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 »
Fri, Mar 01, 2019
Drought, fire danger, floods, severe storms, multiple bouts with freezing rain, and even a good old fashioned Plains snowstorm – Oklahoma’s weather had a little bit of everything during February. Frequent incursions of arctic air kept Oklahomans guessing what to wear from day to day, although choices from the spring wardrobe were rare. A round of severe storms marched across the state Feb. 6-7 ahead of an arctic front. Hail, damaging winds and flash flooding were reported with the storms, followed by a batch of freezing rain behind the front. Up to a quarter-inch of ice accumulation was noted in parts of northeastern Oklahoma. A strong storm system met up with an arctic air mass over Oklahoma on the 19th and dropped a swath of sleet and snow from southwest through north central Oklahoma. Reports of 3-5 inches were common with Burlington leading the way at 7.5 inches. Those outside of that band received a bit of freezing rain and sleet. The wintry fun didn’t end there, however. Another arctic intrusion led to an icy glaze over much of the state on the 27th, closing schools and making travel a challenge. Numerous wrecks were reported across western and central Oklahoma, including at least one fatality accident in Blaine County. Oklahoma City police stopped responding to non-injury accidents due to the sheer number of collisions, and area emergency rooms soon filled with slip-and-fall accident victims.
Much of the state finished with a moisture deficit, but that was countered by wet conditions across eastern Oklahoma. According to preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, the statewide average precipitation total was 1.58 inches, 0.25 inches below normal to rank as the 53rd wettest February on record. The southwest experienced its 32nd driest February, while southeast and east central Oklahoma had their 30th and 34th wettest, respectively. Idabel led the state at 6.3 inches. Boise City had the lowest total with 0.14 inches. Climatological winter – December through February – finished with a statewide average of 7.48 inches, 2.03 inches above normal to rank as the ninth wettest such period on record. The only significant deficits during the winter season occurred in the far southwest and northwest, where totals fell to 40-70 percent of normal. The northeast’s winter season was their sixth wettest on record.
The northwestern two-thirds of Oklahoma experienced below normal temperatures during February while the southeast was warmer than normal. Averaged as a whole, the state’s average temperature for the month was 39.7 degrees, 2.4 degrees below normal to rank as the 44th coolest February on record. The Panhandle was 4.7 degrees below normal, their 23rd coolest February on record, but the southeast was 1.7 degrees above normal to rank with their 36th warmest. The Mesonet site at Hollis recorded the highest temperature of the month at 83 degrees back on Feb. 3. None of the 120 Mesonet sites recorded a temperature of at least 70 degrees from Feb. 15 through the end of the month. The lowest temperature of zero degrees occurred at Beaver and Eva on Feb. 8. Winter finished just a tad above normal with a statewide average of 39.6 degrees, the 51st warmest on record. The southeast was 1.8 degrees above normal to rank as their 28th warmest winter.
Oklahoma was free of drought for nine consecutive weeks according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a streak that ended on February’s final day. Only 1 percent of the state was considered in drought, contained in far southwestern Oklahoma. Another 10 percent across far western Oklahoma and the Panhandle was labeled as “Abnormally Dry,” a drought precursor. The Climate Prediction Center’s (CPC) March outlooks see increased odds of below normal temperatures for the entire state, as well as above normal precipitation for all but the southwest quarter. The March drought outlook indicates no further drought development in the state, but persistence of the small area of drought in the far southwest.