Oklahoma monthly climate summary, 12/2013

              Copyright © 2014 Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Monthly Climate Summary 1
A frigid and sometimes icy December seemed a fitting way to close out the boisterous weather of 2013. Preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet ranked the month as the 17th coolest December on record at nearly 4 degrees below normal. Records of this type for Oklahoma date back to 1895. The statewide average temperature as recorded by the Mesonet was 35.2 degrees. As chilly as it seemed, however, that mark provided little threat to 1983’s record cold of 25.8 degrees, but also far cooler than 2012’s 42.1 degrees. There were two significant winter storms during December, each creating headaches for travelers and power utility companies. The first storm struck on December 5-6 in two separate waves and brought freezing rain, sleet and snow across the state. Significant snow totals of 5-6 inches fell from southwestern up through central Oklahoma, with lesser amounts surrounding that narrow swath. Heavy sleet and freezing rain created havoc across southern Oklahoma, particularly in Choctaw and Pushmataha counties where Oklahoma National Guard units were deployed to help with timber debris removal. More than 9000 homes and businesses were left without power from this storm.
DECEMBER 2013
Oklahoma Monthly Climate Summary
December 2013 Statewide Extremes
Description
Extreme
Station
Day
High Temperature
79ºF
Hollis
3
Low Temperature
-5ºF
Camargo
10
High Precipitation
4.45 in.
Mt. Herman
--
Low Precipitation
0.03 in.
Kenton
--
December 2013 Statewide Statistics
Temperature
Average
Depart.
Rank (1895-2013)
Month (December)
35.2ºF
-3.8ºF
17th Coolest
Year-to-Date (Jan-Dec)
58.9ºF
-0.8ºF
27th Coolest
Precipitation
Total
Depart.
Rank (1895-2013)
Month (December)
1.64 in.
-1.18 in.
47th Driest
Year-to-Date (Jan-Dec)
37.01 in.
0.32 in
36th Wettest
Depart. = departure from 30-year normal1.53 inches, about a half-inch below normal, to rank as the 59th wettest December on record. That total is possibly an underestimate due to the frozen precipitation, although the moisture pattern across various parts of the state was quite clear. Far southeastern Oklahoma received from 3-5 inches during the month while western areas of the state received less than a half-inch, in general.
The cold December propelled 2013’s statewide average annual temperature to a mark of 58.9 degrees, 0.8 degrees below normal and the 27th coolest calendar year on record for the state. That mark stands in stark contrast to 2012’s record warm year of 63.1 degrees. The highest temperature recorded by the Mesonet during 2013 was 111 degrees at Freedom on June 27. Kenton recorded the Mesonet’s lowest temperature with a reading of -10 degrees on January 2. The annual average precipitation total came in at 37.01 inches, 0.32 inches above normal to rank as the 36th wettest year on record. That total was certainly not representative of how each region of the state fared, however. The tallies ranged from 50-60 inches across portions of central through eastern Oklahoma, to 15-20 inches across far western Oklahoma. Central Oklahoma received an average of 44.65 inches to rank as the 11th wettest year on record for that region. Oklahoma City itself finished at 52.78 inches for its second wettest year on record, dating back to 1891 – only 2007 was wetter at 56.95 inches. Meanwhile, the Mesonet site at Goodwell recorded a meager 12.8 inches for
State emergency management officials noted more than 800 storm related injuries reported by local hospitals, as well as at least 10 fatalities. The second storm on December 20-22 was more of an ice event for much of the state, although significant snow did fall in some areas. Total ice accumulations of a half-inch to an inch covered much of southwestern through northeastern Oklahoma along the I-44 corridor. Snow totals from 2-6 inches fell across far northwestern Oklahoma. Power outages peaked at close to 50,000 homes and businesses due to ice accumulations on trees and power lines.
The winter storms provided the southeastern two-thirds of the state with decent moisture, although much of drought-plagued western Oklahoma remained significantly dry. The statewide average precipitation total from the Mesonet was