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, Jul 09, 2018
The Gulf of Mexico was in a giving mood throughout June, feeding a deep plume of tropical moisture to a succession of storm systems moving across Oklahoma. Not all areas were quite as fortunate as others, but a substantial portion of the state received significant, drought-reducing rainfall. The eastern Panhandle even got an unexpected boost from the remnants of hurricane Bud as it made its journey through the Gulf of California into the Northern Plains. The most prolific June rains fell from the eastern Panhandle through central and east central Oklahoma. Readings of 6-8 inches were common along that corridor with the Oklahoma City East Mesonet site leading the way at 8.74 inches. Beaver received 7.18 inches – nearly a third of their normal annual total – and 8.27 inches fell at Wilburton. Eighteen of the Mesonet’s 120 sites recorded at least 6 inches of rain and 40 reported at least 5 inches.
Significant deficits occurred along the periphery of the state. Areas along the Red River, the far northeast, and the western Panhandle fell 2-4 inches below normal. Ringling received a paltry 0.3 inch, while another 15 sites reported less than 2 inches. The statewide average was 4.07 inches according to preliminary data from the Mesonet, 0.45 inch below normal to rank as the 55th wettest June on record. Year-to-date rainfall remained quite variable, from more than 12 inches above normal in east central Oklahoma to 8-10 inches below normal in the southwest and northeast. The statewide average total of 16.96 inches for the first 6 months of 2018 was 2.07 inches below normal, the 56th driest January-June on record.
Despite the rainy weather, June was still on the hot side. According to preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, the statewide average temperature finished at 80.1 degrees, 3.6 degrees above normal to rank as the 15th warmest June on record. That lofty mark, combined with the warmest May in Oklahoma history, propelled the May-June period to the warmest on record as well at 77.5 degrees. The previous record of 77.4 degrees was set in 1911. The month’s highest temperature was 106 degrees, recorded at several Mesonet sites on three different dates. The combination of abundant rainfall, Gulf moisture and heat resulted in oppressive conditions at times. The Mesonet’s 120 stations recorded heat index values of at least 110 degrees 84 times during June, with a high of 114 degrees at Nowata on the 28th. Fifty-two of those readings occurred June 27-28. The Eva Mesonet site recorded the lowest temperature, 45 degrees, on June 3. The year thus far continued on the warm side with a statewide average of 56.8 degrees, a degree above normal to rank as the 27th warmest January-June on record.
Mother Nature made significant progress combating the drought during June, at least in the case of its severity. The percentage of the state in some level of drought actually increased by about 9 percent from the end of May, mostly across eastern Oklahoma. The portion in at least “severe” drought decreased, however, from 41 percent to 28 percent. “Exceptional” drought was virtually eliminated during June, down from 10 percent of the state to start the month. The Drought Monitor’s intensity scale slides from moderate-severe-extreme-exceptional, with exceptional being the worst classification.
The temperature and precipitation outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) indicate the possibility of more hot, dry weather ahead. The maps for July show increased odds for above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation across the state. Unfortunately, that does not bode well for Oklahoma’s ongoing drought. CPC’s U.S. Monthly Drought Outlook for July sees drought persisting or intensifying where it already exists, with drought development “likely” across the rest of the state.