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 »
Wed, Jun 01, 2016
Known as the state’s most active severe weather month, May tried to live up to that moniker with several extended periods of threatening weather. Although it didn’t quite match some of the more ferocious Mays since the beginning of the decade, it was still quite lively nonetheless. At least one instance of severe weather was reported somewhere in the state on 16 of the 24 days between May 8 and May 31. The National Weather Service published a preliminary count of 19 tornadoes during May, four short of average for the month. That total could rise with further investigation, however, including the possibility of several weak tornadoes on the month’s final day in central Oklahoma. The preliminary count for the year thus far stands at 49. May 9 was the most violent day with at least 12 tornadoes being reported. That total included several significant tornadoes across south central Oklahoma that left two dead and several others injured. The two fatalities, both 76 year old males, occurred near Katie in an EF-4 monster that churned through Garvin County and near Connerville in an EF-3 tornado. The Sulphur Mesonet site recorded a wind gust of 88 mph associated with those storms, and softball size hail fell near Wapanucka in Coal County.
Despite the active weather, May ended drier than normal across much of the state. Data from the Oklahoma Mesonet estimate a statewide average of 4.12 inches, 0.70 inches below normal and the 51st driest May since records began in 1895. As is customary for convective precipitation, however, the fortunes of differing areas of the state varied dramatically. Far southern Oklahoma received 5-8 inches while west central Oklahoma totaled 1-2 inches. In fact, much of the state saw rainfall totals drop from 1-4 inches below normal. May rainfall totals from the Mesonet ranged from 12.39 inches at Cookson to less than an inch at two Panhandle locations. Despite the disappointing rainfall totals, the climatological spring season (March-May) ended as the 31st wettest since 1895 with a statewide average of 12.34 inches, about an inch above normal. Again, some areas fared better than others over the season with south central Oklahoma seeing its 11th wettest spring while west central sections experienced their 55th driest. Those same variations were exhibited in the year to date rainfall statistics as well with the 24th wettest January-May on record for south central Oklahoma and the 35th driest for west central sections. Overall, the first five months of the year were about an inch below normal at 13.88 inches.
May was unusual not only for its lack of rainfall, but also for its lack of warmth. According to preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, the statewide average temperature for the month was 65.9 degrees, 2.3 degrees below normal to rank as the 21st coolest May since records began. None of the 120 Mesonet stations observed a triple-digit high temperature during May. The month’s last freeze – and lowest temperature of the month – was recorded at Boise City with 31 degrees on May 2. The highest temperature was 99 degrees at Altus on May 10. Despite the cool May, the spring season was the 25th warmest on record with a statewide average of 60.7 degrees, 1.4 degrees above normal. The first five months of the year exceeded normal by 2 degrees, the tenth warmest January-May on record.
The June outlooks from the NWS’ Climate Prediction Center (CPC) call for increased odds of below normal temperatures across all of Oklahoma and above normal precipitation across southern Oklahoma. Those outlooks are based upon forecasts for heavy precipitation and the associated lack of sunshine during the first week of June according to CPC forecasters. The strong El Niño that impacted weather across the globe, including the enhanced rainfall amounts of 2015 in Oklahoma, has all but ended. Forecasters at CPC now conclude the equatorial pacific waters will enter neutral conditions for a few months before quickly transitioning to La Niña during the summer and then strengthen through this fall and winter. While there is no indication yet of the strength of this La Niña, possible impacts include drier and warmer than normal weather from late fall through mid-spring 2017.
Download Word Doc
Download PDF