Thu, Apr 25, 2024
Summer/Fall 2024 Mesonet OK-First Classes Summer/Fall 2024 Mesonet OK-First classes for public safety officials are now open for enrollment! We will be offering a mix… Read More »
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 »
Mon, Jun 01, 2015
Historic rains during May virtually eliminated the drought that had plagued Oklahoma for much of the past five years. The storms that brought that relief came with a cost, however, spawning more than 60 tornadoes, catastrophic flooding, and the highest price of all, 11 fatalities. The rains began during the first week of May and by the end of the month the state had seen the most rainfall on record for any month in its history. The statewide average, as measured by the Oklahoma Mesonet, finished at 14.40 inches, 9.58 inches above normal. That mark claims the top spot as the wettest month ever for Oklahoma, eclipsing October 1941’s tally of 10.75 inches. Those records date back to 1895. While the entire state saw much above normal rainfall, the southern half of the state bore the brunt of the excessive moisture with widespread amounts of 15-25 inches. Many individual locations shattered marks for their wettest month on record. The Norman Mesonet site recorded a total of 23.4 inches, obliterating their previous high monthly mark of 16.5 inches from October 1983. Oklahoma City claimed the same prize with 19.48 inches, besting June 1989’s 14.66 inches. That Oklahoma City total was 14.83 inches above normal. Of the Oklahoma Mesonet sites, Lane led the way with 28.17 inches. Twenty-two Mesonet stations recorded at least 20 inches of rain, and 54 recorded at least 15 inches. Buffalo had the lowest total with 5.91 inches, but even that total was more than 2 inches above normal. Climatological spring (March-May) ended as the second wettest in state history with a statewide average of 21.62 inches, 10.5 inches above normal. The first five months of the year were the third wettest on record with an average of 24 inches, 9.49 inches above normal. That's compared to 2014's January-May total of 7.39 inches, the fourth driest on record.
With all the rain and associated cloudiness obscuring the sun for much of the month, it's not a surprise that May was on the cool side. The statewide average of 65.6 degrees was 2.6 degrees below normal, the 15th coolest on record. The Mesonet recorded temperatures of 90 degrees only five times during May, with the highest being 91 degrees at Beaver and Hooker on the third and Altus on the 18th. The average spring temperature was near normal at 59.4 degrees. The January-May temperature remained below normal by 0.7 degrees with a statewide average of 51 degrees, although that only ranks as the 58th coolest on record.
Multiple bouts of flooding occurred in nearly every region of the state. According to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, 10 residents died in May as a result of flooding. A Claremore firefighter attempting a water rescue was one of those killed. In addition, one person died in Bryan County as a result of a tornado. At least 49 injuries were reported due to storms during May as well. After a record low year with 16 tornadoes during all of 2014, May 2015 saw at least 60 confirmed tornadoes by month's end according to National Weather Service (NWS) numbers, with that number expected to rise as more possible twisters are investigated.
The extraordinary rains blasted the 2010-15 drought from existence, with the only vestiges remaining across the far western Panhandle. The U.S. Drought Monitor showed 59 percent of the state in drought at the beginning of the month, but that area had shrunk to only 3 percent by the end of May. That's the lowest percentage of drought indicated for Oklahoma by the Drought Monitor since Oct. 26, 2010, when the drought was in its beginning stages. Dwindling reservoirs and dry farm ponds swelled with excess water as the torrential rains continued to add to their coffers. Lake Tom Steed in southwest Oklahoma, the main water supply for Altus, rose 18 feet during the month. Lake Texoma had risen to the highest level in its history on May 29. Several lakes still had some catching up to do, however. The reservoirs at Canton, Foss and Skiatook remained well below normal despite the generous moisture. Canton Lake was 9 feet below normal, or 39 percent of capacity, at the end of May.
Short-term forecasts call for a relatively dry first week of June. The NWS' Climate Prediction Center (CPC) show increased odds for above normal precipitation across far western and southern Oklahoma for June and across the entire state during the June-August period. The CPC's temperature outlooks for both periods indicate increased odds of below normal temperatures. CPC's Monthly Drought Outlook for June shows no signs of a return to drought during that month.