Mon, May 02, 2022
April Winds Highest in Mesonet Era Opinions on Oklahoma’s weather are often more variable than the weather itself. Some Oklahomans will look back on April… Read More »
Wed, Apr 13, 2022
Summer/Fall 2022 Mesonet OK-First Classes Summer/Fall 2022 Mesonet OK-First classes for public safety officials are now open for enrollment! We will be offering a mix… Read More »
Fri, Apr 01, 2022
Variety Describes March Weather March’s weather ran the gamut of nearly all the hazards Oklahoma has to offer, befitting a seasonal transition month in… Read More »
Tue, Mar 01, 2022
Wintry Weather Rules February Three impactful winter storms struck Oklahoma during February, snarling traffic on state highways, bringing down power lines, and forcing… Read More »
Tue, Feb 01, 2022
Winter Arrives In January Winter arrived with conviction at the dawn of the new year in Oklahoma and delivered a startling counterpunch to the… Read More »
Tue, Jan 04, 2022
December Shatters Temperature Record In what could best be described as a climatological anomaly on steroids, Oklahoma soared to its warmest December on… Read More »
Wed, Dec 01, 2021
November Caps Off Warm, Dry Fall An extended pattern of warm, dry weather exacerbated drought conditions during November. Drought impacts, including fire danger and soil… Read More »
Thu, Nov 18, 2021
Spring 2022 Mesonet OK-First Classes Spring 2022 OK-First classes for public safety officials are now open for enrollment! We will be offering a mix of… Read More »
Mon, Nov 01, 2021
October Sets Tornado Record Oklahomans are growing accustomed to Mother Nature’s October weather shenanigans following a snowstorm of up to 13 inches in… Read More »
Tue, Oct 05, 2021
Fall 2021 OK-FIRE Classes Free training workshops will be offered this fall for both new and experienced users of OK-FIRE, the statewide weather-based decision… Read More »
Fri, Oct 01, 2021
Drought Makes September Push The 17th warmest and driest September in Oklahoma since records began in 1895 allowed drought to flourish during the month.… Read More »
Wed, Sep 01, 2021
Drought Returns During Arid August A run of hot, dry weather finished off climatological summer in true Oklahoma fashion following a delightfully mild first two… Read More »
Mon, Aug 02, 2021
Summer Heat Scarce During July Oklahoma’s July was mild for the most part, and a bit wet for much of the state. Extreme temperatures—at least… Read More »
Thu, Jul 01, 2021
June Sees Summer Swoon A slow start to summer gave way to sweltering heat through the middle of June before once again succumbing… Read More »
Tue, Jun 01, 2021
Heat Hiatus Continues During May May’s weather was rather tame by Oklahoma standards, with severe weather greatly diminished by an abundance of cool, cloudy… Read More »
Fri, May 07, 2021
Fall 2021 Mesonet OK-First Classes Fall 2021 OK-First classes for public safety officials are now open for enrollment! We will be offering a mix of… Read More »
Mon, May 03, 2021
Cold April Feels Severe Weather Impacts Cool weather helped keep severe weather at bay in Oklahoma throughout much of April. A late spring freeze—damaging in its… Read More »
Thu, Apr 01, 2021
March Weather More Lamb Than Lion The first month of spring greeted Oklahoma with warmer and more tranquil weather than the historic cold and snowy February… Read More »
Mon, Mar 01, 2021
Historically Frigid February Punctuates Winter Oklahoma experienced a historic cold air event during February, boosting the month into the company of other legendary frozen periods… Read More »
Tue, Feb 02, 2021
Warm and Wet January Greets New Year The winter storm that began the year captured January’s biggest weather headline. The event straddled the changeover from 2020 to… Read More »
Mon, Nov 02, 2020
A historic winter ice storm struck the state during the last week of October, leaving nearly 400,000 residences and businesses without power. The extreme nature of the event – arguably the most impactful early-season winter storm in the history of Oklahoma – was punctuated by heavy snow in the Panhandle and flooding rains in eastern sections of the state. Trees, still burdened with a full head of leaves so early in the season, were easy prey for radial ice accumulations of up to 3 inches across western and central Oklahoma. Downed branches felled power lines, clogged streets and snarled traffic. The power lines themselves sagged and fell under the weight of the frozen accumulation. Many school districts in the ice storm’s footprint closed for the remainder of the week due to continued challenges with debris and lack of power. Areas to the west received more sleet and snow than freezing rain, and areas to the east were inundated with cold, flooding rains. Snow and sleet totals across far western Oklahoma were generally between 2-4 inches, although as much as 9 inches was reported in localized areas. The frigid weather that came with the storm was as historic as the ice. Record low minimum and maximum temperatures were shattered across western Oklahoma October 26-27. Highs in the Panhandle on the 26th only rose into the low to mid-20s, breaking their previous record low maximum temperature by 15-20 degrees. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security reported 132 injuries as a result of the storm, with 58 of those from falls and another 28 due to motor vehicle accidents.
The late winter storm provided the first significant moisture since early September for much of western Oklahoma. According to preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, the statewide average total for the month ended at 3.37 inches, 0.17 inches above normal, to rank as the 45th wettest October since records began in 1895. Individual amounts from Mesonet sites ranged from 6.9 inches in Cookson to 0.57 inches in Kenton. Despite the deluge, parts of southern Oklahoma were still 2-3 inches below normal for the month. The late burst of moisture helped propel the January-October statewide average to 35.75 inches, 3.82 inches above normal, to rank as the 21st wettest January-October on record. That surplus was mostly built on gaudy totals 10-20 inches above normal across the southeastern half of the state, however. The western Panhandle and parts of west central Oklahoma had deficits of 7-10 inches over the first 10 months of the year.
The month began on the cool side and finished on the frigid side, resulting in a statewide average temperature of 57.8 degrees, 3.1 degrees below normal, to rank as the 13th coolest October on record. The state’s first freeze of the season came at Eva and Hooker on the 12th – just a few days earlier than average – when each bottomed out at 32 degrees. On the other side of the thermometer, 2020’s presumable final triple-digit readings came on the 14th when Altus, Hollis and Mangum each reached 100 degrees. Grandfield and Hollis each recorded 102 degrees on the 11th for the month’s highest reading. Boise City and Kenton reported the lowest temperature of the month at 14 degrees on the 26th. The statewide average year-to-date temperature of 63.4 degrees was 0.4 degrees above normal to rank as the 47th warmest January-October on record.
Drought surged during October before abating somewhat due to the late-month moisture. Drought coverage reached a high of 38% of the state on October 20 according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, up from 18% at the end of September. The month’s final map on October 27 reflected improvements with drought coverage down to 32% of the state. The outlook for further drought improvement is slim through November for much of the remaining drought area, according to the Climate Prediction Center (CPC). CPC’s November outlooks indicate increased odds of above normal temperature and below normal precipitation for Oklahoma. Their November drought outlook does see some drought improvement across the northwest, but that is for moisture from late October not yet accounted for in the latest Drought Monitor map. The remaining area of drought is expected to persist through November.
