7 mph 07/01/2014
Maximum Wind
Gust
BURNEYVILLE 105.8 mph
07/31/2014
----------------------------------
Pressure
----------------------------------
Highest
Mean Sea Level Pressure
CHEROKEE 1044.55 mb 01/23/2014
Lowest Mean
Sea Level Pressure
MAY RANCH 989.17 mb 04/27/2014
Gary
McManus
State Climatologist
Oklahoma Mesonet
Oklahoma Climatological
Survey
(405) 325-2253
gmcmanus@mesonet.org
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Sunday, December 28, 2014
New Equipment
It's not a secret that mowing equipment is an indispensable asset to any golf course. Mowing is the one job that is done most frequently and has the biggest impact on the condition of the golf course. From the first moment I saw our mowing fleet back in 2007, I quickly realized that a plan would be needed to phase out some of this old equipment to improve productivity and course conditions. Over the years, we've had some success replacing certain machines, but never really made a big dent in the problem due to budget constraints. We determined, that due to the condition of our old fleet, we wouldn't ever realize the increases in efficiency and course conditions if we just picked at the problem by buying 1-2 machines a year. Keeping all this in mind, the grounds staff determined that leasing to purchase the entire fleet in one package would be most cost effective option. The staff demoed equipment over the past year to determine which equipment would meet our needs. Through this process, we quickly realized just how much inefficient our old fleet really was.On November 18th, 2014, a recommendation for approval of a lease agreement was presented to the Owasso City Council. The council, after some thorough questioning, unanimously approved the agreement. I'd like to take a minute to recognize the council, as well as the leadership at Owasso City Hall. The administrative staff at the City has been extremely supportive throughout this process. I left that council meeting humbled by the strong vote of confidence by the Owasso City Council, thereby affirming their support for everything that the Bailey grounds department has done over the past several years to get the golf course back into something the community can be proud of.
This past week, the Bailey Ranch Grounds Department took delivery of the new fleet. After years of struggling to keep the old equipment running, words cannot describe how grateful we are to have this new equipment! The grounds staff will do everything in their power to ensure this equipment remains the best possible condition. With all this new equipment sitting ready to go, we cannot wait to get started on a great 2015 seaon!
Friday, December 5, 2014
Divot Pattern Reminder
As I've mentioned before, the divot pattern in the graphic to the right, is the preferred pattern all year long. It allows for quicker recovery through the growing season and allows us to maximize the dormant turf throughout the off-season.
The grounds staff would ask that you please follow this simple technique to preserve as much grass as possible so that we can maintain the highest quality turf possible until the plant begin to recover in spring.
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