Ticker for February 1, 2024

                
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February 1, 2024   February 1, 2024   February 1, 2024   February 1, 2024


Lotta Watta




I quoted Neo earlier this week, so how about Hans Gruber from "Die Hard":

"You asked for drought miracles, Oklahoma, I give you  a Strong. El. Nino."

Hey, I could have gone with "Now I have a machine gun. Ho. Ho. Ho."

Now we're talking climate division averages in those records on that graphic,
so obviously there are some differences within those climate divisions. Not
every location located within experienced record rainfall for December through
January, but some (many?) did.

Here are the stats and rankings for all 9 OK Climate Divisions for both precip
and temperature (and a handy map to locate the climate divisions).





And it looks like that wet pattern will continue into the next week or two, if
not longer. We have rain forecast for the next few days, then increased odds of
above normal precip headed through next week AND the rest of the month (although
that might be a reflection on February's wet first two weeks).







Heck, it's raining right now for crying out loud!



So with this enhanced storm track, thanks at least in part to our strong El
Nino, we've seen remarkable shrinkage of drought in the state since the
beginning of climatological winter (FIGHT ME, METEOROLOGISTS!) on Dec. 1, 2023.



One more spring-preview day left as well, before we get back to sorta seasonable
weather once again...but still on the warm side.





Anyway, if you want, stick around below (and we all know just how painful that
can be) and read about our remarkable January...and be thankful it's over.

We laughed, we cried. we went to the ER twice and the hospital...

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Winter Finds Its Voice
Feb. 1, 2024

Winter made a striking return to Oklahoma in January, surprising a state that
had just experienced its fourth-warmest December on record. This frosty
resurgence brought with it a myriad of wintry phenomena, including freezing fog,
freezing rain, snowstorms, a blizzard warning, an ice storm warning, and the
lengthiest stretch of sub-freezing temperatures since the infamous Arctic air
outbreak of February 2021. Following a seasonably mild first week, Arctic air
surged southward in multiple waves. The initial wave blanketed northern Oklahoma
with snow on January 8-9, accompanied by a blizzard warning in the Panhandle.
Snow accumulations were generally modest, though the western Panhandle saw over
6 inches, coupled with wind gusts exceeding 60 mph. This led to near-zero
visibility and whiteout conditions, resulting in road closures. Subsequent
blasts of frigid Arctic air infiltrated the state starting late on the 11th,
persisting until the morning of the 17th, holding much of Oklahoma in a deep
freeze for over 100 hours. Some northern regions endured over 100 hours below 20
degrees Fahrenheit, a clear indicator of the polar origin of the air mass.
Mercury readings plummeted to as low as minus 15 degrees, marking the coldest
recorded temperature in the state since February 26, 2021, when Nowata recorded
minus 22 degrees. Additionally, light snowfall graced northern and eastern
Oklahoma on the 15th.





After a brief respite, winter made a formidable return. Freezing rain swept
across the state late on the 21st and persisted through the morning of the 22nd,
prompting an ice storm warning for far eastern Oklahoma due to anticipated
heavier ice accumulations and gusty winds. Up to three-tenths of an inch of ice
coated the southeastern two-thirds of the state, leading to traffic disruptions
and hundreds of motor vehicle accidents. Portions of Oklahoma’s turnpikes and
interstate highways turned into impromptu parking lots for numerous semi-trucks.
The ice was a hazard to pedestrians as well, with dozens of slip-and-fall
accidents reported by state hospitals. Although temperatures finally climbed
above freezing on the 22nd, inclement weather persisted through the 27th, with
successive waves of chilly rain under perpetually gray skies. Fortunately, the
month concluded on a brighter note, with temperatures reaching the 60s and 70s
from the 28th through the 31st.



According to preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, the statewide average
temperature for the month was 34 degrees, 4.3 degrees below normal and ranked as
the 26th coldest January since records began in 1895. The month saw Vinita
plummeting to a bone-chilling minus 15 degrees on January 16, while Waurika
recorded the highest temperature of 76 degrees on the 31st. Across the Mesonet’s
120 sites, there were 171 instances of temperatures at or below zero and an
additional 437 occurrences below 10 degrees. Notably, Vinita experienced the
lowest wind chill value of minus 26.8 degrees on the 16th—the state’s lowest
since Hooker recorded minus 33.2 degrees on December 22, 2022. Throughout
January, there were 50 instances of wind chill values at or below minus 20
degrees and a staggering 759 readings at or below zero. Reflecting on the first
two months of climatological winter, encompassing December and January, the
statewide average temperature stood at 39.5 degrees—marginally above normal by
0.3 degrees—and ranked as the 42nd warmest such period on record.







According to data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, the statewide average precipitation
for January totaled 2.2 inches, surpassing the established normal by 0.63 inches
and ranking as the 22nd wettest January since records began in 1895. Continuing
a familiar pattern, southeast Oklahoma received the bulk of the moisture,
ranging from 4 to 6 inches, tapering off towards the northwest and the Panhandle
where amounts remained generally under an inch. Leading the precipitation chart
was Broken Bow with 6.27 inches, joined by 18 other sites reporting 3 inches or
more. Conversely, Beaver recorded the lowest total at 0.63 inches. Nearly the
entire state experienced surpluses ranging from 0.5 to 2 inches. Examining the
climatological winter's initial two months, precipitation remained notably
abundant, with a statewide average of 5.1 inches—exceeding the norm by 1.42
inches and ranking as the 14th wettest such period on record. West central
Oklahoma marked its wettest December-January interval on record, averaging 5.12
inches, surpassing the norm by 2.97 inches and besting the previous record of
5.01 inches from 1984-85. Meanwhile, the Panhandle and north-central regions
observed their third- and second-wettest periods on record, respectively. In
contrast, southeast Oklahoma's average of 7.37 inches was marginally below
normal by 0.12 inches.













Moisture surpluses in January continued to alleviate Oklahoma's drought
conditions, as indicated by the U.S. Drought Monitor's final map on January 30,
which revealed that only 7% of the state remained in drought, with a mere 1.6%
categorized as severe drought. The Climate Prediction Center anticipates further
improvements in February. According to CPC's February outlooks, there are
increased probabilities of above-normal temperatures statewide, particularly in
northern Oklahoma. The precipitation outlook suggests increased chances of
above-normal precipitation for nearly the entire state, except for extreme
eastern Oklahoma. CPC's corresponding drought outlook for February indicates
that the remaining drought areas in the state will likely be eradicated, except
for localized areas in south-central and northeastern Oklahoma.







Gary McManus
State Climatologist
Oklahoma Mesonet
Oklahoma Climatological Survey
gmcmanus@mesonet.org