Tue, Apr 23, 2013
Science of Climate Change and Variability Workshop Oklahomas for Excellence in Science Education, the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, the National Science Foundation, and the University of Oklahoma Biological… Read More »
Mon, Apr 01, 2013
Arrival of Spring Fails to Rescue Dry March April 1, 2013 The wet conditions of February failed to translate into March, but the cooler than normal… Read More »
Thu, Feb 28, 2013
February Brings Winter Storms, Drought Relief February 28, 2013 Winter roared back into Oklahoma during February, providing significant drought relief to much of the… Read More »
Mon, Feb 04, 2013
January Defies Dry Trend January 31, 2013 January seemed destined to finish on the dry side of normal, just as the eight months previous… Read More »
Wed, Jan 30, 2013
Oklahoma Mesonet Weather Camps 2013 We will be hosting two camps in the summer of 2013. A middle school camp for Middle School Oklahoma… Read More »
Wed, Jan 02, 2013
Heat and Drought Dominate 2012 Oklahoma Weather Headlines A slide back to true wintry weather, the likes of which had not been seen across Oklahoma since early… Read More »
Thu, Nov 29, 2012
Oklahoma Drought Picture Worsens During November Oklahoma Drought Picture Worsens During November Drought surged during November with a return to the dry, warm and… Read More »
Thu, Nov 08, 2012
Oklahoma Drought Continues to Expand With some areas of the state awaiting their first drop of rainfall since the end of September and a… Read More »
Thu, Nov 01, 2012
October Interrupts Warm Streak, But Not Drought It’s been awhile since Oklahoma has seen a month like October. Eleven months, to be exact. Not since September… Read More »
Tue, Oct 02, 2012
Late September Rains Provide Drought Relief Hopes for drought relief were starting to fade as September wound down, only to be saved by a slow-moving soaker… Read More »
Thu, Sep 06, 2012
Drought and Wildfires Plague August According to data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, August finished one degree above normal to rank as the 53rd warmest… Read More »
Thu, Aug 09, 2012
Extreme to Exceptional Drought Covers Most of Oklahoma Spurred by the rapidly intensifying flash drought and its impacts, including the extreme fire danger realized in the state… Read More »
Wed, Aug 01, 2012
July Blazes to Sixth Warmest on Record as Drought Expands August 1, 2012 Heat exploded across Oklahoma during July thanks to a rapidly intensifying drought and a persistent upper-level ridge… Read More »
Thu, Jul 19, 2012
Heat and Drought Surge Once Again in Oklahoma The drought plaguing much of the interior United States continues to stretch its tendrils into Oklahoma. Some experts claim… Read More »
Mon, Jul 02, 2012
June Ends On A Scorching Note A blistering final week and a return to drought transformed June from a mildly hot month into a… Read More »
Mon, Jun 04, 2012
May Ends Warmest Spring in Oklahoma History May Ends Warmest Spring in Oklahoma History Fri. June 1, 2012 A pleasantly cool final day and scattered heavy… Read More »
Fri, Mar 30, 2012
OK Regents Summer Academies This summer, invite your students to spend time at an Oklahoma college or university and discover the fascinating worlds of aeronautics,… Read More »
Fri, Mar 23, 2012
Drought Ends for Much of Oklahoma Drought Ends for Much of Oklahoma Thu, Mar 22, 2012 Heavy rain associated with this week’s slow-moving storm… Read More »
Thu, Mar 01, 2012
Warm February Closes Out Eleventh Warmest Winter in Oklahoma Golf clubs replaced parkas as the outdoor accessory of choice this winter, and Oklahoma’s kids can only dream of missed… Read More »
Tue, Jan 03, 2012
EarthStorm-Job Shadow Program for Meteorology Careers Applications for the 2012 Job Shadow Day are available at: http://www.mesonet.org/index.php/earthstorm/page/job_shadow. Deadline: February 3rd, 2012 Job Shadow Day: February… Read More »
Thu, Feb 28, 2013
February 28, 2013
Winter roared back into Oklahoma during February, providing significant drought relief to much of the state while dumping as much as three feet of snow in the northwest. According to preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, the statewide average precipitation total for February was 3.03 inches, 1.27 inches above normal. That would rank the month as the 13th wettest February since records began in 1895, although melting snow in the northwest could push that mark higher. Radar estimates indicate 2-6 inches of liquid equivalent precipitation fell across the state during the month. February was the wettest month in Oklahoma since April 2012, which had a statewide average of 3.81 inches. A statewide average deficit of more than 12 inches still exists since the beginning of last May, the beginning point of this second round of drought that has persisted since October 2010. The deficit since that point is nearly 25 inches. Not only was the month wetter than normal, it was also cooler than normal. According to the Mesonet, the statewide average temperature finished at 40.7 degrees, 1 degree below normal – only the seventh month out of the last 35 to accomplish that feat. The winter period of December 2012-February 2013 ranked as the 30th warmest at 1.9 degrees above normal and 35th wettest at 0.6 inches above normal.
The month’s last storm system was also its most powerful. Severe thunderstorms, hail, freezing rain and snow pounded the state on Feb. 24-26. Strong winds of over 50 mph whipped the snow, often accompanied by thunder, into drifts as high as 10 feet that paralyzed much of northwestern Oklahoma. More than 36,000 electrical customers were left without power thanks to ice-coated power lines and trees, and nearly all highways across extreme northwestern Oklahoma were shut down as roads drifted shut. The heavy, wet snow crumpled awnings and in some cases, roofs. One fatality was attributed to a roof collapse at a private residence in Woodward. The snow totals were extreme, and in some cases, possibly record-breaking. The preliminary February snowfall total of 42.5 inches from the small Ellis County town of Arnett would break the state’s all-time snowfall record for any month if it verifies. That mark currently stands at 39.5 inches from Buffalo, set in February 1971. Alva, to the northeast in Woods County, recorded a preliminary total of 35.6 inches.
The month began with 92 percent of the state depicted in at least extreme drought by the U.S. Drought Monitor, and 40 percent considered to be in exceptional drought. The Drought Monitor’s intensity scale slides from moderate-severe-extreme-exceptional, with exceptional being the worst category. The latest report released on Feb. 28 portrays remarkable improvement with only 12 percent of the state in exceptional drought. The amount in at least extreme drought dropped to 62 percent. The state had not seen a lower percentage of exceptional drought since the end of last July when the level was at five percent. Only the Panhandle and far southwestern Oklahoma remain in exceptional drought. Most of eastern Oklahoma dropped from extreme to severe drought thanks to improving drought impacts. Soil moisture data from the Oklahoma Mesonet show saturated soils down to 24 inches across the eastern half of the state, with similar conditions in the topsoils across all of Oklahoma.
It appears the state will get something of a well-deserved respite from the inclement weather of late February. The first week of March looks to remain on the dry side with seasonable temperatures. Hints of another storm system are beginning to appear for the following week. According to the latest U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook from the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center, drought is expected to persist or intensify for nearly the entire state through May 31. A sliver of far eastern Oklahoma can expect some improvement according to the report.
Link to the latest U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook
Link to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report (Oklahoma)
