A slow, gentle rain measuring an inch or a little more – just right for area crops – fell across Kingfisher County Thursday and Thursday night.

The moisture continued Friday and was expected to continue until about midnight, according to the National Weather Service.

The rain turned to snow in sections of northwest Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle, closing several schools, including Vici and Shattuck. Borger, Texas reported 11 inches of snow.

The moisture provided a boost to newly planted small grain and canola fields and other winter growing season crops, which had begun to show some drought stress before the arrival of the moisture.

The rain not only boosted young crops already up to a stand but also will sprout seed in fields that had been dusted in.

The rain system affected mostly eastern and central sections of the state. The Mesonet rain map showed sharply diminished rainfall in more westerly areas of the state.

Local rainfall reports include one inch even at Kingfisher Weather Observer Steve Loftis’ National Weather Service Station, 1.1 inches at the Jack Witt residence northwest of Dover, 1.0 inch at the Harold Ebers residence at Hennessey, 1.2 inches at Cashion Grain and Feed Elevator, 1.0 inch at Okarche Grain and Feed Elevator, .5 inch at CHS Elevator in Okarche, 1.0 inch at the Twila Adams residence east of Kingfisher, 1.1 inches at the Mike and Donna Reid residence northwest of Okarche and 1.25 inches at the Jon Cochran residence at Loyal.

Mesonet readings included .97 inch at Kingfisher, 1.41 inches at Guthrie, .73 inch at Watonga, .85 inch at El Reno, 1.38 inches at Yukon, 1.16 inches at Minco, 1.03 inches at Chickasha, .37 inch at Mangum and .43 inch at Elk City.

Local temperatures have continued to drop steadily with lows approaching the freezing mark at night becoming more frequent with autumn’s arrival.

The new rainfall boosted Kingfisher’s total for the month to 1.15 inches compared to 7.6 inches in October 2018 and the year-to-date total to 44.14 inches. compared to the annual average of 35.65 inches.