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 »
Tue, Jul 05, 2016
Lack of rain and hot weather took its toll during June, allowing drought to make a comeback from central through northeastern Oklahoma. Moisture deficits dating back to late April rose to 4-8 inches across a large swath of northern and eastern Oklahoma. During that period, heavy rains inundated southern Oklahoma at times and prompted numerous flash flood warnings. To highlight the disparity in moisture, the El Reno Mesonet site in central Oklahoma recorded a scant 2.7 inches of rain since May 1 while Mangum totaled a whopping 13.5 inches in the far southwest. June itself ended as the 48th driest on record for the state according to preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet with a statewide average of 3.3 inches, 1.3 inches below normal. The moisture disparity across the state was extreme, however. Northeastern Oklahoma experienced its third driest June on record at 3.8 inches below normal. Southwestern Oklahoma saw its 17th wettest at 1.5 inches above normal. Acme led all Mesonet sites with 12.6 inches of rain during June while Oilton had the lowest total of 0.4 inches. The January-June statewide average fell 1.8 inches below normal at 17.2 inches. Kenton has received 9.3 inches for the lowest 2016 total thus far. Broken Bow leads the state with 37.4 inches.
The early return to summer during June helped intensify the drought and produced miserable conditions for Oklahomans. A large area of high pressure – summer’s typical “heat dome” – camped over the Southern Plains through much of June’s last three weeks and ramped up the temperature. Mesonet sites across northern and southwestern Oklahoma recorded triple digits several times during the month. Kingfisher hit the 100-degree mark seven times to lead the state. Ample moisture flow from the Gulf of Mexico combined with those high temperatures to create oppressive conditions, particularly during a three-day period from June 15-17. Heat index values reached highs of 117 degrees at Bixby, Marena and Oilton on the 15th, and there were 151 instances of 110 degrees or greater calculated by the Mesonet during that three-day period. The Mesonet recorded 437 heat index values of 105 degrees or higher during the month. The June statewide average temperature of 78.9 degrees was 2.4 degrees above normal, the 27th warmest June on record. Several Mesonet sites reached 104 degrees for the month’s highest temperature while a low of 46 degrees at the Mesonet’s newest station, Eva in Texas County, was the lowest reading. The January-June statewide was 2.1 degrees above normal and the eighth warmest first half of the year on record.
The month started with just three percent of the state in “Abnormally Dry” conditions, but no drought indicated according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The Drought Monitor map was completely clear in Oklahoma on June 14, but the heat and lack of rainfall eventually took its toll, prompting the return to drought on June’s last day. That last report had six percent of the state in moderate drought and 17 percent in abnormally dry conditions. On the opposite side of the hazard scale, flooding was an oft-reported problem during June. Lawton suffered widespread flash flooding on both June 2 and June 13 after heavy rains, necessitating water rescues by emergency personnel during both events. Flash flood warnings and water rescues were common during the first half of the month across the southwestern quarter of the state. Scattered storms on the month’s final day brought high winds, large hail and localized heavy rainfall to parts of Oklahoma.
The Climate Prediction Center’s outlooks for July indicate increased odds of above normal temperatures across the entire United States, although odds are a bit higher across the Southeast, including southeastern Oklahoma. The temperature outlook is non-committal with equal odds of near-, above- or below-normal temperatures. The U.S. Drought Outlook for July expects the current Oklahoma drought area will persist and possibly intensify through the end of the month with the areas surrounding it facing possible drought development.
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