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 »
Fri, Oct 01, 2021
Drought Makes September Push The 17th warmest and driest September in Oklahoma since records began in 1895 allowed drought to flourish during the month.… Read More »
Mon, Aug 01, 2022
The seemingly impenetrable heat wave and dry spell that had punished Oklahoma since early June continued through nearly all of July, giving Oklahoma the type of scorching hot weather unseen in the state since the brutal summers of 2011 and 2012. A strong cold front snuck through the heat dome’s defenses near the end of the month to bring some relief, but the damage was done. The combination of hot weather, a lack of significant moisture, and relentless sunshine combined to plunge Oklahoma into flash drought that had covered the entire state by the end of July. Farm ponds evaporated, soils dried out and baked, and vegetation of all types either went dormant or died, turning the state’s landscapes a sickly shade of yellow. Drought covered 31 percent of the state at the end of June according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, but coverage skyrocketed to 100 percent by the end of July. Wildfires increasingly became a problem as the arid weather persisted. One large fire northeast of Mooreland consumed more than 21,000 acres. Significant severe weather was largely absent during the month, although an EF-1 tornado managed to touch down near Broken Arrow that damaged homes and trees. That report brought the number of tornadoes during 2022 up to 41 according to preliminary data from the National Weather Service. The 1950-2021 average through July is 49.5, and the annual average is 57.2.
The statewide average temperature finished at 85.9 degrees according to preliminary date from the Oklahoma Mesonet, 4 degrees above normal and tying both 1998 and 2012 for the seventh warmest July on record. That mark remained far behind July 2011’s 89.2 degrees, which still stood as the warmest month of any month, any year, and any state since records began in 1895. This July’s temperature topped out at 115 degrees at Mangum on July 19, tying the Mesonet’s all-time highest reading with six other sites since it’s inception in 1997. Oklahoma had not seen a temperature that high since Kingfisher hit 115 back on Aug. 1, 2012. Oklahoma’s all-time highest recorded temperature of 120 degrees was set at three separate locations in 1936. The 19th was also the third time in Mesonet history that all 120 sites reached at least 100 degrees, sharing that honor with July 9 and 10, 2011. However, it was the first time all sites reached at least 103 degrees. Mesonet sites recorded temperatures of at least 110 degrees 72 times during July, and at least 105 degrees 594 times. The heat index soared even higher, hitting 119 degrees at Eufaula on July 8, and 118 degrees at Burneyville on July 20. The Mesonet observed heat index values of at least 110 degrees 383 times during the month. Lake Carl Blackwell had the month's lowest reading at 58 degrees on the 19th. The first two months of summer stand as the 10th warmest on record, 3 degrees above normal, and the first seven months of the year came in as the 26th warmest, 0.6 degrees above normal.
The statewide average rainfall total ended at 1.79 inches for the month, 1.41 inches below normal and ranked as the 32nd driest July on record. The disparity in rainfall between northern and southern Oklahoma was striking, however. Southwestern, south central, and southeastern Oklahoma suffered through their 14th, 14th, and 8th driest Julys on record, respectively, while the Panhandle enjoyed its 42nd wettest. Totals ranged from 7.73 inches at Sallisaw to zero at Altus. In addition to Altus’ goose egg, nine other sites recorded less than a tenth of an inch of rainfall. Nineteen received at least 3 inches for the month. At the end of July, 20 Mesonet sites had failed to receive at least a quarter-inch of daily rainfall for more than 50 consecutive days, and nine had not received at least a tenth of an inch for the same span. The first seven months of the year ended as the 51st driest on record at 19.45 inches, 2.57 inches below normal.
The same hot and dry conditions that dominated most of June and July are expected to prevail once again in August. The August outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center call for increased odds of above normal temperatures across the entire state and below normal precipitation in all but the western Panhandle. CPC’s August drought outlook predicts drought persistence across the southern one-third of Oklahoma, but improvement across the northern two-thirds. However, much of that improvement is based on the heavier rains that fell in late July.