Look at all that white space! That is good news for fall. But will only be prolonged good news if we get more rain. C'mon rain!
Yes, it is still a drought, and yes this will be another month where the total rainfall is way below normal, and no there is
no rain in the forecast, but I do have some good news.
First, I saw the most
significant change in the drought monitor for the good that I have seen in a long time.
And second, the governor-declared burn ban that has been in effect for most of the state the past two months was
lifted this week. Cook-outs and bonfires! …for most of you.
On the drought, in the U.S. Drought Monitor’s weekly report, the percentage of the state in the D-3 category—the second most extreme—dropped to 79 percent. That is a drop of nearly 10 percent in a week.
That is the biggest drop in any drought category for several months.
That by no means indicates the drought is over and it’s time to rejoice in the fields while we dance in the rain. But, maybe a little “Hooray!” is in order.
I say a little hooray because the percentage of the state in the most extreme drought category was literally the same as last week: 66.42 percent. It covers a little east of Interstate 35 and everything west, save a tiny patch in the southwest corner of the panhandle.
Tulsa County and much of northeast and east-central Oklahoma is in the D-2 drought category. Not the worst, but definitely not good.
For the burn bans, the only counties that remain in the ban are along the Oklahoma/Texas border and the panhandle. That is a significant change from when the only counties not in the ban were in the far northeast corner.
Those still in the governor’s ban are Atoka, Beaver, Beckham, Bryan, Carter, Choctaw, Cimarron, Coal, Comanche, Cotton, Garvin, Greer, Harmon, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnston, Kiowa, Love, Marshall, McCurtain, Murray, Pontotoc, Pushmataha, Roger Mills, Stephens, Texas, Tillman, and Washita counties.
County-imposed burn bans are still in affect for some counties, however. Osage and Payne counties are two of them. However, both of those are set to expire next week, unless the county decides otherwise.
So fire up the grills and fall bonfires, Oklahoma! But, keep a bucket of water handy. You know…that’s a good idea anyway, right?
