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 »
Mon, Sep 03, 2018
Autumnal temperatures, heavy rain, and drought reduction captured the Oklahoma weather headlines during August, although the blazing voice of summer was still heard on occasion. Drought shrank considerably in both coverage and intensity during the month thanks to some well-placed heavy rains. Wind, hail and flash flooding accompanied a somewhat unusual uptick in severe weather. Flash flooding necessitated water rescues in several cities, and a Main Street bridge was washed away in Norman. The severe weather culminated with two confirmed tornadoes in Mayes and Rogers counties on Aug. 19, damaging mobile homes, outbuildings and trees. The first tornado passed over the Oklahoma Mesonet station east of Inola, producing a wind gust of 98 mph near the ground. The rains were the real star of the month, however.
According to preliminary data from the Mesonet, the statewide average rainfall was 3.99 inches, 1.04 inches above normal to rank as the 22nd wettest August since records began in 1895. Thirty-two of the Mesonet’s 120 sites received at least 5 inches of rain, and another 22 recorded 4 inches or more. Miami led the state with 11.28 inches, although Wister was close behind at 10.56 inches. Apache had the lowest total of 1.14 inches. Twelve other sites, each across western Oklahoma, failed to reach 2 inches. The June-August statewide average of 10.8 inches was 0.45 inches above normal to rank as the 41st wettest climatological summer on record. The Panhandle enjoyed its 12th wettest summer with an average surplus of 3.21 inches. Sites in Beaver County were more than 5 inches above normal for the season. In contrast, many of the Mesonet locations in the southwest corner of the state were nearly 5 inches below normal. Wister was an impressive 11.6 inches above normal for the summer at 22.3 inches. The January-August statewide average of 23.58 inches was 1.28 inches below normal. A swath from southwest through northeast Oklahoma was 10-12 inches below normal for the first eight months of the year.
The month was decidedly mild with a statewide average temperature of 79.5 degrees, 1.3 degrees below normal to rank as the 37th coolest August on record. The Mesonet’s 120 sites failed to record a single triple-digit temperature on 16 days during the month. Hollis and Hooker led August with highs of 104 degrees on the 17th and 30th, respectively. Eva fell to 48 degrees on the 21st for the month’s lowest temperature. The heat index soared to 113 degrees on the 16th at Webbers Falls. Thirty-four heat index readings of at least 110 degrees were recorded Aug. 16-17. Bolstered by the warmer-than-normal months of June and July, the climatological summer ended as the 34th warmest on record, 1.3 degrees above normal. Similarly, the first eight months of the year were 0.7 degrees above normal to rank as the 30th warmest January-August on record.
Drought coverage across the state was reduced from 55 percent at the end of July to 31 percent at the of August, with a wide strip of drought-free conditions from the western Panhandle through eastern Oklahoma. Drought intensity was reduced as well. Areal coverage of drought considered at least in the severe category fell from 32 percent to 19 percent. The Drought Monitor’s intensity scale slides from moderate-severe-extreme-exceptional, with exceptional being the worst classification. The southwest remained the hardest hit area with 94 percent considered to be in severe or extreme drought.
The September temperature outlook from the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) indicated increased odds of above normal temperatures across the entire state, with those odds a bit more enhanced in the eastern third. The precipitation outlook showed enhanced odds of above normal precipitation across the far northwest, but a bit higher chances in the Panhandle. CPC’s September drought outlook called for drought improvement or removal in the northeast and far southwest areas of the state, but persistence in south central Oklahoma.