Oklahoma monthly climate summary, 12/2011

              Copyright © 2011 Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Monthly Climate Summary 1
December would have ended up very unremarkable if not for a rather exciting snowstorm in the middle of the month. Other than that storm, which brought beneficial rains to other parts of the state, December was a bit warmer than normal with a statewide average of 40.1 degrees, the 52nd warmest since 1895 at 1.1 degrees above normal. The big snow and rain event propelled the month to the 27th wettest December on record at 2.39 inches averaged across the state, a surplus of less than half of an inch. The snowstorm was actually a full-fledged blizzard in the Oklahoma Panhandle. Preliminary reports from Kenton had 15 inches of snow falling with winds of over 40 mph producing drifts of 10 feet. The snow tapered off to the east. Beaver reported 3-4 inches with 3-4 feet drifts. The cold air never arrived in the main body of the state so the precipitation was mostly a liquid experience. The year ended as the eighth warmest on record at 61.8 degrees, 2.2 degrees above normal. Thanks to the catastrophic drought that had its beginnings in late-fall 2010, the year finished as the 11th driest at 25.71 inches averaged across the state, nearly 11 inches below normal.
DECEMBER 2011
Oklahoma Monthly Climate Summary
December 2011 Statewide Extremes
Description
Extreme
Station
Day
High Temperature
82ºF
Cheyenne, Magnum
31
Low Temperature
-6ºF
Kenton
6
High Precipitation
6.80 in.
Mt. Herman
--
Low Precipitation
1.04 in.
Boise City
--
December 2011 Statewide Statistics
Temperature
Average
Depart.
Rank (1895-2011)
Month (December)
40.1ºF
1.1ºF
52nd Warmest
Year-to-Date (Jan-Dec)
61.8ºF
2.2ºF
8th Warmest
Precipitation
Average
Depart.
Rank (1895-2011)
Month (December)
2.39 in.
0.37 in.
27th Wettest
Year-to-Date (Jan-Dec)
25.71 in.
-10.98 in.
11th Driest
Depart. = departure from 30-year normalactually 2-4 degrees below normal with the coldest weather in the far western Panhandle. Other than that area, temperatures were 2-4 degrees above normal for the most part. The extremely warm summer gave southwestern Oklahoma its second warmest year ever at 64 degrees, 3 degrees above normal. South central Oklahoma was close behind with a third-warmest ranking.
DECEMBER DAILY HIGHLIGHTS
DECEMBER 1-5: A cold front entered the state on the month’s first day. The front brought cooler weather on the first before the front started to retreat towards the north as a warm front. This allowed showers and storms to form late on the second and into the third. A stronger cold front pushed the warm air out of the state again on the third and fourth but allowed for more showers and storms in the southeast. With the cold air in place on the fifth, another upper-level storm system crossed the southern part of the state and produced snow. Reports of up to 2 inches came in from southeastern Oklahoma. Liquid precipitation totals for the period topped 3 inches in the southeast and ranged down to about a half of an inch in other spots.
PRECIPITATION
The month’s precipitation was bolstered by a very wet period in northwestern Oklahoma where totals finished more than 180 percent of normal. That’s contrasted by the 40-80 percent of normal for south central through northeastern Oklahoma. For the year, 2011 was extremely dry across the state, but especially so in western and southern Oklahoma. It was the third driest year since 1895 in the Panhandle with a deficit of 9.34 inches. Things were not much better across west central, southwest and south central Oklahoma, with ranks of sixth-, fourth- and sixth-driest on record for their areas. The Oklahoma Mesonet site at Hooker received 6.2 inches for the year, one of the lowest totals in state history.
TEMPERATURE
The main body of the state was well above normal for the entire month. Only the Panhandle’s extensive snowpack from mid-month on kept it from following suit. Temperatures were
DECEMBER 6-10: This five-day period was mostly dry, although there was light snow on the sixth in north central Oklahoma. Amounts were mostly less than an inch. That day was also the coldest of the five with highs struggling into the 30s in some areas while 20s were in store for most of the state. Highs began to rise into more seasonable territory by the 10th.