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, Feb 04, 2020
Although January’s weather continued this winter’s general tilt towards unusually mild conditions, that failed to prevent several bouts of wintry weather from striking the state. In true Oklahoma fashion, the first bout of snow and ice was foreshadowed by severe weather, including a couple of tornadoes. Those weak twisters struck on January 10 near Prague and Park Hill according to National Weather Service reports. The Park Hill tornado was the more destructive of the two, damaging roofs, outbuildings and trees. Notably, the first two tornadoes in 2019, on the way to a record total of 149, did not come until April 17. The snow and ice that followed the severe weather was generally light, but it was enough to disrupt traffic through the 11th. Localized amounts of 2-3 inches were reported in the northeast. Light freezing rain and snow created hazardous driving conditions across northern Oklahoma on the 17th and 22nd. The most impressive winter storm struck in the northwest on the 28th, however. A heavy wet snow – bolstered by half-dollar sized flakes – fell across the northwest quarter of the state. Totals from 3-5 inches were common, with as much as 10 inches being reported from Turpin in the eastern Panhandle. Heavy winds caused blowing and drifting snow and made for `hazardous driving conditions. Despite the multitude of winter storms, most of the state lacked any significant snowfall for the season through January.
According to preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, the statewide average precipitation total was 3.48 inches, 1.92 inches above normal and ranked as the sixth wettest January since records began in 1895. Totals ranged from 4 to 8 inches across eastern Oklahoma, with the Cloudy Mesonet site leading the way at 8.08 inches. Boise City and Kenton were the only two sites failing to reach an inch of precipitation at 0.17 and 0.23 inches, respectively. Deficits of about a quarter-inch covered that area, while the rest of the state had surpluses of 1-5 inches. A very similar pattern emerged for the December-January period, with precipitation totals ranging from just under an inch in the far western Panhandle to more than 8 inches in the southeast. The December-January statewide average finished at 4.54 inches, a surplus of 0.92 inches, to rank as the 20th wettest such period on record.
The statewide average temperature was 41.9 degrees, 4.2 degrees above normal and the 14th warmest January on record. The Panhandle was an outlier at just 2.7 degrees above normal, but still warm enough to rank as the 18th warmest February for that area of the state. Above normal minimum temperatures were responsible for much of the state’s positive January temperature anomaly. Lows were 5-6 degrees above normal while highs were generally 1-3 degrees above normal. There was a slew of 70s during January, with Hugo’s 77 degrees on the 15th leading the pack. The lowest temperature recorded by the Mesonet was 5 degrees at Boise City on the 11th. The December-January statewide average of 42.5 degrees was the fifth-warmest first two months of winter on record, 4.2 degrees above normal. Remarkably, the Mesonet recorded only six single-digit temperatures at its 120 sites over that period.
The abundant moisture continued to slowly whittle away at persistent drought conditions across southwest Oklahoma and the western Panhandle. Areal coverage of drought dropped about 2% during the month – from 10% to 8%. – according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Chances for further reductions appear slim according to the Climate Prediction Center (CPC). Their February precipitation outlook indicates Increased odds of below normal precipitation across most of the state, with those odds a bit greater across north central Oklahoma. The temperature outlook shows equal chances for above-, below- and near-normal temperatures across the entire state. CPC’s February Drought Outlook expects the remaining drought to either persist or intensify through the month.