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, 2015
Flash drought continued to spread across southern Oklahoma during a dry, hot September, and had enveloped nearly 17 percent of the state by month’s end. According to preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, the statewide average rainfall total was 1.43 inches below normal at 2.1 inches, the 33rd driest September since records began in 1895. It was particularly dry across south central and southeastern Oklahoma, areas that had seen record rainfall from April through July. The Mesonet site at Idabel recorded a measly 0.38 inches of rainfall for the month, nearly 4 inches below normal and the lowest total in the state. Eighteen of the 119 Mesonet sites recorded less than an inch of rain during September, concentrated mostly in southern Oklahoma. Fifty-seven stations received less than 2 inches. There were a few isolated areas that had good moisture, however. Oilton reported 7.5 inches, and seven other stations recorded at least 4 inches of rain.
The dry September combined with a dry August to enable the flash drought to develop and intensify. The August-September statewide average of 4.54 inches was over 2 inches below normal and the 33rd driest on record. In some cases, the deficits stretch even farther back. Madill in south central Oklahoma recorded nearly 43 inches of rain between April 13 and July 8, but only 1.16 inches since. Idabel, so dry during September, has seen less than an inch dating back to July 9. The drier than normal months also took a bite out of the 2015’s chances to eclipse 1957 as the wettest year on record for Oklahoma. The January-September statewide average rainfall total of 38.84 inches is still 10.45 inches above normal, but fell to fourth place in the rankings behind 1957’s top mark of 41.3 inches. The record-setting total that year was 47.88 inches. In order to surpass 1957’s total, 2015 has a mere three months to add another 9 inches. The normal October-December precipitation total for Oklahoma is 8.11 inches.
Despite a few cool spells, the majority of September was warmer than normal, and emphatically hot at times. Those periods of intense heat further worsened moisture stress on the state and invigorated the flash drought. The statewide average temperature according to preliminary Mesonet data was 76.3 degrees, 4 degrees above normal to rank this September as the 15th warmest on record. The Mesonet recorded its last triple-digit temperature for the year, barring any unusual October occurrences, on Sept. 17 with readings of 103 degrees at Freedom and Buffalo. September’s highest temperature was 108 degrees at Freedom on the seventh while the lowest was a chilly 42 degrees at Kenton on the 19th. September boosted the year-to-date average temperature to 63.6 degrees, 0.2 degrees above normal, to rank the January-September ranking to 47th warmest.
Although most of the state remains drought free, the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report does show over 30 percent of the state in “abnormally dry” conditions. While that designation is not considered drought by the Drought Monitor, it can be considered a pre-cursor to further drought development. Of the 16.79 percent of the state in drought, 10.42 percent was considered “moderate,” 5.4 percent “severe” and 0.97 percent “extreme.” The Drought Monitor’s intensity scale slides from moderate-severe-extreme-exceptional, with exceptional being the worst classification.
The October precipitation outlook from the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) indicates increased odds of above normal moisture for the southwestern half of the state. The temperature outlook was non-committal with equal chances of above-, below- or near-normal conditions. The precipitation outlook lends confidence for possible drought relief. The U.S. Monthly Drought Outlook portrays the drought stricken areas in southern Oklahoma as seeing drought either improving or disappearing by the end of the month.