Mesonet Ticker for May 1, 2026

                
MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ...
May 1, 2026        May 1, 2026        May 1, 2026        May 1, 2026


A dash of balder




What?? It's May and our rain chances have cratered...AND it's cold out??





BALDERDASH!

Capital B
Capital A
Capital ALL THE REST!

Well, we still have Monday to look forward to, because if it ain't gonna rain,
it might as well summer! At least for the western half of the state.



But we're here to talk April, in an April-kinda-stunk kinda way, with all the
tornadoes and drought and hail and wind and whatnot. But at least there was
some decent rain for some, even if it was indecent for others (you know who
you are). So let's take a step back and remember as if it was just yesterday...

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Severe weather, drought share April spotlight
May 1, 2026

Oklahoma’s severe weather engine has been turbocharged since the beginning of
the year, with January tying its monthly tornado record and March setting its
own. The fuel kept flowing throughout April as Oklahomans dealt with a slew of
tornadoes — including the state’s first EF4 since 2024 — along with very large
hail, damaging winds and flash flooding. For those who dodged the worst of the
storms, however, the quiet came with a cost. Much of northwestern Oklahoma and
the Panhandle missed out on the month’s beneficial rainfall, allowing drought
to intensify even as other areas saw meaningful relief.

Severe weather drives 2026 tornado count higher
At least 28 tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma during April, according to
preliminary data from the National Weather Service, although that number could
still rise as survey teams continue investigating other possible tornadoes.
That total more than doubles the 1951–2025 April average of 12.5 tornadoes,
while the preliminary 2026 statewide count climbed to 55 by month’s end — just
shy of the annual average of 59.

https://www.weather.gov/oun/tornadodata-ok-2026

Multiple rounds of severe weather contributed to the active month, beginning
with four tornadoes on April 3 in central Oklahoma, including an EF1 that
damaged a building at Oklahoma City Community College and produced additional
damage to roofs, sheds, fences and trees in southwest Oklahoma City. More
tornadoes followed on April 14 across eastern Oklahoma, April 17 across north-
central Oklahoma, and during additional late-month rounds April 23–28. Those
same storm systems also produced damaging hail, with numerous reports ranging
from golf ball to baseball size and at least one larger report, including
3.25-inch hail at Lamont on April 17. Heavy rainfall also produced localized
flash flooding in some areas.

The month’s most intense tornado was an EF4 that touched down near Vance Air
Force Base in Enid on the evening of April 23. The tornado narrowly missed
the base before striking portions of southeast Enid, tracking about 10 miles
and reaching a maximum width of 600 yards. The tornado damaged or destroyed at
least 40 homes and injured 10 people, but no fatalities were reported. The Enid
tornado was Oklahoma’s strongest tornado of 2026 so far and the state’s first
EF4 since May 6, 2024.

April rains sharpen drought divide
The statewide average rainfall total of 4.53 inches finished 0.94 inches above
normal, ranking as the 28th-wettest April since records began in 1895. Those
surpluses were far from evenly distributed, however, with the heaviest rains
concentrated across the southeastern half of the state while northwestern
Oklahoma and the Panhandle largely missed out. The Panhandle recorded its
sixth-driest April, while several other regions ranked among their 25 wettest.







That split drove sharply different drought outcomes. The amount of the state in
drought, considered D1 to D4 on the U.S. Drought Monitor, dropped from 99% on
March 31 to 81% on April 28. Severe-to-extreme drought coverage also fell
substantially, from 78% to 44%, while extreme drought itself eased from 35% to
30%. Still, drought intensified across northwestern Oklahoma and the Panhandle,
where rainfall remained scarce.



April by the numbers
• Statewide average temperature: 64.6°F, 5.1°F above normal — the seventh-
warmest April since records began in 1895
• Temperature extremes: High of 96°F at Altus, Fairview and Hollis on April 23;
low of 25°F at Kenton on April 18
• Temperatures of 90 degrees or above: 107 instances recorded at the 120
Oklahoma Mesonet sites
• Warmest and coolest locations: Highest monthly average, 68.4°F at Altus;
lowest, 57.1°F at Kenton
• Statewide average precipitation: 4.53 inches, 0.94 inches above normal — the
28th-wettest April since 1895
• Rainfall extremes: High of 10.87 inches at Porter; low of 0.06 inches at Eva





Drought persistence favored for May
The Climate Prediction Center’s May outlook indicates increased odds of
above-normal temperatures across roughly the western half of Oklahoma, with the
greatest odds across northwestern Oklahoma and the Panhandle. Eastern Oklahoma
has equal chances of above-, below- or near-normal temperatures, and the same
is true statewide for precipitation. The May drought outlook calls for drought
to persist in areas where it existed at the end of April.





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Gary McManus
State Climatologist
Oklahoma Mesonet
Oklahoma Climate Survey
gmcmanus@ou.edu

                

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