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, Jan 05, 2015
Winter was noticeably absent through much of December, a deceptively warm month that ended more than 2 degrees above normal to rank as the 38th warmest since records began in 1895. The season finally lived up to its name during the month's final week, however, with a swath of 3-5 inches of snow along the I-44 corridor in southwestern Oklahoma, along with another icy plunge to ring in the New Year. New Year's Eve was celebrated with patches of freezing drizzle, snow, sleet and below-zero wind chills. Despite the snow and ice, preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet still tracked a deficit of 0.67 inches for the month, the 55th driest December on record. The year itself was cool and dry as a whole, with 2014's statewide average temperature at 58.9 degrees, one degree below normal and the 27th coolest on record. The January-December statewide average precipitation total of 28.47 inches was more than 8 inches below normal and the 26th driest year on record. The 2014 Mesonet precipitation totals ranged from 13.2 inches at Kenton while Clayton had the most with 50.9 inches.
December's average temperature might have finished on the warm side, but that statistic didn't come with lots of warm, sunny days. In fact, it was the least sunny December since Mesonet records began in 1994, receiving only 35 percent of possible sunshine. Fog was a frequent visitor throughout the month, and the high humidity values aided in suppressing fire danger. The clouds and moisture also helped account for the warmth, trapping heat close to the surface at night and preventing the low temperatures from plummeting. The statewide average high temperature, held down by the cloudiness, was actually more than a degree below normal, but the average low temperature was nearly 6.5 degrees above normal. The highest temperature recorded by the Mesonet in December was 75 degrees at Burneyville on the fifth. The lowest temperature, minus 6 degrees, came on the month's final day at Kenton. The lowest temperature of 2014 was minus 12 degrees at Nowata back on January 6, and the highest temperature of 107 degrees came on July 26 at Freedom.
Severe weather made an appearance during the month, including a weak tornado near Lake Arcadia in central Oklahoma on the 14th, only the 25th December tornado since 1950. According to preliminary data from the National Weather Service (NWS), 2014 ended with a total of 16 tornadoes, the lowest count since accurate records began in 1950. If that total holds at 16, it would best the previous minimum count of 17 back in 1988. Large hail and severe winds also accompanied the storms on the 14th.
No drought improvements were noted during the month thanks to the dry conditions. The U.S. Drought Monitor depicted 60 percent of the state in drought to start December and 62 percent as it ended. The amount of extreme-to-exceptional drought, the worst two categories on the Drought Monitor, increased from 18 percent to 22 percent. One year ago, 38 percent of the state was considered to be in drought. Nearly 1.5 million Oklahomans were still affected by drought as the year came to a close.
The latest outlooks for January from the NWS' Climate Prediction Center (CPC) show increased odds of above normal precipitation across the southern two-thirds of the state, but no clear signal for temperature. CPC's U.S. Monthly Drought Outlook for January sees drought persisting or intensifying across those areas where drought is already in place, but no development in the current drought-free areas.