Oklahoma monthly climate summary, 01/2012

              Copyright © 2012 Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Monthly Climate Summary 1
Snow was mostly a no-show during January as Oklahoma’s mild winter weather continued for a second month. The average temperature across the state soared to nearly 7 degrees above normal to rank as the eighth warmest January since records began in 1895. Combine that with a mild December and the first two months of the winter season finished at more than 3 degrees above normal and ranked as the 16th warmest such period on record. In Oklahoma, only a few localized areas in central and northeastern parts of the state reported snowfall totals of more than an inch for the month. The blizzard that struck the Panhandle in mid-December remains the only significant snowstorm to strike the state this season. While the snowflakes were few and far between in January, there was plentiful, drought-quenching rainfall to be had for parts of the state. Southeastern and south central Oklahoma saw totals range from 4-7 inches according to data from the Oklahoma Mesonet. South central’s average total of 3.62 inches ranked as the ninth wettest January for that area since 1895. Those generous totals were enough to propel the statewide average rainfall during January to more than a quarter of an inch above normal and a ranking of 38th wettest. Other parts of the state were not so fortunate. Much of western and northern Oklahoma totaled less than half of an inch of precipitation.
JANUARY 2012
Oklahoma Monthly Climate Summary
January 2012 Statewide Extremes
Description
Extreme
Station
Day
High Temperature
79ºF
Magnum
16
Low Temperature
9ºF
Nowata
18
High Precipitation
7.11 in.
Lane
--
Low Precipitation
0.0 in.
Boise City
--
January 2012 Statewide Statistics
Temperature
Average
Depart.
Rank (1895-2012)
Month (January)
42.9ºF
6.8ºF
8th Warmest
Season-to-Date (Dec-Jan)
40.9ºF
3.4ºF
16th Warmest
Precipitation
Average
Depart.
Rank (1895-2012)
Month (January)
1.74 in.
0.29 in.
38th Wettest
Season-to-Date (Dec-Jan)
4.09 in.
0.62 in.
28th Wettest
Depart. = departure from 30-year normal
TEMPERATURE
January 2012 was more than 8 degrees warmer than January 2011. The highest temperature recorded during the month was 79 degrees at Mangum on the 16th. The lowest temperature was 9 degrees at Nowata on the ninth. While all parts of the state were much above normal, the northeast attained the highest ranking at sixth warmest. That area of the state was 7.7 degrees above normal for the month.
JANUARY DAILY HIGHLIGHTS
JANUARY 1-8: The first eight days of January were punctuated by warm weather and mostly clear skies. A few not-so-cold cold fronts moved through the state and cooled things back down to near normal, but temperatures in the 60s were common. A few areas saw temperatures rise above 70 degrees on the fifth and sixth. Virtually no rain fell in the state during this period.
JANUARY 9-10: The first significant rain to fall during the month occurred on the ninth with the approach of an upper-level low pressure system from the southwest. The rain started in southern Oklahoma and eventually spread north and east. The rain was almost entirely south of the I-44 corridor. More than 2 inches fell in parts of the southeast, with 1-2 inches surrounding those areas. Highs were mostly in the 40s and 50s thanks to the cloud cover and precipitation after lows in the 20s and 30s.
PRECIPITATION
The Mesonet site at Boise City received no measurable precipitation for the month and Copan barely wet the gauge with a hundredth of an inch. Northeastern Oklahoma’s average January total of a little more than a half of an inch was the 15th lowest on record while the Panhandle averaged just over a tenth of an inch. The Mesonet site at Lane led the state with 7.11 inches of rainfall. Tulsa’s total of 0.61 inches was 1.05 inches below normal and Oklahoma City was nearly an inch above normal with a total of 2.23 inches.