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 »
Thu, Oct 01, 2020
A historic cold snap set the tone for a cool September, which saw one of the earliest intrusions of winter weather in state history. An unusually strong cold front blasted through the state September 8-9, sending temperatures plummeting up to 50 degrees lower than the previous day’s highs. Lowest maximum and minimum temperature records were shattered across the western half of the state. High temperatures on the ninth struggled to a chilly 40 degrees at Boise City and Kenton following lows of 33 degrees. Those maximum and minimum temperatures were the lowest on record for that early in the fall season in Oklahoma. To find the previous instance of the earliest high temperature of 40 degrees requires a journey back to 1945 when Boise City hit 40 on September 28, a full 19 days later than the new September 2020 record. While wind chills remained in the 20s and 30s across the northwestern quarter of the state, heat index values soared close to 100 degrees in the far southeast, which missed out on the early winter feel altogether. Temperatures moderated through the rest of the month, failing to reach the depths of that early cold snap again. Severe weather was almost non-existent during September, although a brush with Tropical Storm Beta provided an unneeded dose of moisture to the far southeast later in the month.
According to preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, the statewide average temperature for the month was 69.9 degrees, 2.4 degrees below normal to rank as the 13th coolest September since records began in 1895. Summer weather was present, but certainly not common. Several stations reached 102 degrees on the 25th for the highest readings for the month, although the 120 Mesonet sites recorded only nine triple-digit temperatures for all of September. It was a particularly cool month for south central and southwestern Oklahoma. Both fell below normal by more than 3 degrees to rank as their eighth coolest Septembers on record. The year-to-date statewide average was 64 degrees, 0.7 degrees above normal to rank as the 35th warmest January-September on record.
There was a tremendous difference in rainfall during the month between the northern and southern halves of the state – save for the far southwest, which took dry to another level. From Interstate 40 south, rainfall amounts ranged from 2-5 inches above normal with localized larger totals. Totals north of I-40 fell 1-2 inches below normal. Overall, the September statewide average was 3.81 inches, 0.28 inches above normal and the 43rd wettest September on record. Talihina led the month with 13.2 inches of rain, but 30 Mesonet sites had at least 6 inches during September. The January-September average was 31.69 inches, 3.3 inches above normal to rank as the 24th wettest such period on record.
The cool weather helped preserve rains earlier in the summer and minimize drought expansion, but there was also little in the way of drought improvement. Adding to Oklahoma’s drought worries, below average sea surface temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific could lead to more dry times through early 2021. According to the Climate Prediction Center (CPC), La Niña conditions developed during September and are likely to continue through the winter, prompting the agency to issue a La Niña Advisory. This unhelpful El Niño counterpart can push the jet stream farther to the north across the North American continent, leaving the southern tier of the United States – including Oklahoma – warmer and drier than normal during the cool season. CPC’s October and October-December outlooks reflect La Niña’s influence with increased odds of above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation. CPC’s October drought outlook indicates possible drought expansion across western Oklahoma, while the October-December drought outlook shows that drought expansion extending across nearly all of the state, save for the southeastern corner. Possible implications for the state due to La Niña include further intensification of the current drought and an enhanced wildfire season. CPC forecasters caution that each La Niña is different, and not all impacts occur during every episode – their probabilities are increased, however.