Tue, Oct 10, 2023
Winter/Spring 2024 Mesonet OK-First Classes Winter/Spring 2024 Mesonet OK-First classes for public safety officials are now open for enrollment! We will be offering a mix… Read More »
Thu, Apr 27, 2023
Summer/Fall 2023 Mesonet OK-First Classes Summer/Fall 2023 Mesonet OK-First classes for public safety officials are now open for enrollment! We will be offering a mix… Read More »
Tue, Jan 03, 2023
December Caps 2022 Rain Record December provided a fitting end to Oklahoma’s tumultuous 2022 weather story. This final chapter came complete with a half-dozen tornadoes,… Read More »
Tue, Nov 01, 2022
October Drought Relief Mixed Drought held on through October in Oklahoma for the fifteenth consecutive month, its roots dating back to August 2021 and… Read More »
Tue, Oct 11, 2022
Winter/Spring 2023 Mesonet OK-First Classes Winter/Spring 2023 Mesonet OK-First classes for public safety officials are now open for enrollment! We will be offering a mix… Read More »
Mon, Oct 03, 2022
September Continues Dry Dusty Weather Drought surged across Oklahoma as the driest September since 1956 took its toll on the state’s landscape. The amount of… Read More »
Wed, Aug 17, 2022
Fall 2022 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 support system… Read More »
Mon, Aug 01, 2022
July Heat Punishes Oklahoma The seemingly impenetrable heat wave and dry spell that had punished Oklahoma since early June continued through nearly all of… Read More »
Fri, Jul 01, 2022
June Teases Several Seasons June managed to pack pieces of three seasons into a single month. The first 10 days were quite springlike, with… Read More »
Wed, Jun 01, 2022
May Rains Dent Drought May’s reputation as Oklahoma’s most prolific severe weather month was confirmed within the first week with as many as… Read More »
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 »
Mon, Apr 04, 2016
The dry weather that had plagued the state during the first two months of 2016 continued during March. Drought conditions spread across nearly all of northwestern Oklahoma and aided the massive Anderson Creek wildfire that burned 367,620 acres across Woods County in Oklahoma and the adjacent counties in southern Kansas. The total acreage burned in Oklahoma amounted to 88,082, all within Woods County. The fire, whipped by winds of over 60 mph, began on March 22 near Camp Houston in Woods County before quickly spreading to the north and then east. Oklahoma Forestry Services estimated more than 1,000 bales of hay, hundreds of miles of fence and approximately 600 livestock were lost in the Oklahoma portion of the fire, and altogether 16 residential structures and 25 other structures were burned in Kansas and Oklahoma. The fire was the fourth largest to occur east of the Rockies in at least the last two decades according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Many other smaller fires burned in other areas of the state throughout the month.
The month’s other big weather story was the outbreak of severe weather on March 30. A strong upper-level storm system and associated surface front, complete with a distinct dryline, kicked off storms early in the afternoon across south central and central Oklahoma, some of which quickly became severe. The worst storms were saved for northeastern Oklahoma later in the evening. The National Weather Service office in Tulsa reported two tornadoes on the night, both rated EF-2 in strength. The first started south of Skiatook in Osage County and traveled through north Tulsa before lifting near Verdigris in Rogers County. Significant damage and four injuries were reported with this tornado. That same storm then produced another tornado near Claremore, again producing significant damage. Other reports of large hail, strong winds and torrential downpours were noted from south central up through northeastern Oklahoma during the day.
Other notable events during March include a late snowfall on Eastern Sunday, a late freeze, and an increase in drought conditions across northwestern Oklahoma. The snowfall amounts on the 27th were generally between 2-4 inches and confined to the Panhandle and far northwestern Oklahoma. Laverne led preliminary totals with 6 inches. The week before, a cold front ushered in frigid air that dropped minimum temperatures well below seasonal norms. From March 18-21, much of the state had spent at least 10 hours below freezing according to the Mesonet, with the northwestern quarter seeing temperatures drop below 24 degrees for similar time periods.
According to preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, the March statewide average rainfall total was 2.4 inches, more than half an inch below normal. That total was a bit deceptive, however, due to heavy rainfall across the southeastern quarter of the state. Most other areas were from 1-2 inches below normal. That brought the year-to-date statewide average to 3.8 inches, 2.6 inches below normal, to rank as the 30th driest January-March since records began in 1895. The Panhandle and north central Oklahoma saw their 19th- and 20th-driest first three months of the year, respectively. That dry stretch allowed moderate drought to span nearly 20 percent of the state according to the March 29 U.S. Drought Monitor report, all in the northwestern corner of the state. In addition, more than 39 percent of the state was considered to be abnormally dry, a precursor to drought. Warmer than normal weather aided the intensifying drought. The statewide average as measured by the Mesonet was 54.2 degrees, 3.8 degrees above normal and the 18th warmest March on record. Combined with the warm start to the year, that brought the January-March statewide average to 46.6 degrees, the 12th warmest such period on record.
A look to the future shows dry and warm weather possibly continuing for the first 10 days of April before wetter conditions materialize. The Climate Prediction Center’s April precipitation outlook indicates increased odds for above normal rainfall across the western third of the state, especially across the western Panhandle. The outlook for temperature shows increased odds for above normal temperature across the entire state, but again especially across the western Panhandle. Despite the wet signal across the northwest, the U.S. Monthly Drought Outlook forecasts the current drought conditions across the northwest to continue through April, but no further drought is expected to develop by the end of the month.