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 »
Wed, Aug 01, 2012
August 1, 2012
Heat exploded across Oklahoma during July thanks to a rapidly intensifying drought and a persistent upper-level ridge of high pressure. The combination of dry soils, wilting vegetation and a brutal summer sun led to the sixth warmest July on record for the state. Those records date back to 1895. According to preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, the statewide average temperature finished at 85.9 degrees, 4.3 degrees above normal. July becomes the 23rd month out of the last 28 to finish warmer than normal, a persistent signal that began in April 2010. The first two months of summer were the ninth warmest on record at 3.2 degrees above normal. The January-July statewide average of 63.9 degrees was easily the warmest on record for the first seven months of the year at 4.8 degrees above normal. The heat broke or tied four daily records during the month at Oklahoma City and twice at Tulsa, including that city’s all-time high minimum temperature. Tulsa’s temperature only dropped to 88 degrees on July 30, breaking the previous all-time record high minimum temperature of 87 degrees set on August 2, 2011, and July 16, 1980. The highest temperature recorded during the month was 112 degrees on July 31 at several locations. The century mark was reached at all 120 Mesonet stations on both July 29 and July 31.
The month was also the 15th driest July on record with a statewide average rainfall total of 1.11 inches, 1.63 inches below normal. The moisture deficit during July continued a dry streak that began in April and intensified during May, encompassing the bulk of Oklahoma’s primary rainy season. The May-July statewide average rainfall total of 5.99 inches fell 6.25 inches below normal and ranked as the third driest such period on record. Three of the 120 Oklahoma Mesonet stations – Marshall, Spencer and Waurika – recorded no rainfall for the month of July and 10 recorded less than a tenth of an inch. Idabel led the state with 5.75 inches. July 31 marked the 55th day since the Mesonet stations at both Norman and Watonga recorded more than a tenth of an inch of rain in a single calendar day.
The drought’s impacts became more significant as the month progressed. The USDA rated the moisture levels of 96 percent of the state’s topsoils and subsoils as either “poor” or “very poor” in a report released on July 30. That report also rated 64 percent of the state’s pastures and rangelands as being in either “poor” or “very poor” condition. County-level USDA offices from across the state reported a rapid deterioration of crops and vegetation as well as diminishing stock ponds. The lush green growth of the state’s warm and wet early spring was transformed into abundant fuel for wildfires as it became dormant or dead. Many large fires were reported during the latter half of the month.
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report indicated severe to extreme drought had crept into the state from both the east and the west, with 64 percent of Oklahoma now portrayed in at least severe drought. That is the highest such level since Nov. 22, 2011, when the drought had just begun to diminish following its zenith in October. Approximately 15 percent of the state is considered in the extreme drought category, the highest percentage since early March when the drought appeared headed towards extinction. The Drought Monitor’s intensity scale slides from moderate-severe-extreme-exceptional, with exceptional being the worst category.
The latest temperature and rainfall outlooks from the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center are less than optimistic for widespread relief. Increased odds of both below normal rainfall and above normal temperatures will continue for August. The August-October temperature outlook also indicates increased odds of above normal temperatures. August would not be considered the ideal month for relief regardless of those outlooks as the state’s driest summer month and the calendar’s second-hottest, next to July. Relief from summer normally begins to arrive during September as the jet stream begins to meander back towards the south once again, bringing cooler air and increased chances of rainfall.
Link to map of the "Consecutive days with less than 0.10 inches of rainfall"
Link to map of the "Consecutive days with less than 0.25 inches of rainfall"
US Drought Monitor Report (Oklahoma) **A new Drought Monitor map will be released Thursday morning at 8 am
Link to the August temperature and rainfall outlooks from the NWS' Climate Prediction Center
