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 »
Wed, Jun 01, 2022
May’s reputation as Oklahoma’s most prolific severe weather month was confirmed within the first week with as many as 21 tornadoes in the month’s first five days. While most of that count were weak EF0 or EF1 tornadoes, they were damaging, nonetheless. That total also included two strong EF2 twisters that struck both Earlsboro and Seminole on May 4. The Earlsboro tornado traveled in nearly a complete circle, producing damage in the southeast side of the city first and then the northeast side along its circuitous route. The Seminole twister grew up to a mile wide with multiple vortices at times and was on the ground for 12 miles. Unfortunately, part of that path took it through downtown Seminole where it produced significant damage to homes, businesses, and two Seminole schools. That same tornadic storm also produced a large damaging EF1 tornado near Cromwell and Okemah. Another large tornado reached nearly a mile wide and produced EF1 damage in Le Flore County earlier on May 2. Nearly 10,000 electric customers were left without power following the multi-day severe weather event, and there were at least 21 storm-related injuries. Reports of large hail were common throughout the month. Hail to the size of grapefruits was reported near Seminole on May 2 and again at Okemah on May 15. Prodigious rains not only took a huge bite out of the drought, but also produced widespread flooding—especially across eastern Oklahoma where more than a foot of precipitation fell. The month ended much as it began with severe storms rolling across the state producing large hail, severe winds, and flooding rainfall on May 31.
The statewide average rain total was 6.33 inches according to preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, 1.4 inches above normal and ranked as the 30th wettest May since records began in 1895. For the first time since June 2021, all 120 Oklahoma Mesonet sites received at least an inch of rainfall. Those totals ranged from 1.04 inches at Eva to 13.9 inches at Haskell. Nineteen Mesonet sites recorded at least 10 inches of rain for the month, and another 65 reached the 5-inch mark. For some parts of western Oklahoma, it was more moisture than they had in the previous eight months totaled together, dating back to September 2021. The climatological spring (March-May) finished with a statewide average of 11.51 inches, 0.21 inches above normal and ranked as the 43rd wettest March-May on record. The first five months of the year had a statewide average of 13.85 inches, 0.71 inches below normal and ranked as the 56th wettest January-May on record.
The statewide average temperature finished at 70.3 degrees, 1.9 degrees above normal to rank as the 29th warmest May on record. Temperatures soared into summer-like territory for much of the middle of the month, with significantly cooler weather bookending that burst of summer. The Mesonet’s 120 sites recorded triple-digit temperatures 82 times on 12 separate days during May. Altus had 11 days at or above 100 degrees during the month to lead the state, although Hollis was close behind at 10 days. Temperatures ranged from a high of 108 degrees at Grandfield on May 8 to a low of 32 degrees at Eva on the 22nd—undoubtedly Oklahoma’s last freeze of the spring season. Spring ended as the 31st warmest on record at 60.6 degrees, 0.9 degrees above normal. The first five months of the year remained 0.4 degrees below normal with a statewide average of 51.7 degrees, the 47th warmest January-May on record.
Drought took a major hit during May. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, coverage dropped from 65% at the end of April to 44% at the end of May. The two most intense categories of drought—extreme and exceptional—fell by more than half from 39% to 18%. The June outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center hold some promise for more drought relief. The rainfall outlook shows increased odds of above normal moisture across the northeastern half of the state, while temperatures are expected to be above normal across much of southern and western Oklahoma. With heavy rains forecast for the first week of June, the June drought outlook indicates improvements are likely across all of the state save for the Panhandle and extreme southern Oklahoma where persistence is favored.