Recent rains have certainly helped alleviate dry conditions in Oklahoma, but more are needed to curtail a burgeoning drought at the onset of summer. While not the driest time of the year according to the rain gauge, the summer months are most definitely the driest according to water demand. With growing plants and extreme heat on the prowl, the evapo-transpiration demands can far outpace even normal rainfall during summer. Entering this high-demand period with a deficit is a prime recipe for a drought-filled summer.

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor depiction shows drought spreading in northwestern and north central Oklahoma. The amount of drought in Oklahoma deemed "moderate" has more than doubled since last week. Even though the amount remains small, it shows a tendency for the spread of drought. Rainfs that occurred in late-April thru mid-May quickly ended following that period. North central Oklahoma has had as little as 20 percent of normal precipitation from May 17-June 12. Only portions of southern Oklahoma have had above normal precipitation during that period.

The U.S. Drought Monitor depiction is updated every Thursday and can be found here:
http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html

You can also follow Oklahoma's drought situation with statistics provided by the Oklahoma Mesonet:
http://climate.mesonet.org/rainfall_update.html