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of August 13-15, 2005 Answer to Question 11 |
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11. Compare the thickness map from Question 10 to the Mesonet surface temperature map. Focus on the placement of the freezing line at the surface. Both of these products were valid at 6:00 pm
- Do the two products place the freezing line in the same place?
- Which should you believe? Why?
Answer.
- As of 3:00 am, the following counties had Mesonet stations that reported rainfall exceeding FFG: Jefferson, Garvin, Murray, Seminole Creek.
- The following counties had Mesonet stations reporting rainfall between 75% and 100% of FFG: Pontotoc, Murray, Okmulgee, Coal, Cotton, Okfuskee, Hughes, Jefferson, Seminole and Creek.
- Note: The reason some counties made more than one list is because there are three separate tests applied (1-horu, 3-hour, 6-hour). Also, there may be multiple Mesonet stations in a given county.
- important! These values are based on the one or two Mesonet rain gauges in each county. Heavy rainfall can and does sneak between rain gauges. This Meso-versus-FFG product is no replacement for advice from the national Weather Service, your own radar interpretation skills, or advice from your spotters.
- For example, note the detail in this flash flood warning. You can't get that from just one or two rain gauges in a county!
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
258 AM CDT MON AUG 15 2005
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORMAN HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
PONTOTOC COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
SOUTHEASTERN GARVIN COUNTY IN SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA
MURRAY COUNTY IN SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA
* UNTIL 600 AM CDT
* AT 258 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
VERY HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES TO FALL ACROSS MURRAY... PONTOTOC AND
SOUTHEASTERN GARVIN COUNTIES. HEAVY SHOWERS PRODUCING OVER ONE
INCH OF RAIN PER HOUR WILL MOVE INTO THE ARBUCKLE MOUNTAINS OF
WESTERN MURRAY COUNTY BETWEEN 3 AND 4 AM AND ENHANCE FLOODING
POTENTIAL. THIS HEAVY RAIN WILL THEN MOVE ACROSS SOUTHEAST GARVIN
AND PONTOTOC COUNTIES.
* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE ADA...BYNG...CAMP CLASSEN...
DAVIS...DOUGHERTY...FALLS CREEK...FITTSTOWN...FRANCIS...
HICKORY...LAKE OF THE ARBUCKLES...ROFF...STONEWALL...STRATFORD...
SULPHUR...TURNER FALLS...VANOSS AND WYNNEWOOD.
THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 35 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 47 AND 66.
The Bottom Line.
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In flash-flooding, like in all critical events, keep your situational awareness! Resist the urge to get "locked in" on a single product! Using independent sources of data (Radar, Mesonet, NWS text, etc) helps keep Mother Nature from slipping a curve ball past you!
