August Brings Early Summer Exit

August 2025 pulled a fast one on Oklahoma. Instead of the typical late-summer swelter, the month ended with a taste of fall as two powerful cold fronts shoved aside the heat. The final week brought gray skies, steady rain and highs stuck in the 60s and 70s — more like October than August. The chill was strong enough to break multiple records, including several record-low maximums and even a few outright record lows.

August’s fall plunge breaks records

The final seven days of August 2025 were the coolest such stretch on record in Oklahoma, with a statewide average of 71.4 degrees. That mark bested the previous record of 72.5 degrees set in 1946. Multiple days during the period produced widespread record-low maximum temperatures, and several long-term sites established their lowest August maximum on record. Those included Bartlesville, which reached only 70 degrees on Aug. 27 (records back to 1920), Norman at 68 degrees on Aug. 27 (records back to 1894), and Waynoka at 64 degrees on Aug. 26 (records back to 1938). Summer briefly returned in southwest Oklahoma on Aug. 28 with highs back into the upper 90s and low 100s, but another strong cold front quickly reinforced the autumn-like air. Highs in the 60s were recorded on four of the final seven days, with Cheyenne, Eva and Hooker all bottoming out at 63 degrees on Aug. 26.

August rains impress

The moisture that accompanied Oklahoma’s fall-like turn was nearly as remarkable as the chill. From Aug. 25–31, the statewide average rainfall totaled 2.58 inches — the second-wettest such period on record, 1.9 inches above normal and just shy of the 2003 record of 2.76 inches. For the month overall, August ranked as the 21st-wettest on record with a statewide average of 4.32 inches, 1.09 inches above normal. The heaviest rains fell across northwest Oklahoma, where surpluses of 4–6 inches were common. The May Ranch Mesonet site led the state with 11.01 inches.

Drought returns to Oklahoma

After 11 weeks without drought, dryness returned to Oklahoma on the Aug. 19 U.S. Drought Monitor. Moderate drought rose to 2% of the state, with another 19% listed as abnormally dry. Some areas had gone as many as 44 days without a quarter-inch of rain, leaving 30-day deficits of 2–4 inches. By Aug. 26, drought coverage had eased to 1% moderate and 14% abnormally dry, with further improvement likely thanks to late-month rains.

August by the numbers

• Statewide average temperature: 79.3°F, 1.5°F below normal — the 33rd-coolest August since records began in 1895
• Temperature extremes: High of 111°F at Hooker on Aug. 8; low of 52°F at Nowata on Aug. 26–27 and Vinita on Aug. 27; highest heat index, 119°F at Bristow on Aug. 19
• Warmest and coolest locations: Highest monthly average, 82.8°F at Grandfield and Tipton; lowest, 75.3°F at Boise City
• Statewide average precipitation: 4.32 inches, 1.09 inches above normal — the 21st-wettest August on record
• Rainfall extremes: High of 11.01 inches at May Ranch; low of 1.34 inches at Tipton
• Rainfall totals over 5 inches: 33 instances recorded at the 120 Oklahoma Mesonet sites
• Highest wind gusts: Camargo, Aug. 24: 99 mph; Buffalo, Aug. 17: 81 mph; Beaver, Aug. 8: 71 mph

Climatological summer (June–August) by the numbers

• Statewide average temperature: 79.7°F, 0.3°F below normal — the 62nd-coolest summer since 1895
• Temperature extremes: High of 111°F at Hooker on Aug. 8; low of 43°F at Eva on June 4
• Statewide average precipitation: 13.91 inches, 3.22 inches above normal — the 15th-wettest summer on record
• Rainfall extremes: High of 23.66 inches at Nowata; low of 6.19 inches at Erick

Drought improvement likely during September

The Climate Prediction Center’s (CPC) September outlook indicates increased odds of above-normal temperatures for the Panhandle, but equal chances of above-, below- or near-normal conditions across the main body of the state, as well as increased odds of above-normal precipitation through the northwestern two-thirds of Oklahoma. The CPC’s September drought outlook calls drought removal “likely” in those small areas where it remained at the end of August.