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May 11

News & Events

Oklahoma Drought Status Webinar: May 11, 2022

May 11, 2022

10:00 am - 11:00 am

CDT

Drought in Oklahoma began in fall 2021 and has expanded and worsened during early 2022. The U.S. Drought Monitor shows over one-third (36%) of the state in Extreme (D3) Drought and nearly a tenth (9.4%) in Exceptional (D4) Drought. During this webinar, Gary McManus, the Oklahoma State Climatologist, and Victor Murphy, from the National Weather Service, talked about current drought conditions, the long-range forecast, and the impact recent precipitation had on drought conditions across the state.

For more information, please contact joel.lisonbee@noaa.gov.

0:00

Welcome to the Oklahoma Drought Conditions Webinar

Speaker: Joel Lisonbee, NOAA's National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) / University of Colorado Boulder

Welcome
Introducing the speakers:
- Gary McManus, Oklahoma State Climatologist, Oklahoma Mesonet, Oklahoma Climatological Survey
- Victor Murphy, NOAA/National Weather Service Southern Region

2:32

Drought & Climate Conditions for Oklahoma

Speaker: Gary McManus, Oklahoma State Climatologist, Oklahoma Mesonet, Oklahoma Climatological Survey

The current drought began around August 2021 and intensified in December 2021.
- December 2021 was the hottest December on record by over 5 degrees.
April/May saw drought relief in eastern Oklahoma.
This was the windiest March/April since Mesonet observations began in 1994.
- Western Oklahoma has seen enhanced evapotranspiration, wildfires, and soil erosion and major dust storms.
So far, May precipitation has been an improvement with above-average precipitation in southwest Oklahoma, but more is needed to alleviate drought conditions.

21:15

Oklahoma Forecasts & Outlooks

Speaker: Victor Murphy, National Weather Service Southern Region

Except for the Panhandle, April–June is generally the wettest time of the year for Oklahoma.
- The best chance for drought improvement would be during these months.
- Basically, there are 6 to 8 weeks left for significant rain to improve conditions.
The eastern third of Oklahoma should remain drought-free through June.
Monsoonal rains in July–August will determine the post-summer drought status for the Panhandle.
The probability of drought recovery in July to September is quite small.
“Triple Dip” La Niña lessens chances for recovery in the 2022–2023 cold season.
Seasonal outlooks show a hot and dry summer is likely for most of Oklahoma