June

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.

June took up the slack for May’s relatively tame severe weather output—at least by Oklahoma’s standards—with 10 tornadoes and two possible derechos that left over half of a million Oklahomans without power. While storms threatened the state throughout the month, the most intense severe weather was concentrated within just a few days from June 15–18 thanks to two powerful storms systems, both aided by an unusually strong jet stream overhead.

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.

Largely deprived of its primary rainy season, Oklahoma saw drought surge across the state during June. A mid-month bout with showers and storms managed to stem the flash drought’s intensification and spread with beneficial rains across northwestern Oklahoma. The respite was brief, however. Dry weather and intense heat returned by the end of the month and drought was again on the move to the south and east. Contained wholly within the western half of the state at the end of May, drought had progressed to the state’s eastern border by the end of June.