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July 1, 2024 July 1, 2024 July 1, 2024 July 1, 2024
Can we skip to September?
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/july-outlook.png
Well if'n it's gonna be hot, be hot July (I said the same thing about myself
in high school...didn't work), JUST DON'T BE HUMID! I'm tired of these heat
index values above 110. I'm also tired of my IQ below 110, it's the reason I
don't write smart. Unfortunately, I have little control over either of those
predicaments. Even yesterday, which I had touted as a "nice" day, left me
ducking for the AC.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/yesterdays-heat-index.png
WELL BRAG ABOUT IT NORTHERN OKLAHOMA! Yes, up there it actually was a nice day,
and a wet one as well.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/rainrfc.48hr.png
Today's gonna be a not-nice day for just about everybody, however, with heat
index values back up into the 105-115+ range. And it will remain blazing hot
through the 4th of July, which will also..dare I say it, be "as hot as a
firecracker!" Ooh, that hurt. Make that a 115+ on the schmaltz-meter.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/latest.oklahoma.heat.gif
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/nws-norman-7day-temps.png
Look at that Friday though!
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/friday-highs.png
Surely that means July is gonna be mild after that, right? Well, good luck with
that, and don't call me Shirley. From looking at that top graphic, the outlook
is for a warmer-than-normal July, which I've said 999,999 times (one more and I
get a free clock!)...you don't want above-normal temps in the summer, only winter,
and you don't want below-normal temps in the winter, only summer! And you (I) said
I can't write smart...ha! But that break at the end of the week could lead to
something good, like rain. Some nice totals showing up on the 7-day rain forecast.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/7day-rain-forecast.png
There a problem with drought in the summer nobody talks about, however.
In the summer? What is it?
It's the season between spring and autumn, but that's not important right now.
The problem with drought in the summer is that the temperature becomes almost
as important as the rainfall, barring some really hefty moisture totals. Our
evapotranspiration is off the charts during the summer, thanks to those plants
drinking up the soil moisture in order to thrive, and the heat is evaporating
it from the top down. So it's a double-draw down. And if those temperatures
are above normal, that just accelerates that evaporation even more. That's why
that top graphic gives us a reason to be concerned. No need to panic...these
monthly and seasonal outlooks struggle, so maybe not so dire. But remember, I
told myself the same thing 30 years ago when I noticed a thin spot in my hair.
How about a look back at June, a month complete with historic rains, a nasty
windstorm that left about 100k without power, and very uncommon June heat?
Well scroll down then!
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Weather Extremes Dominate June Weather Headlines
July 1, 2024
The tornado frenzy that plagued Oklahoma in April and May completely subsided
in June. After 102 tornadoes during the previous two months, including a record
55 in April, there were no tornado reports in June. However, the month didn’t
lack dangerous weather, with twisters being replaced by historic rainfall,
extreme heat and drought, and severe thunderstorms that left tens of thousands
without power. On the night of June 25, storms plowed their way south through
the state from the Kansas border in north-central Oklahoma into central
Oklahoma, with winds up to 90 mph. These storms brought down power poles and
trees, flipped vehicles, and tore off roofs. Some estimates place the number of
Oklahomans left without power at nearly 100,000. The power outages created a
dangerous situation in the following days, with extreme heat continuing across
the state. The Oklahoma Mesonet site at Centrahoma recorded a heat index of 118
degrees on June 26, as did the Tulsa International Airport on June 29. Heat
index values of at least 115 degrees were recorded 40 times by Mesonet sites
during June, and at least 110 degrees another 235 times. The 118 degrees at
Centrahoma is the sixth-highest heat index recorded by an Oklahoma Mesonet site
during June in the network’s 30-year history. Grandfield holds the top June spot
with 120 degrees on June 19, 2023.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/240625_rpts.png
A 1,000-year rainfall event occurred in the Panhandle on June 18-19, causing
catastrophic flooding on the flat terrain of the region. Widespread totals of
6-9 inches were reported from the event that began late on the 18th and lasted
through the morning of the 19th. The Goodwell Mesonet site recorded 7.67 inches
of rain, with 7 inches falling in just over seven hours. A federal site near
Goodwell recorded 8.64 inches, and an NWS cooperative site in Hooker measured
7.99 inches. The flooding led to road closures and impacted several homes and
businesses, with some residents evacuated due to rising water levels. The
magnitude of the rainfall event was also reflected in the June monthly rainfall
totals, with the Guymon Municipal Airport leading the state at 10.3 inches, a
rare feat for a semi-arid Panhandle station. The federal sites at Hooker and
Goodwell came in second and third with 10.13 and 9.52 inches, respectively.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/nws-amarillo-june18.19-rains.jpg
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/nws-amarillo-june18.19-rains2.jpg
The statewide average rainfall total for June was 3.51 inches, 0.75 inches
below normal, making it the 56th-driest June since records began in 1895. The
historic rainfall in the Panhandle produced the largest surpluses in the state,
propelling the region to its sixth-wettest June on record at 2.27 inches above
normal. In contrast, west-central Oklahoma experienced its 12th-driest June
with an average deficit of 2.48 inches. Individually, the Mesonet sites in the
Panhandle saw surpluses of over 6 inches, while deficits in areas from west-
central through north-central Oklahoma generally exceeded 3 inches. Mangum had
the month’s lowest total at 0.32 inches. These patterns were similar to those
of the January-June period, although the deficits from west-central through
north-central Oklahoma increased to more than 6 inches. The statewide average
rainfall total for the first six months of the year was 18.65 inches, 0.17
inches below normal, making it the 54th-wettest such period on record.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/cig.June2024.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/delmonth_rain.current.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/pctmonth_rain.current.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/cig.Jan-June-2024.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/delcalendaryear_rain.current.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/pctcalendaryear_rain.current.png
June’s statewide average temperature, as measured by the Mesonet, was 80.1
degrees, which was 2.8 degrees above normal and ranked as the 16th-warmest June
since records began in 1895. Nineteen out of June’s 30 days saw at least one
triple-digit temperature at one of the Mesonet’s 120 sites, with a peak of 110
degrees at Kingfisher on the 28th. The average temperature for the first six
months of the year was 58.6 degrees, 2.4 degrees above normal, and ranked as
the fifth-warmest January-June period on record. Altus and Erick led the state
with 13 triple-digit readings through June, closely followed by Fairview with
12.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/june-avg-temps.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/june-avg-temps-depart.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/tmax.ge100.png
Flash drought continued to persist in June, despite improvements across far
northwestern Oklahoma and the Panhandle. Drought coverage modestly increased
from 15% of the state in early June to over 20% by month's end, according to
the U.S. Drought Monitor. The area experiencing abnormally dry
conditions—considered a precursor to drought on the Drought Monitor—expanded
significantly from 12% to 32%. Looking ahead, the July Climate Prediction
Center outlooks paint a bleak picture for Oklahoma, predicting a warmer and
drier-than-normal month. Below-normal rainfall is particularly likely across
southwestern Oklahoma. These outlooks are reflected in the CPC's July drought
outlook, which forecasts continued drought persistence and development across
all of Oklahoma, except for the western two-thirds of the Panhandle.
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/june-usdm-changes.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/CPC-july-outlooks.png
https://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20240701/July_drought-outlook.png
###
Gary McManus
State Climatologist
Oklahoma Mesonet
Oklahoma Climatological Survey
gmcmanus@ou.edu
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