Despite recent showers and looming snow, drought watch continues

Despite last week’s showers and the looming threat of snow much of the area around Tulsa remains on drought watch.

According to figures released this week by the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) 123,000 Oklahomans are currently living under drought conditions with a further 234,000 living in areas categorized as ‘abnormally dry’.

Maps published by the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) show a large swathe of drought-affected land circling the city to the west, north and east.

The yellow-shaded areas of the featured map are classified as ‘abnormally dry’ whilst the areas in beige carry the more severe classification of ‘moderate drought’.

Since USDM’s records began in 2000, the longest duration of drought in Oklahoma lasted 239 weeks from November, 2010 through May, 2015. The current drought stretches back to 2016.

The most intense period of drought in the state occurred the week of October 4, 2011. At that time almost 70% of Oklahoman were under ‘exceptional drought’, the highest category of the five-step drought classification system.

Information and graphics are gleaned from the federal government’s drought portal at : https://www.drought.gov/drought/states/oklahoma