Oklahoma monthly climate summary, 02/2012

              Copyright © 2012 Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma. Oklahoma Monthly Climate Summary 1
At 2 degrees above normal across the state, February’s warmth
was not quite as striking as the previous two winter months,
but it still managed to rank as the 33rd warmest February
on record. The statewide average precipitation total of 1.78
inches was virtually normal and ranked as the 42nd wettest
February on record. Much of the state was actually a bit on the
dry side, but the fourth wettest February on record for north
central Oklahoma helped boost the statewide average. Golf
clubs replaced parkas as the outdoor accessory of choice this
winter, and Oklahoma’s kids can only dream of missed school
days filled with sledding and snowball fights. The mildness of
this winter – the 11th warmest on record at nearly 3 degrees
above normal – stands in stark contrast to the cold, snowy
experiences of the previous two years. Tulsa has recorded a
paltry 1.7 inches of snow so far this cool season and Oklahoma
City reported a similar total of 1.8 inches. This winter ranked
as the ninth warmest in Oklahoma City dating back to 1891.
Tulsa’s average winter temperature tied for the sixth warmest
dating back to 1905.
february 2012
Oklahoma Monthly Climate Summary
February 2012 Statewide Extremes
Description Extreme Station Day
High Temperature 81ºF Hollis 28
Low Temperature 8ºF Jay 12
High Precipitation 4.95 in. Freedom
Low Precipitation 0.27 in. Goodwell --
February 2012 Statewide Statistics
Temperature
Average Depart. Rank (1895-2012)
Month
(February)
43.7ºF 2.0ºF 33rd Warmest
Season-to-
Date (Dec-Feb)
41.7ºF 2.9ºF 11th Warmest
Year-to-Date
(Jan-Feb)
43.2ºF 4.4ºF 14th Warmest
Precipitation
Average Depart. Rank (1895-2012)
Month
(February)
1.78 in. 0.02 in. 42nd Wettest
Season-to-Date
(Dec-Feb)
6.08 in. 0.85 in. 30th Wettest
Year-to-Date
(Jan-Feb)
3.73 in. 0.52 in. 36th Wettest
Depart. = departure from 30-year normal
February Daily Highlights
February 1-3: The first three days of the month had a lot of
unsettled weather, thanks to a cold front and a strong upper-level
storm system that moved across the state. The front
generated strong-to-severe storms across northwestern
Oklahoma on the second. Hail up to 1.5 inches in diameter was
reported near Freedom along with 65 mph winds. The storms
continued into the third with more large hail and severe wind
reports. The highest rainfall totals ended up in northwestern
Oklahoma where 2-4 inch amounts were widespread. With
the passage of the cold front, temperatures rose into the 40s
and 50s in the north and 60s and 70s in the south.
February 4-6: The front brought a cold start to this period. Lows
were mostly in the 20s and 30s through the sixth and highs
managed to rise into the 50s on that day.
February 7-10: A storm system moved across Kansas and
brought light rain and snow to the state on the seventh. Most
of the snow totals were less than 2 inches. The highest total
reported was 2.3 inches from Dewey County. The rainfall
totals were also light, most less than a quarter of an inch. An
arctic air mass slowly filtered into the region after the storm
system pulled away. Highs on the 10th rose into the 30s for the
most part, although there were a few 40s in the south. Strong
northerly winds made it feel much colder.
Precipitation
Freedom led the state with 4.95 inches of precipitation during
the month and helped propel that region to their fourth wettest
February on record. This winter was also the second wettest
on record for north central Oklahoma with an average total of
6.84 inches, a surplus of 3.39 inches. Statewide, this winter
was the 30th wettest with an average of 6.08 inches, 0.85
inches above normal.
Temperature
Virtually the entire state experienced above normal temperature
to some extent during February. Northeastern Oklahoma had
the highest ranking with its 22nd warmest February since
1895. Hollis led the state’s high temperatures at 81 degrees
on the 28th. Jay brought up the rear at 8 degrees on the 12th.