The 17th warmest and driest September in Oklahoma since records began in 1895 allowed drought to flourish during the month. Categorized as “flash drought,” its rapid onset and intensification occur when abnormally high temperatures and below normal precipitation persist for an extended period. Most often a warm season phenomenon, abundant sunshine and strong winds can also aid in its progression. Those are precisely the conditions Oklahoma experienced when previously abundant rains tapered off during early August and sweltering heat returned shortly thereafter.

A run of hot, dry weather finished off climatological summer in true Oklahoma fashion following a delightfully mild first two months of the season. There was very little in the way of severe weather during the month, just a smattering of hail and high wind reports scattered about the state. A hazard of another kind managed to flourish in the arid conditions, however, with drought once again gaining a toehold across parts of northwestern Oklahoma. The USDA indicated 43% of the state’s topsoil was considered short to very short of moisture by the end of the month.

Oklahoma’s July was mild for the most part, and a bit wet for much of the state. Extreme temperatures—at least as read on the thermometer—were in short supply, but the pressure cooker heat due to high humidity seemed to be well stocked. Severe weather did strike sporadically through the month, mostly in the form of severe winds as is common to summer months in the Southern Plains. One tornado touched down near Yale in Payne County on July 7, an EF-1 twister that damaged homes and outbuildings.

A slow start to summer gave way to sweltering heat through the middle of June before once again succumbing to mild, wet weather to end the month. There were occasional bouts with severe weather—mostly high winds and large hail—although flooding was a common concern as well. Winds of up to 75 mph hit Snyder overnight on June 7, producing widespread damage to the town. The Oklahoma Mesonet site at Boise City measured winds in excess of 65 mph for 25 consecutive minutes the evening of June 12.

May’s weather was rather tame by Oklahoma standards, with severe weather greatly diminished by an abundance of cool, cloudy weather. Plenty of moisture was to be had, with heavy rains falling right through May’s final day. That is not to say severe weather was completely absent, but at times flood warnings were seemingly more prevalent than severe thunderstorm warnings. Only a handful of tornadoes were reported in the state during May.

Fall 2021 OK-First classes for public safety officials are now open for enrollment! We will be offering a mix of in-person and online classes with the online classes being self-paced. Here are the classes we will be offering during August-September 2021:

• 6 In-person Re-certification classes (1 day each)
• 2 Online Re-certification classes (2 weeks in length)
• 1 Online Certification class (6 weeks in length)