Mesonet connection, 12/2013, v.4 no.12

              connec t ion
Soils Benefit from
Winter Precipitation
Mesonet rain gauges are not heated, so snow and ice are
measured as they melt. This provides us a measure of the
moisture as it enters the soil and becomes part of the state’s
water budget.
Of course, if winter precipitation is good for the soil, it is
also good for winter crops. Moisture from snow and ice lasts
longer and does not evaporate as quickly since temperatures
are low.
“Frozen precipitation is beneficial to winter crops,” said Albert
Sutherland, Mesonet Agricultural Program Coordinator.
“When thick enough to cover the foliage like young wheat,
it also protects the crop from colder temperatures and acts
as an insulator.”
Volume 4 — Issue 12 — December 2013
www.mesonet.org
WINTER ARRIVED FULL BLAST here in Oklahoma
on the weekend of November 22, 2013 with snow and ice
across much of the state. While this weather is not a good
thing for driving conditions, it is a very helpful thing for
drought and soil moisture.
“Winter precipitation helps soil moisture by melting slowly,
which means it has more time to percolate into the soil
and not run off,” said Cindy Luttrell, Lead Operator for
the Mesonet. “Our manual (people) observation stations
measure both snow depth and the amount of water in a
melted sample so that we know how much water to expect
from the winter precipitation once it melts.”
The snow to water ratio varies from 8:1 to 20:1, but is roughly
estimated to be 10:1. One other thing to remember is that the
–by Stephanie Bowen
Altus received approximately five inches of snow during the storm on the weekend of November 22, 2013. Winter precipitation is very beneficial
for the soils. Photo courtesty of Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon and posted on Twitter by Altus Air Force Base.