Rain Helps Some But Drought Far From Over
By Dr. Mark Shafer
Director of Climate Information
The Oklahoma Climatological Survey
1/23/2006

Sunday's rainfall amounted to nearly two inches across parts of southeastern Oklahoma. While that may put a short-term dent in the immediate drought problems, the long-term picture still needs much improvement. The 1.90" of rain recorded at the Idabel Mesonet site was more than the previous three months combined - a meager total of only 1.45". Sunday's rainfall at many other sites across McCurtain, Choctaw, Bryan, Atoka, Pushmataha, and Leflore Counties similarly rivaled their previous 3-month totals.

While wildfires have captured our attention across much of the state, southeastern Oklahoma has been unusually dry for a much longer time. In fact, climate statistics show that drought impacts can be found dating back to 2002. The 2005 precipitation total for the southeast region was the driest in the nation when compared to normal rainfall. For residents of southeast Oklahoma, drought is not just a heightened danger of wildfires - it is all the attendant water supply problems of low lake levels, dry streams, parched soils, and withering pastures.

The U.S. Drought Monitor, a weekly depiction of drought conditions across the country, puts the area in its D4 category - the most severe drought category they use. While the rains may provide some temporary relief, don't look for the drought to budge much in the coming weeks. The Climate Prediction Centercalls for some improvement through early April, but considering how far the region has to go, the drought will not go away anytime soon.