Tue, Feb 02, 2021
Warm and Wet January Greets New Year The winter storm that began the year captured January’s biggest weather headline. The event straddled the changeover from 2020 to… Read More »
Mon, Jan 04, 2021
Winter Flexes Muscles During December A powerful winter storm pounded the state on 2020’s final day, a fitting epitaph to a tumultuous year—and a wintry… Read More »
Mon, Dec 14, 2020
OSU - Mesonet offers management tools to help producers promote cattle comfort OSU News and Information https://news.okstate.edu/articles/agricultural-sciences-natural-resources/2020/stotts_cattle-comfort-advisor.html MEDIA CONTACT: Donald Stotts | Agricultural Communications Services | 405-744-4079 | donald.stotts@okstate.edu Read More »
Tue, Dec 01, 2020
November Sees More Drought, Tornadoes November’s weather struggled to live up to the level of excitement provided by October’s historic cold snap and ice storm,… Read More »
Mon, Nov 02, 2020
Historic Storm Haunts October A historic winter ice storm struck the state during the last week of October, leaving nearly 400,000 residences and businesses… Read More »
Thu, Oct 15, 2020
Spring 2021 Mesonet OK-First Classes Spring 2021 OK-First classes for public safety officials are now open for enrollment! For just the second time in program… Read More »
Thu, Oct 01, 2020
Winter Chill Stuns September A historic cold snap set the tone for a cool September, which saw one of the earliest intrusions of winter… Read More »
Tue, Sep 01, 2020
Cold Fronts Tame August Heat Three strong cold fronts brought the summer heat to its knees during August, but drought took advantage of a… Read More »
Mon, Aug 03, 2020
July Sees Drought Relief July brought a near miraculous recovery to much of Oklahoma, which was faced with an intensifying drought headed into… Read More »
Thu, Jul 02, 2020
June Rains Falter As Drought Surges Largely deprived of its primary rainy season, Oklahoma saw drought surge across the state during June. A mid-month bout with… Read More »
Wed, Jun 03, 2020
Tornado Count Slows During May Cool weather dominated a good part of May, and possibly robbed Mother Nature of the heat needed for her… Read More »
Wed, May 20, 2020
Summer/Fall 2020 Mesonet OK-First Classes Summer/Fall 2020 OK-First classes for public safety officials are now open for enrollment! For the first time in program history… Read More »
Fri, May 01, 2020
Weather Hazards Battle for April Headlines It’s difficult to say which weather hazard should claim top billing for April. Two late season freeze events made their… Read More »
Wed, Apr 01, 2020
Spring Steps Forward During March Winter seemed to take a final bow after February in Oklahoma, leaving March with a warm and wet transition to… Read More »
Mon, Mar 02, 2020
Snowstorm Highlights February Weather In February, Oklahoma finally received a month worthy of winter. It wasn’t tremendously cold, nor was it excessively wet, but… Read More »
Tue, Feb 04, 2020
Snow Thrives Despite Warm January Although January’s weather continued this winter’s general tilt towards unusually mild conditions, that failed to prevent several bouts of wintry… Read More »
Fri, Jan 03, 2020
December Tornado Caps Record Year Warm and mostly dry December weather dashed any hopes of walking in a winter wonderland, including dreams of a white… Read More »
Mon, Dec 02, 2019
November Feels Winter Chill November’s weather was somewhat tame by Oklahoma’s standards, with cold weather dominating the headlines. Several intrusions of arctic air blasted… Read More »
Tue, Nov 05, 2019
October's Weather Was Frightful Despite the season, spring and winter weather stole most of the headlines during October. A cold front moved through the… Read More »
Tue, Oct 01, 2019
Summer Weather Scorches September September normally sees at least one or two decent cold fronts to whet the appetite for fall. Mother Nature had… Read More »
Mon, Jan 04, 2021
A powerful winter storm pounded the state on 2020’s final day, a fitting epitaph to a tumultuous year—and a wintry December. The storm lasted into the first morning of 2021 and brought widespread totals of 2-6 inches of snow from southwestern into northeastern Oklahoma. Localized areas in central Oklahoma reported up to 10 inches of snow. The storm was the last in a series of four impactful winter systems that struck the state during December, and the fifth of the season. The month’s first storm dumped 10-15 inches of snow in far northwestern Oklahoma between Dec. 2-3. Two more storms traversed the state in quick succession on Dec. 13 and Dec. 15. The northwest was again the big winner between the two storms with over a foot of snow reported in Woodward and Ellis counties. Fargo and Arnett led official December totals at 27.1 inches and 26 inches, respectively, with Vici close behind at 25.5 inches. Fargo’s tally is the third highest December total in state history, behind Beaver’s 35 inches in 1911 and Goodwell’s 28 inches in 1918. Arnett’s total ranks fifth all-time. The highest Oklahoma snow total for any month remains Kenton’s 46 inches from February 1903. Arnett’s 32.3 inches—including 6.3 inches from a late October winter storm—led this season’s totals through December.
The statewide average precipitation total finished at 2.84 inches according to preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet. That ranks the month as the 22nd wettest December since records began in 1895, 0.78 inches above normal. The entire state saw near or above normal precipitation for the month, save for the far western Panhandle where deficits continued to accumulate. Heavy rains provided surpluses of 2-4 inches in far southeastern Oklahoma. Broken Bow’s 8.22 inches led the December totals. Boise City had the lowest total at 0.22 inches. The statewide average total for 2020 was 39.71 inches, 3.21 inches above normal, to rank as the 20th wettest year on record. Annual rainfall varied tremendously across the state, however. Southeastern Oklahoma’s average of 65.43 inches was 14.84 inches above normal to rank as their seventh wettest annual total on record, while the Panhandle saw a deficit of 4.05 inches for their 25th driest. Individually, The Mesonet site at Mt Herman had 2020’s highest total at 77.86 inches, 23.1 inches above normal. Boise City’s 10.16 inches was the lowest, and 8.4 inches below normal.
December was warmer than normal despite the wintry intrusions throughout the month. The statewide average temperature was 40.8 degrees, 1.9 degrees above normal, to rank as the 45th warmest December on record. The Mesonet site at Centrahoma recorded December’s highest reading with 80 degrees on the ninth. Hooker and Beaver shared the lowest reading of 2 degrees on the 14th and 16th, respectively. The 2020 temperature extremes ranged from 1.2 degrees at Tipton on Feb. 6 to 113 degrees at Hollis on July 14. The 2020 statewide average was 60.7 degrees, 0.8 degrees above normal, to rank as the 28th warmest year on record.
There was virtually no change in the U.S. Drought Monitor depiction for Oklahoma throughout December, with a little over 25% of the state categorized in at least moderate drought. The heaviest moisture fell outside the hardest hit areas in western and southern Oklahoma, and the far western Panhandle. Improvements were expected in 2021’s first map due to the moisture-laden storm that ended the year. The Climate Prediction Center’s (CPC) January outlooks indicate increased odds of above normal temperatures across the entire state, and above normal precipitation over the eastern half of Oklahoma—especially the eastern one-third. CPC’s January drought outlook calls for drought persistence in those areas where it exists across western Oklahoma, but drought removal in the south central section of the state. No drought development is likely during January according to CPC’s outlook.
