Conditions are even worse in the Four Corners region and the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles, warranting their description as “exceptional.” “The proverbial spigot shut off,” said Brian Fuchs, a climatologist at the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.
“Drought isn’t necessarily a signal for wildfires, but it can exacerbate the conditions that do take place.” Climatologists consider the months from October to April to be a “recharge” period, with showers and snow replenishing water supplies in the Southern Plains.
However, the most recent significant rain in the area came in early October.
There is very little snowpack remaining except on the highest peaks.
A map Fuchs presented during a conference call with reporters showed a sharp distinction on either side of a line from near Fort Worth, Texas, to near Chicago.
Moist areas of Arkansas and Missouri were within 100 miles of arid conditions in Kansas and Oklahoma.
“Even normal precipitation … would be helpful,” Fuchs said.
The dry air has likely contributed to some weather anomalies: Several towns in western Oklahoma have seen wild temperature swings, and Oklahoma hasn’t had a tornado yet this year, though a later start to the tornado season doesn’t mean it could be any less troublesome.
Similar temperature swings were recorded in the Oklahoma Panhandle and could be attributed to the dry air, not any of the station’s proximity to wildfires.
Wildfires have scarred many areas of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.